When it comes to B2B cross-border sales marketing, there are exhibitions offline, third-party platforms like Alibaba and cross-border sales websites online, as well as search engines, emails and social media marketing. If you think about it carefully, these are basically methods of diverting traffic from the public domain. In this article, we will take a unique approach and review the three owned channel methods in the B2B cross-border sales industry. Combine service + practice to share a more exciting cross-border sales marketing world.
1. Cross-border sales marketing has three difficulties in growth.
▶ New sales prospecting is difficult
The cross-border sales marketing method mentioned above, whether it is a third-party platform such as Alibaba International Station or FB/GG placing purchases, is basically public domain traffic. In the current mature Internet environment, traffic dividends have disappeared, users are mature, and mutual bidding is fierce... Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to acquire new customers.
On the other hand, advertising basically collects information in the form of a form. From leaving money in the form to establishing contact between the two parties, the progress is much slower and the path is longer than the social method. Because the form of deposit is one-way and lagging, social contact is two-way and instant. One more flow/more waiting means one more loss. As a result, transactions in the form of form information will also be greatly reduced.
▶ Problems with digital preservation of customer assets
Regular customers are valuable assets to any business. As WhatsApp's global instant messaging market influence and commercialization capabilities increase, many international trading companies need to efficiently and centrally manage customer resources on WA, not to mention that 90% of RTS's global buyers are WhatsApp users.
Of course, attracting customers on WhatsApp also requires facing issues such as systematic management of customer resources, digital asset protection, and internal collaboration and external empowerment of sales staff.
▶Integrated branding operation of industry and trade
DTC brand global expansion has become the wave of the times. For enterprises integrating industry and trade, transformation and branding is a business strategy. However, brand marketing is a stumbling block in front of us. In the past, there was fierce competition in DTC marketing, and later there was the problem of rising investment.
As marketing enters the involution situation, it is also time for cross-border sales marketing to undergo an innovation. Next, in response to these three issues, we will talk about how the owned channel model is cracked based on real cases of SocialEpoch customers.
2. How to do cross-border sales public domain + owned channel full-link marketing
Public domain diversion and owned channel precipitation: No matter what channel customers are, they can be directly deposited into the social owned audience pool to explore and amplify customer value. This is the core essence of owned-channel marketing.
▶ Public domain traffic diversion, WhatsApp diversion plug-in realizes one-click owned channel precipitation
There is no owned channel without a public domain. Only with the source of running water from the public domain can the flourishing branches of the owned channel exist. No matter how the tide increases, FB/GG is an important source of customer acquisition. Google placement needs to be done, and Facebook batch matrix operations and content marketing must also be done. What is different from the past is that while attracting customer acquisition, companies need to pay attention to the reuse of customer value. On the website and official social media investment page,Replace the form information with social contact methods, such as WhatsApp friend links, join group links, etc., which can help companies quickly establish contact with customers and achieve one-click communication.。
Here we recommend a free tool for importing public domain traffic into WhatsAppowned channels: SocialEpoch diversion tool.
- Jiayoubao: Add friends live code, allocate customers to different WhatsApp customer service accounts through a link, and can also perform dynamic increase or decrease and weight allocation. Solve problems such as traffic failure due to single account being blocked and untimely customer service, and improve traffic drainage efficiency;
- Jiaqunbao: A live code for group entry, similar to Jiayoubao, it diverts customers to different WhatsApp groups through a group link, and can also perform dynamic increase and decrease management and weight distribution.
- Link to add friends: Directly guide customers to add WhatsApp accounts through a link. You can set greetings for customers to add friends, which facilitates timely identification of customer sources or needs and improves communication efficiency.
PS: These three tools arefreeFor use, please scan the QR code on the right for details.
With these three tools, customers can be deposited into the WhatsAppowned audience pool from public platforms such as FB/GG and independent stations/platforms with one click.Whether it is a customer with a transaction or a customer with no transaction, through a small diversion plug-in, you can firmly lock the strong social connection with the customer, achieve unlimited direct contact in real time, and then realize owned-channel operations based on WhatsApp.Regardless of whether the transaction is completed on an independent site, an international site or an owned channel, customer resources can be "freely called".
▶ Owned-channel operations have tricks to help customers quickly close transactions
Draining traffic is only the first step. If you want to transform a strange WhatsApp friend into a merchant worthy of placing orders, what is tested in this matter is each company's "organizational capabilities, commodity capabilities, product capabilities, operational capabilities", etc. Here we mainly focus on the capabilities of owned-channel operations.
- Efficiency of owned-channel operations
After customers arrive, it is naturally very important whether the company can provide timely and efficient services. In the information age, tools are combat power. The WA SCRMowned-channel operations treasure developed by SocialEpoch based on the WhatsApp ecosystem is an essential weapon for efficient communication on overseas social owned channels.
