IKEA is a well-known brand as they sell furniture all around the world. Behind their success, it lies Ikea’s brilliant digital marketing strategy. Companies can learn a lot from IKEA’s offline to online business transition.
Sweden’s leading manufacturer and retail company decide to develop their marketing strategy using online technology to not to miss the latest trends and to be where their consumers are.
They operate globally and use social media effectively by taking full advantage of them. The brand has multiple accounts on the same platform for each country like IkeaUSA and IkeaUK.
In this article, I’ll mention IKEA’s digital marketing strategy and 8 key points that you should know. If you want to improve your marketing game, you should consider implementing at least some of them.
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Making good use of social media
In its early days, social media considered to be a passing fad, a distraction to be avoided. But today, it’s almost an essential part of our daily lives. Each of the social media channels has a high potential for companies and businesses to meet consumers.
It’s important to know which platforms your customers use and to be there in right time for reaching and connecting with them. It makes your brand imperative and valuable through their eyes. You need to make good use of it.
IKEA does it very well. They post discounts, promotions, giveaways, news and events on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. They’re responsive to their followers and quickly returns for any customer for the complaints.
IKEA’s “Square Metre Challenge” campaign shows how successfully the brand manages its social media. The brand is making tiny living spaces more practical and useful. For campaign details, and watch other videos, please visit here.
IKEA closely follows the latest technology trends. Augmented Reality (AR) is one of them. Augmented Reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. This technology and IKEA Place app launched in 2017 provides a composite view for the brand. From the customer’s point of view, it’s really helpful for a customer for only seeing the catalogue and couldn’t imagine how the furniture will look and fit in their homes.
People even able to place their Christmas tree with IKEA Place app. To make it happen IKEA has partnered with 72andSunny Amsterdam on a marketing campaign “#Placeatreeonit” around it, that includes GIFs and influencer activity. For the campaign details, please click here.
Virtual Reality (VR) technology already using for entertainment purpose and game content creation. IKEA’s unique virtual experiences take customers to an unforgettable journey. Customers accessing the VR technology and try kitchen before buying it and even cook there! This kind of virtual experiences attracts so much attention and creates so much buzz around the brand. IKEA uses VR technology for being closer to the customers and gaining their loyalty.
IKEA always updates its website with fresh contents like new offerings and products of its collection. The brand catches the attention of potential customers and gives current customers a new incentive to check new products and opportunities. With events, promotions, and community outreach campaigns IKEA permanently keeps people’s interest alive. They also make customers talk around new products on social media.
Content marketing keeps a significant place in IKEA’s digital marketing strategy. In the digital age, catalogues aren’t enough to even for the world’s largest furniture retailer hence they invest in content marketing. I may say IKEA is a master in crafting online content that people eager to watch. Their Home Tour Series videos and inspirational boards on Pinterest are good examples of their effective content marketing.
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Get to know your audience
Nowadays, interacting with your customers on social media platforms is a great way to understand what is on their minds. But it’s not enough. Shopping behaviours changing rapidly. IKEA gets insight from their customers and runs successful digital campaigns. They also shifting their marketing strategy and product innovations around these insights to improve everyday lives of homeowners.
First: 59 is a great example of IKEA’s insightful digital campaigns. To create the campaign, they reached and asked their customers about their morning routine, and how it impacts the rest of their day. Around the campaign, IKEA gives tips and offers expert advice to their customers.
Usually, brands apply maximum five products to a single banner box but, IKEA’s innovative website banner concept exceeds this product limit. They have more than 2.800 product on their 300 x 251 pixel banner. This gives a message to customers that even if they have small living spaces, IKEA always provides a creative solution with its piece of furniture.
Today, customers usually prefer convenient and simple access payment methods for their online purchases. To create better online shopping experience IKEA accepts PayPal in addition to credit and debit card. Thanks to virtual e-commerce store of IKEA customers have a chance to see the new products and integrate every innovation. When customers use PayPal, they don’t need to use cash or credit card to buy IKEA product.PayPal is surely adding ease to the purchasing process, and it’s also progress for the company.
If you want to see more digital marketing examples and campaigns from IKEA, please visit this page!
