Online customer acquisition is no longer about content IP, "building a brand's online ecosystem" is the trend

This article introduces in detail how to build a brand's online ecosystem. It is recommended for those who are interested in brand operations.

There are several common misunderstandings about online customer acquisition for brands:

1. Online channels = content accounts, either increase followers or sell goods
2. Go all in on a platform and you can change your fate
3. If the founder creates IP, he can become a fraction of Lei Jun.

Why is this a misunderstanding?

Simple logic, the commercialization of various short video platforms has become very mature.

The platform model determines that the main purpose is to make money from the B-side.

No matter you are a brand, a merchant, an anchor, or an MCN agency, if you make money on someone else's platform, you have to leave protection fees. This is only natural.

When the platform is not yet mature, the system is being established and the tools are being improved. This is the best time for the B-side to reap the benefits. Once it matures, there is not much room for play.

I have talked to many top anchors and analyzed in detail why they were able to succeed.

In addition to luck, a very important reason is that it hit a certain outlet of the platform. For example, Douyin just started to promote live e-commerce, Kuaishou just launched a traffic investment tool, and so on.

It’s a bit like the early days of reform and opening up, when you could go to the south and try your luck and get rich.

After so many years of development, short video platforms have already become very mature. The gameplay is transparent, there is no information gap, and even pitchers are going to be unemployed, so don't even think about making money from the trend.

The more mature the rules are and the more stable the platform is, the smaller the room for imagination is.

So, what’s the next trend?

• Online is not just for acquiring customers, but also for infrastructure
• Connect online and offline businesses to avoid disconnection

To summarize these two points in one sentence: build an online ecosystem for the brand.

This is a bit abstract, so let me tell you a real case.

I have a client who makes high-end consumer products, and during my communication with them, I could feel that this trend was changing.

The model of this brand is very simple, creating content online and converting it into offline transactions, which is a conventional routine.

When the boss described the problem to me, he still stayed at the content itself, but I found that this understanding of the problem was wrong. The content was not that important, their problem was at the business management level.

It is not convenient to talk about the specific situation of the customer, but I can talk about their ideas. Their problems are reflected in the following three points:

01 Over-reliance on online platforms, forgetting that this is just one part of the business

The entire company and the boss’s focus is on content. Coupled with the constant watching of short videos, they are so brainwashed that they have unknowingly gone astray.

For this category, what really matters is product design, purchasing experience, brand circle, and the repeat purchases it generates.

After all, these products cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. These consumers have similar attributes in social class, income structure, and aesthetics. Although the volume will not be large, the ARPU is high, and the circle formed by these people is more valuable.

This is the key, to adjust the focus and return to the essence.

02 Online product promotion and customer acquisition are separated from offline business itself

I can’t go into too much detail on this, but to give a simple example, if you want to create a hit product, the online and offline strategies should be the same, and the conversion process should be integrated.

If the user feels that the product is the one promoted by Xiaohongshu, and there is no publicity or special display offline, and the shopping guide does not provide clear guidance and introduction, this is a strategic split.

This principle seems simple, but it is very common.

03 Online is infrastructure, which can solve business problems in the long run

In the past, traffic was only offline and in stores, but now it is two-legged, and online is also on the rise. According to my observation, brands that are currently doing online business are very utilitarian, and they want to get results and ROI immediately.

Of course, this is correct.

But if we change our perspective and view the online world as infrastructure, we can’t be so utilitarian.

The entire online circulation layout must be in place. It does not necessarily have to be large and comprehensive, but the links must be clear. This takes time and has long-term benefits for the brand. It can solve many problems for the brand, such as the brand matrix strategy. Whoever attracts traffic will make money, and it can be implemented.

To solve the above problems, we need to help brands build an online ecosystem.

From online infrastructure construction (content/IP/product promotion), to customer acquisition and conversion, to offline acceptance (purchase or experience), and finally to private domain for repeat purchases (multiple brands or sku).

At least three things need to be done:

1. From seeding the product to acquiring customers and then to purchasing, the entire online process will involve multiple short videos and e-commerce platforms.

You need to make a good choice of platform and coordinate the overall strategy. There are N combinations here, and making the wrong choice will result in a waste of resources and funds, and will also miss the right time window.

2. Develop an overall content strategy, including traffic conversion vs. IP creation, product promotion vs. sales, short videos vs. live streaming.

It’s not about what a single account does, but the overall content strategy and how to combine them to form a synergy that not only avoids conflict but also empowers each other.

3. Carry out refined user management and establish a private domain system to ensure repeat purchases.

The cost of purchasing users from the public domain is tens or hundreds of yuan, which is very expensive. You must hold them in your own hands and do a good job of repeat purchases, so that your business can grow bigger and bigger.

Author: Han Xu, WeChat public account: Han Xu HanXu (ID: kenengyouxihanxu)