After a large number of customers enter the WhatsAppowned channel, they can perform one-on-one keyword automatic replies and quick replies, and smart group chats can also be set up in the group to improve customer service communication efficiency. For multi-account operations, you can also set up multi-agent and account multi-account access. One device can manage N accounts to improve the efficiency of chatting with each owned channel customer service.
Internally, you can also set up user portrait tags, customer journeys, follow-up records, multi-person collaboration, etc. to achieve efficient internal collaboration. Enterprises have CDP customer data, sales and customer service have internal empowerment and collaboration, and customers can enjoy products + services more efficiently. One tool, three parties benefit.
- Quality of owned-channel operations
We have to admit that strong connection scenarios with two-way interaction such as social owned channels are more often the one-way content output of enterprises to customers, and it is inevitable that there will be moments of silence. To make customers who enter the owned channel stay, your content must be eye-catching, eye-catching, and make customers "see it for thousands of years."
The information carrier is sometimes more important than the information itself. It is also a product promotion. A bare text is far inferior to graphics, animation, video, H5 and other forms. In the matter of social communication, content is needed, and a carrier that facilitates sharing and communication is also needed.
In addition, WhatsApp red envelopes, similar to WeChat red envelopes, can achieve social fission, penetrate the user's social circle, and achieve low-cost customer acquisition. The micro-marketing essence accumulated by domestic WeChatowned-channel marketing will naturally be a dimensionality reduction attack when taken overseas.
- Creation of salesperson’s personal IP
Owned channel is a warm and interactive business. In the owned channel scenario, each salesperson will be more concrete and personalized. Therefore, SocialEpoch also promotes social business cards outside of global expansion. On the basis of filling in personal business information, social platform/media information such as WA/FB/Twitter/Instagram can also be added, so that customers can communicate with one-click links. Creating each person's IP image not only reveals the warmth of social interaction, but also demonstrates the attitude of business communication.
PS: The basic version of Social Business Card is now also availablefreeTo use, scan the QR code on the right to get it.
Only with quality and efficiency can owned-channel operations be sticky and converted, and the owned audience pool can be used by enterprises. It only makes sense to develop user lifetime value and social value, guide traffic to independent website platform stores or owned channel distribution, owned-channel operations.
▶ Best practice - a certain customized international trading company
A certain customized international trading company is a digital marketing transformation enterprise. They are doing a global expansion model that walks on two legs: independent station and international station, owned channel + public domain. The problems encountered are also very typical: poor public domain delivery results, weak social media operations, and insufficient order chat potential on owned channels.
SocialEpoch full-link solution:
- Google advertising agency and Facebook social media agency operation promote brand promotion and customer acquisition effects in the public domain;
- WhatsApp Diliubao transfers customers to social owned channels with one click, making it easier to communicate with customers in real time;
- Introducing customers into owned channels and using WhatsApp SCRM owned-channel operations to promote conversions and repurchases.
As a result, the company transformed its original email marketing into WhatsApp marketing, achieving real-time online direct contact with customers and avoiding secondary traffic costs.Advertising conversion rate increased by 78%, social media platform fan interaction increased by 130%,
Owned-channel marketing has efficient retention and reduced customer churn rate by 68%.
Public domain diversion guarantees incremental expansion, and owned channel stock operation guarantees conversion and repurchase, transforming the original transaction into a long-term business. The public domain + owned channel full-link marketing based on WhatsApp is exerting its super power of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
3. Digitization of customer assets online and sales collaboration
The public domain diversion mentioned above basically acquires new customers. In the long operating history of many international trading companies, they will also accumulate a large number of old customers.Data from Bain Consulting shows that the cost of acquiring new customers is 6-7 times that of retaining existing customers; the customer retention rate increases by 5% and profits increase by 125%.Old customers are of great value.
▶ The long-term value of online socialization for old customers
Whether it is based on the potential value of old customers or the long-term significance of user digitization and onlineization, using WhatsApp to recall old customers and promote repurchase is imperative for B2B international trading companies.
For example, 90% of RTS global sellers are WhatsApp users, so it is necessary to use WhatsApp SCRMowned-channel operations to save customer digital assets. Customer recall can be added one-to-one through a WhatsApp personal account, or combined with batch bulk messaging to recall interested old customers, or work orders can be imported in batches (WhatsApp is based on phone number registration, import work orders into the system, and you can start WhatsApp communication with one click).
