Got invited to deliver a lecture on e-commerce to the Master's students in Entrepreneurship at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) by Dr. S. Ojo — 8/11/2024. Note:
If commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services, electronic commerce (e-commerce) is simply doing that on digital platforms. Simple, right? But here’s where it gets interesting; selling alone isn’t enough anymore. We live in a social economy where everything revolves around connections, emotions, and perceptions. To thrive in this space, our approach to engaging customers must be strategic.
This is where creative communication comes in—leveraging branding, design, animations, and other creative media to not just gain visibility but also achieve tangible ROI (Return on Investment). Here are some key benefits to highlight how creative communication transforms your business approach:
1. Automation
Gone are the days of manually managing every aspect of your business. Trust me, as someone who has sold digital products online, there’s nothing more satisfying than receiving a series of credit notification because people are purchasing your product—all while you’re doing something else.
Automation starts with building a sales funnel. Think of it as a deliberate journey you create for potential customers, taking them from awareness to acquisition and beyond.
Sales Funnel Example
Let’s say you want to sell an e-book:
Step 1: Visibility – People need to know your book exists. Run an ad campaign to create awareness. Remember, visibility isn’t sales; it’s just step one.
- Step 2: Interest – Those intrigued by your ad will want to know more. Direct them to a persuasive landing page. Use tactics such as: Offering discounts or bonuses, Adding testimonials to build trust, and Creating urgency with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
- Step 3: Action – Make it easy for them to buy. Integrate a payment gateway to eliminate hassle. Once convinced, they can purchase and download instantly.
- Step 4: Post-Sales Engagement – Don’t stop at the sale. Follow up with thank-you emails, request reviews, and recommend related products.
A well-designed funnel can turn 1,000 ad impressions into minimum 100 clicks, and with a good conversion rate, at least 10% of those clicks can translate into sales.
When selling a physical product and you lack the resources to build an entire e-commerce website, platforms like Sharesell, Paystack, Selar, or Gumroad are excellent alternatives. These platforms let you create online storefronts for free and come with pre-integrated payment gateways, making it easy to manage transactions without technical hassle.
Key Tools for Automation
- Paystack, Selar, or Gumroad for seamless payment processing.
- Google Forms for collecting customer feedback post-sale.
- ConvertKit for email automation and audience segmentation.
2. Structure:
If your objective is urgent “2K,” as we say in Nigeria, then by all means, play it small. But if you’re serious about e-commerce and want to see serious results, you’ll need structure.
Today, I see a lot of people dabble in dropshipping—an interesting concept where the seller sells products online without keeping them in stock. The customer orders a product, the seller purchases it from a third-party supplier, and it is shipped directly to the customer. Cool, zero capital, but often underutilized on WhatsApp statuses. you know those stories that look like strings of beads—multiple posts of product images that we both know is limited to 24 hours, so it’s rinse and repeat the next day. Does it work? Maybe. But personally, I don’t enjoy salesy interactions. I’ll probably skip after the third image or so, but that’s just me.
Every business has it's customers
Spamming people’s DMs, group chats, or random contact lists is far less effective than building a proper structure. Instead, focus on creating a brand that attracts your target audience—those genuinely interested in what you’re selling.
Branding and Structure
- Know Your Target Audience – Develop brand personas based on demographics, interests, pain points, and behaviors. Ask yourself: Who are they? Where do they hang out online? How do they shop? This insight will help you craft a brand that resonates.
- Brand Consistency – Effective branding goes beyond a logo or tagline. Build a recognizable identity with consistent visuals, messaging, and tone.
Key Tools for Structure
3. Scale: Go Big or Go Home
Once you hack automation and structure, scaling becomes the natural next step. But scaling isn’t just about making more money—it’s about optimizing what works and multiplying results.
Scaling with Creative Communication
- DIY for Starters – When starting out, tools like Canva (for designs) or CapCut (for videos) can help you create polished visuals on a budget. Even with these tools, focus on consistency: stick to your brand colors, fonts, and logo.
- Experiment with Ads – Before diving in, familiarize yourself with ad tools. Meta Blueprint is a great place to start or watch step-by-step tutorials on YouTube about Google AdSense.
- Elevate to Professional Standards – As your business grows, the DIY approach can only take you so far. Scaling requires professional-level visuals that captivate and convert. Use the services of product photographers to showcase your items. Consider 3D animations or mockups for a modern, interactive presentation of your products.
Better still, partner with creative agencies like Ctechway to handle creative communications like- branding, animations, commercials, etc. Content that doesn’t just resonate with your audiences but converts to sales.
Key Tools for Scaling
- Meta Ads Manager for running targeted ad campaigns.
- Ctechway for professional-grade designs and 3D animations.
- Google Analytics is used to track and analyze performance metrics.
Creative communication isn’t optional; it’s a necessity for thriving in e-commerce. it’s the backbone of building a business that thrives in today’s social economy. By automating processes, creating a solid structure, and scaling strategically, you can turn visibility into profitability.
Q and A session
Q1: How can Return on Investment (ROI) be guaranteed on sponsored ads?
This is where strategic creative communication comes in; the copy, the visuals, and story must resonate with your target audience. It’s about understanding their needs and speaking directly to them. While ROI can’t be “guaranteed,” tracking and adjusting based on data helps maximize impact. Remember, visibility is the first step, and while we often expect immediate gratification, consistency is key to reaching your goals.
Q2: Most times, influencer marketing results in more followers and engagement but doesn’t always translate to sales. Why is this, and how can it be fixed?
It’s usually about alignment. If the influencer’s audience isn’t your target demographic, the campaign won’t convert. The fix? Work with influencers whose followers are your ideal customers. Give them a strong, clear call-to-action, trackable links, and a message that ties directly to your product. Also, enjoy the visibility, you are building an impression that will eventually convert overtime.
Q3: How can someone who is not tech-savvy get a hang of all these?
Anything can feel overwhelming at first, but we live in an era where information is at your fingertips. You can leverage platforms like YouTube—personally, I consider it the largest university in the world. You can learn almost anything, step by step. If it’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine, you can always outsource to professionals. It is even smarter to focus on the business of your business while the experts handle the technical stuff.
Q4: How can I grow my business page, which consists of multiple businesses, organically?
Honestly, it’s not ideal to be a generalist. I find it smarter to niche down. If possible, create separate pages for each business to give them focused attention. But if you must stick with one, be strategic: plan your content carefully, maintain consistency, and really engage your audience. Think of ways to cross-promote your businesses without confusing your followers.
I got so much value from this article. So detailed, simple to understand and relatable. Thanks for sharing.
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An amazing and lucid article.
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Thank you for this. It really helped clear up some points I previously found unclear.
my pleasure!
So Amazing, I enjoyed reading your article, it provides me more insight to understanding what e-commerce is
Thank you, i’m glad you got value!
Hey Cindy this is insightful Weldon
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