I’ve read enough books about marketing and branding to know that whole forests have been sacrificed for nought. A lot of crap has been written but not much of it explains much about why it’s important. Or rather they do, using dictionaries of meaningless terminology.
I like to think about selling on eBay in contexts that are familiar. Think about a fruit market, a car boot sale or even the shops on the High Street. You’ll have outlets that don’t need to market to you. You go there anyway. You trust and know them. But everyone else will have to tempt you in with their goods, offers and messages. That’s all it is and why it’s important.
Branding is stating who you are and what you stand for and being recognized for those things. Marketing is capitalising on your brand and projecting messages that will attract customers. So what does this mean for an eBay seller?
Even if you are tut tutting under your breath as you read this, believing it to be bovine excrement, whether you like it or not, you’re marketing and branding already. Your brand is expressed by your Feedback and listings and buyers are already making judgments. You’re also already marketing: what else are your listings?
It might already be out there but for many it’s incoherent. Getting the marketing and branding right on eBay is part of being competitive because it marks out a great seller from a good one and helps you attract those all important multiple purchases and repeat buyers.
Over the next few days I want to look at some topics related to branding and marketing on eBay.
5 Responses
Ah ha! One of my favourite topics! For those that remember I used to have some very distinctive branding, the colours were absolutely awful, but everyone that had seen one of my listings, eBay shop or about me page instantly recognised it when they saw another.
After a couple of years I decided I needed something a bit more professional and toned down but I still have everything matching and that’s (IMO) the most important part of branding – consistency and recognisability
I use the same name in all my collectable forums, sounds silly, but they get Googled regularly, and it all adds to the brand familiarity.
I flog the bugger cheap, 😀 it works better than any marketing or branding
Mountie: Re consistency. If you liked today’s post. You’ll love the one in the morning!
Josordoni: it’s a good tactic and one I recommend.
Norf: that’s marketing and branding… the word’s out there. What are you gonna do to amplify it? ;o)
seriously dan
ebays footfall is so large on my type of merchandise
, I need to do little other than present it, normal marketing although sensible ,is not essential