Now’s the time to start setting the stage for a successful 2022. For direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, you’ll want to map out your marketing strategies to increase conversion rates, deliver an optimal experience, and reach customers for direct buying. 

If you’re considering new marketing channels for your D2C business in 2022, there are plenty of avenues to explore. Lifecycle marketing continues to grow in popularity and effectiveness and includes multiple touchpoints to create brand awareness and build customer loyalty. Deploying strategies such as retargeting through social media and email can help increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment, as well. Additionally, segmenting your audience and personalizing your campaigns can help reach your target audience on the nose each time.

Embrace lifecycle marketing 

Lifecycle marketing is a strategy that follows prospective customers through every stage of the marketing funnel; from awareness of your brand to consideration, conversion, and becoming a repeat customer. You can use a variety of tactics and touchpoints — such as email, SMS, and social media marketing — to reach customers. 

Lead buyers through the funnel 

When you create your D2C marketing strategy around lifecycle marketing, you’ll want to implement different tactics at each stage of the funnel. The stages of the marketing funnel are: 

• Awareness
• Consideration
• Purchase
• Retention 

You can achieve brand awareness through social media marketing, search engine marketing (paid search), or search engine optimization (SEO), to name just a few tactics and channels. Once you’ve led people to your website, an easy-to-navigate page with clear, visible calls to action can help turn website visitors into customers. 

Build brand loyalty with a seamless checkout experience and fast fulfillment from micro-fulfillment centers that are close to your customer base. 

Retarget to reduce cart abandonment 

Every D2C website experiences cart abandonment. But there are ways to get those customers back once they’ve navigated away from your website. You can use retargeting tactics to remind customers of what attracted them to your site or products in the first place, entice them with added savings, or show them related products they might be interested in coming back to take a look at.

Retargeting is effective using paid social or paid search methods, but you can also use email marketing to remind your site visitors about the fabulous deals and products they may have left behind. For brands that also have a brick-and-mortar presence in retail stores, you may consider using SMS marketing that is geo-targeted. For instance, if a website visitor has left a pair of boots in their cart and your SMS marketing software can identify their location at a local shoe store, you might send a coupon via SMS to allow them to save money buying the item online and have it shipped directly to their home. 

Deliver value with segmented campaigns 

While retargeting is a great way to increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment, you can also use it for brand recognition. You’ll want to make sure to capture an email address from every person that visits your website. Then create segmented campaigns to send your site visitors highly targeted emails chock-full of relevant content. 

You don’t always have to distribute emails that advertise sales or promotions. Sending targeted emails that relate to topics your market cares about — such as cooking or travel tips — helps build brand loyalty and can give people a reason to visit your website if you promise more of the same helpful and engaging content.

Track your results and do more of what works

Whatever marketing strategies you deploy for success in the new year, you’ll want to track your results. Every D2C digital marketing strategy should include SMART goals that are: 

• Specific
• Measureable 
• Achievable 
• Realistic 
• Time-bound 

These goals can relate to site visitors, bounce rates, sales figures, or increased conversion rates if you’re looking at website metrics. If you’re engaged in a social media campaign, you may wish to count new followers, likes, engagement, or clicks and sales. 

Set a definitive endpoint for your campaign when you’ll measure the results and make changes to improve your numbers for next time. 

Stay true to your brand’s vision and purpose

Today’s consumers look for authenticity from the brands they love. Managing a D2C website to target direct buying gives manufacturers a unique opportunity to control the conversation around their brand. You’ll want to ensure that every element of your marketing campaign reflects your core values. 

Today’s consumers also care about sustainability. An IBM report revealed that nearly six in 10 consumers said they were willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. Roughly 80% of consumers polled said sustainability is important.