Commerce marketing is a term that has emerged in recent years, notably promoted by the company Criteo. The latter defines commerce marketing as “all marketing activities that are measurable up to sales.”

It is legitimate to wonder whether this new term goes beyond the buzzword of a service provider and is really becoming established in practice, given that its scope is relatively vague and it refers to fields or techniques that have already been identified.

A vague concept

Commerce marketing is a concept that encompasses a wide range of activities, from content marketing to online advertising to data analysis. It is therefore difficult to define it precisely.

The definition proposed by Criteo is quite broad and could encompass most marketing activities. Indeed, it is possible to measure the impact of most marketing actions on sales, even if it is not always easy.

Fields or techniques that have already been identified

Commerce marketing includes fields or techniques that have already been identified, such as:

• Content marketing: this involves creating relevant and quality content to attract and convert leads.
• Online advertising: this involves displaying advertisements on websites or social networks.
• Data analysis: this involves analyzing marketing data to gain insights and improve performance.

Concrete examples of commerce marketing activities

Some concrete examples of commerce marketing activities include:

• Content marketing: Creating blog posts, articles, infographics, and other types of content that educate and inform potential customers about your products or services.
• Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website and content so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more visible to potential customers who are searching for products or services like yours.
• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: Running ads on search engines and other websites that are relevant to your target audience.
• Social media marketing: Creating and sharing engaging content on social media platforms to connect with potential customers and build relationships with them.
• Email marketing: Sending targeted emails to potential and existing customers with promotional offers, product updates, and other valuable content.

Metrics and methods for measuring the impact of marketing actions on sales

Some specific metrics and methods that can be used to measure the impact of marketing actions on sales include:

• Website traffic: Tracking the number of visitors to your website from different marketing channels (e.g., search engines, social media, email marketing, etc.) can help you understand which channels are driving the most traffic to your site.
• Lead generation: Tracking the number of leads generated from different marketing channels can help you understand which channels are most effective at generating qualified leads for your sales team.
• Conversion rate: Tracking the percentage of visitors to your website who convert into leads or customers can help you measure the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts.
• Sales revenue: Tracking the revenue generated from different marketing channels can help you understand which channels are most effective at driving sales for your business.

Benefits of adopting a holistic and integrated approach to commerce marketing

Adopting a holistic and integrated approach to commerce marketing can lead to a number of benefits, including:

• Improved customer experience: By integrating your marketing efforts across all channels, you can create a more seamless and personalized customer experience.
• Increased efficiency: By streamlining your marketing operations and using integrated marketing automation tools, you can save time and improve efficiency.
• Greater insights: By collecting and analyzing data from all of your marketing channels, you can gain deeper insights into your target audience and customer behavior.
• Improved results: By using data to optimize your marketing campaigns and strategies, you can achieve better results, such as higher conversion rates and increased sales.

Examples of companies that have successfully implemented commerce marketing practices

Some examples of companies that have successfully implemented commerce marketing practices include:

• Amazon: Amazon is a master of commerce marketing. It uses a variety of channels, including search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing, and email marketing, to drive traffic to its website and convert visitors into customers. Amazon also uses data extensively to optimize its marketing campaigns and personalize the customer experience.
• Nike: Nike is another company that has successfully implemented commerce marketing practices. Nike uses a variety of channels to reach its target audience, including social media marketing, influencer marketing, and content marketing. Nike also uses data to track the results of its marketing campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
• Sephora: Sephora is a beauty retailer that has successfully used commerce marketing to grow its business. Sephora uses a variety of channels, including email marketing, social media marketing, and its loyalty program, to engage with its customers and drive sales. Sephora also uses data to personalize the customer experience and recommend products to customers based on their purchase history and preferences.

These are just a few examples of companies that have successfully implemented commerce marketing practices. By adopting a holistic and integrated approach to commerce marketing, businesses of all sizes can improve their customer experience, increase efficiency, gain deeper insights, and achieve better results.

Conclusion

It is still too early to say whether commerce marketing will establish itself as a real evolution of marketing practices. However, it is a concept that deserves to be followed, as it could have a significant impact on how companies view marketing.

Some tips for adopting commerce marketing

For commerce marketing to really take hold in practice, companies need to adopt a holistic and integrated approach. This involves:

• Collecting and analyzing data across the entire customer journey, from acquisition to retention.
• Implementing tools and technologies to measure the impact of marketing actions.
• Integrating marketing data with other company data, such as financial or operational data.

By adopting a holistic and integrated approach, companies can better understand the impact of their marketing actions on sales and improve their performance.