With India’s internet penetration on a steady rise, D2Cs have a lot of potential to realize in the coming years. According to the latest IAMAI-Kantar ICUBE report, India’s internet penetration is set to increase by 45% by 2025. With the country’s eCommerce industry going from 14 billion dollars to 100 billion dollars by 2025, eCommerce in India has truly evolved to be a whole different segment. According to the same report, the number of internet users from rural India are set to surpass the number of internet user from urban India. Thus, making the forthcoming digital landscape fascinating in its own regard.
Therefore, here are some key trends for you to keep in mind –
- Rising Social Commerce – Growing internet users will lead to more social media penetration, making social commerce a lucrative avenue for all D2Cs. Social media penetration is set to rise by around 9%, according to Statista, which may give you greater access to your target group. In addition, the influence of social media personalities is also on the rise as a by-product of this phenomenon. Therefore, you should think about your influencer marketing strategy, it being a growing industry in India, worth around 22 billion dollars. The merit of social commerce can also be seen through the lens of statistics, as 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, while the other 40% purchase products and services after seeing it on Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.
- Online Reputation Management being Paramount – It is absolutely essential for your brand to do its best by answering as many queries as possible on digital platforms, whether it’s WhatsApp messaging, Instagram messaging, Facebook messaging, live chats, or chatbots via their websites. This is essential for a sound inbound marketing strategy and for creating an engaging brand. Talking to your potential customers and such engagement fosters greater trust due to a higher degree of perceived transparency.
- Showcase your purpose – With more companies entering the D2C space, consumers are becoming more competent at distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic brands. Therefore, it is essential for your brand to truly represent and stand for any of the causes it wishes to display. If your brand does not imbibe the spirit, the modern-day consumer will be able to sense it. So, genuinely stand, and showcase the real purpose behind your brand. Avoid chasing fads and trends. Instead, showcase what your brand genuinely cares about because if you stand for everything, you also stand for nothing.
The next generation of blockbuster D2C brands will foster a greater connection, which is the key. Clearly, to build genuine goodwill and to build for the future, brands must do their best to be as transparent as possible.