Introducing RTS customers into the owned channel does not hinder the platform's transactions. It can also be combined with the owned channel to expand categories, sell more and earn more. In addition, the value of realizing the digitization and onlineization of old customer assets is not just repurchase and category expansion. In the event of changes such as personnel resignation and reassignment, combined with the SCRMowned-channel operations treasure system, it can also perform resignation inheritance, one-click transfer and desensitization processing to protect the company's digital assets and prevent unnecessary orders. In case of account suspension, chat backup can be done in advance to avoid loss of important information.
▶ Internal collaboration enables better customer service and better experience
In addition, since cross-border sales is B2B, it also means that the decision-making process is characterized by long links and multiple roles. From pre-sales marketing to salesperson intervention to after-sales service, companies will also have multiple roles involved in customer communication. Therefore, internal collaboration and information synchronization are also necessary.
In the chat interface of owned-channel operations Bao, the user portrait on the right contains label information, customer journey, follow-up records and other information, which facilitates internal collaboration, efficient collaboration, and ensures service quality.
For companies with overseas teams, you can also use the mobile version of WaChat of Operation Bao to communicate with customers. In addition to the native functions of WhatsApp, WaChat has multi-account access, user tags, automatic replies, quick replies, cloud store orders and other functions, making it easier for sales and customers to communicate.
PS: The mobile version of WaChat is also availablefreeTo use, scan the QR code on the right to get it.
▶ Best practice - a manufacturing international trading company
The high cost of customer acquisition on public domain platforms is a common problem for corporate marketing. In addition, compared with social real-time online reach, it is difficult for companies to maintain instant communication with customers on independent sites or platforms. From the perspective of business operations and management, it is also difficult for companies to control employee service efficiency. In the long run, business results will be greatly reduced.
SocialEpoch solution: All channel traffic is deposited into the WhatsApp owned channel, and combined with owned-channel operations to achieve unified chat skills, automatic replies, user tags, regular bulk messaging and internal management collaboration, etc. Improve overall operating results through digitization of customer assets online and internal collaboration.
As a result, the entire sales operation is built on WhatsApp, which facilitates timely communication with customers externally; internally, the company's marketing is digitalized and socialized, improving individual combat capabilities and overall business collaboration capabilities.The work efficiency of individual employees is increased by 120%, and the platform investment cost is reduced by 80%.
4. The best path for industry and trade integration branding——S2B2C
Enterprises integrating industry and trade have advantages in production and trading, and they also have the genetic advantage of mass distribution of small businesses. In the process of realizing the DTC brand global expansion strategy, integrating industry and trade into the S2B2C model can be said to be the right time, place and people.
▶ What is S2B2C model
Alibaba Chief of Staff Zeng Ming once mentioned, “The S2B2C model will be a new model that will replace B2C e-commerce in the next five years" and "the first breakthrough innovation model in the era of intelligent business."
Regardless of merchants or consumers, everyone is full of expectations and longing for the future C2B business model. The ideal C2B model cannot immediately replace the existing business model. In this transitional stage, with the continuous development and progress of business, a new transitional model-S2B will naturally be derived.
S2B2C can also become C2B2S. S refers to the supply empowerment platform. C is not served through one big B, but connected through many small Bs. The small Bs then use S's supply empowerment platform to complete services.
The S platform must ensure quality and process efficiency, and the most important thing is to allow small B to independently exert their best ability to reach and serve customers. S provides standardized supply chain services and SaaS digital system support to empower Little B; Little B has a certain degree of personalization and connects to consumer C through a WhatsAppowned channel to provide personalized services.
Its core innovative feature is that S and small B jointly serve C, which is much more valuable than a separate small B or a separate big B directly serving C customers.
For more details on the S2B2C model, click here:
▶ What is the value of integrating industry and trade branding into S2B2C?
The trend of global expansion of DTC brands is rolling in, and the reasons and value of branding are obvious. The current cross-border industry is undergoing an epoch-making industrial transformation, from the extensive era of barbaric growth to the branding era of intensive farming. From manufacturing to quality manufacturing, branding is an essential strategy for business operations, and brand global expansion has become the voice of the times.
Therefore, many enterprises integrating industry and trade have begun to put branding on their agenda. Genes determine the appearance, and the shift from industry and trade integration to branding is a reshaping of corporate genes. The threshold for DTC marketing is inherently high, coupled with fierce competition, it is not easy for many integrated industry and trade companies that lack professional brand marketing/marketing teams.
However, for enterprises integrating industry and trade, they have an inherent advantage: they have accumulated a large number of distributors - Little B. Under the guidance of such innate advantages,Rather than compete with many B2C companies for advertising and marketing capabilities, it is better to leverage the corporate advantages of a large number of distributors.
