How DTC Brands Can Build Organic Marketing Strategies

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing is a trend that’s increasingly becoming the go-to option for several brands with 40% of sales growth being attributed to DTC in the consumer packaged goods sector. And this growth is happening for good reason, as DTC marketing can wrestle back control of your sales and marketing channels, cutting out the myriad of middlemen trying to take a cut. But while you may want to jump in headfirst and enjoy the benefits of a DTC marketing funnel, you must go in with a plan and know what you’re doing. The best DTC brands today are employing incredibly effective organic marketing strategies to make their funnel work, here’s how you can too.

What is an Organic Marketing Strategy?

When we talk about organic marketing strategies, it refers to the set of tactics and strategies designed to bring customers to you naturally. So rather than paying for advertising campaigns to try and get a potential customer to immediately buy, it’s about cultivating and nurturing your customer’s journey so that the natural end goal is to buy from you. A good example of this is developing content that intrigues and entertains your potential customers before finally leading them onto a sale.

Why Go Organic? The Problem With Ads

Organic marketing can certainly seem a lot more complicated. With ads, you don’t worry about much more than simply ad spend. The more money you put in, the more you get out.

Except that may no longer ring true.

As people become more accustomed to being advertised to, they also become more desensitized. People may see your ad, but frankly, they just won’t care that much. Couple this with the fact that the rise of DTC brands also means increased competition. You simply need to fight harder (or spend more) just to get your ads seen, and when they are seen, they’re largely ignored.

Banner Blindness in the USA

About 50% of clicks on mobile ads are accidental

This leaves you in a very delicate position as a DTC brand because, without the well-established distribution channels of retailers or marketplaces, you will struggle heavily with standing out to your customers.

That’s where organic marketing comes in. By building an organic marketing strategy you can overcome many of the roadblocks that have stifled traditional advertising. Through branding, you can build a real connection with your potential customers that works on an emotional level rather than just a transactional one. With content and social media, not only can you grab your customers’ attention but they will give it to you willingly.

So How Can A DTC Brand Build an Organic Marketing Strategy?

Now that we know how important it can be for your DTC business to have an organic marketing strategy, here are some tips on how to do it:

The Customer Experience

The reality as a DTC business is that you won’t be able to compete with major names like Amazon on matters of convenience. You won’t have as many options, you won’t have as many customer service agents and you won’t always be able to deliver as quickly, that being said check out our post on Beating Amazon’s Delivery Times As A Small Business Owner. But you can create a more personalized shopping experience. Focus on making yourself unique, perhaps offer virtual shopping experiences or even look into multi-channel retail.

Loyalty Bonuses

It’s important to give your customers a sense of closeness with your brand. With a site like Amazon, the relationship is very transactional and that’s fine for them. But you won’t be dealing with the millions of customers they do. Instead, focus on rewarding the customers you do have and keep them coming back for more.

Branding

With ad spend, you can bring in customers as long as you are buying ads, but when you stop it all dries up. If you focus on building your brand, then the investments you make will last long after you stop pumping in the cash. Create content that will forever be associated with your brand and bring in customers for years to come. Focus on creating a community so that your business feels like a living organism that constantly keeps your customers engaged. You should look to be more than just a business people buy from.

Own Your Channel

While things like social media are great for branding and reaching people, it’s important to note that you don’t own the channel. If one day Facebook closed, there’s not much you could do. That’s why it’s important to have owned channels like a website, blog, or platform. That way you can properly control and curate your image by relying on a tech giant to be merciful to you. Owned channels like blogs are also the best way to implement search traffic into your strategy and bring in the customers that are out there actively searching for a solution that you may offer.

Conclusion

If you are looking to build a powerful organic marketing strategy for your DTC business, then this is a very exciting time for you. With a number of opportunities available, you can give your business a real edge and make 2021 your year!