SocialEpochS2B2C's three pillars - social owned-channel marketing solutions can give full play to the value of small B and create an ant-like distribution growth system based on social owned channels. S2B2C three pillars empower cross-border enterprises toCustomer acquisition flows to owned-channel operations, customer relationships progress to tool efficiency and supply chain empowerment., through differentiated S2B2C social distribution, create a decentralized, ant army-style distribution system in the era of fragmented traffic.
See here for details:One article explains the three pillars of SocialEpochS2B2C - global expansion social owned-channel marketing solutions
The integration of industry and trade relies on the S2B2C model to achieve branding, which can be said to be like meeting a close friend. Through the social fission micro-store KocShop, the company integrates goods, logistics, warehousing, payment, etc. to realize drop shipping. Distributors' orders can be synchronized with the brand's mall, thereby empowering distributors to complete transactions quickly and avoid the pressure of stocking up.
On the other hand, for many small business owners who need digital upgrades, they can also use KocShop to create unique and exclusive micro-stores, where they can independently select products and customize pricing without worrying about importing their traffic to other platforms or stores.
For small business owners, having solved the problem of stocking up and after-sales problems, they can naturally participate in distribution with ease; while enterprises can of course give full play to the social value and personalized service capabilities of each small business person, realize decentralized distribution, and realize the spectacular scene where the S supply chain empowers a large number of small businesses to complete transactions and serve customers.
Compared with other paths of branding, the S2B2B model can achieve faster growth, more revenue, and deeper brand building on the premise of giving full play to the company's original distributor value.
▶ Best practice - an integrated industry and trade enterprise
For an integrated industry and trade enterprise, branding is a strategic necessity for corporate transformation. In addition, with the impact of the black swan event of the epidemic, the traditional method of stocking up has put too much financial pressure on distributors, and many small businesses are unwilling to stock up again.Rather than being better, it is better to be different. This is the differentiated value of the S2B2C model compared to platforms and independent websites. It is also the misplaced thinking of industry and trade integrated enterprises to avoid using advertising marketing and the rigidity of many B2C enterprises.
SocialEpochS2B2C three key points: empower the company to establish an S2B2C distribution micro store, provide distribution profit sharing design based on basic mall functions, reduce the pressure of small B's stocking up, protect the flow of small B's user assets, and allow more small B's to obtain distribution benefits and actively participate in more distribution.
First of all, develop online small B from the original distributors, obtain Internet celebrity distributors from social media platforms, and use WhatsAppowned channels to accumulate and manage distributors. Secondly, based on WhatsApp owned-channel operations, Bao provides unified training and empowerment for Xiao B, sharing distribution skills and marketing posters to help them easily complete sharing. Third, every distribution B-B can distribute products with one click without stocking up. They can also check their own distribution income in the micro-store, stimulating more conversions and sharing. In the process, the company will also convert more C's into B-B's. Corporate revenue increases while brand promotion is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Surprisingly, the overseas distribution system is compliant, and in many countries it is even possible to develop spectacular scenes of ten-level distribution.
Combining industry and trade to build a brand, the S2B2C model is more labor-saving.
5. The significance of basing sales operations on WhatsApp
in the country, WeChat marketing has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Overseas, WhatsApp ranks first in global instant messaging. Although it does not have global coverage, its monthly active users are 2 billion, covering more than 180 countries, and it is a commonly used IM tool in 58 countries. The data is very good. This data is still growing, and its commercialization capabilities are gradually increasing. Therefore, WhatsApp marketing can be said to be a link that cross-border enterprises cannot ignore.
When your users, distributors, overseas teams, partners, etc. all use WhatsApp, it is a must for cross-border enterprises to use this tool. The value of cross-border enterprises basing their sales operations on WhatsApp is like the value of domestic merchants basing their sales operations on WeChat/WeCom.
SocialEpoch has created a full-link marketing with WhatsAppowned-channel marketing as the core. It can not only realize one-click communication from the public domain to WhatsAppowned channel, but also use WhatsApp SCRMowned-channel operations to achieve two-way empowerment of external customer communication and internal sales collaboration.
On the premise of online socialization and digitalization of users, online socialization and digitalization of corporate sales operations are realized, and new marketing of cross-border enterprises is also catering to the characteristics of the times.
6. The trend of digital era is rushing forward
The trend of the times is rushing forward, and public domain + owned channel global marketing and social-based full-link marketing have also become standard configurations for cross-border enterprises.
- There is no owned channel without a public domain. Only with the source of running water from the public domain can the owned channel flourish;
- An unowned channel is not a public domain. With the stock operation of an owned channel, public domain customer acquisition will be more motivated, and only one-time transactions will be transformed into long-term business;
- Full-link marketing based on social platforms is a representative manifestation of the current digital marketing capabilities of enterprises.
