Create an eCommerce community with preferred prescribers

In the maelstrom that is online sales and shopping, the role of users as brand influencers has increased exponentially. Thanks to a current that flows against massification, a new way of buying online has been introduced, which involves the individualisation of the shopping experience and word-of-mouth recommendations.

User-generated content is already an essential pillar for recruitment and loyalty strategies. This is where what we call preferred prescribers emerge from. These are users that are already loyal to the brand and create trends within the store, causing the pull effect to harvest much more after being initiated.

The preferred prescriber is the figure that will encourage the rest to purchase. It’s important not to confuse them with the influencers that brands use to carry out specific campaigns and concrete actions, whether for pricing or any other advertising purpose. In this case, the preferred prescriber serves as a reference point for the community, only because of their connection with the store or brand and not for external reasons. The key is for the prescriber themselves to have that special feeling for the store. That will create the foundation that, in turn, will allow you to arrange many concrete actions together on many different occasions.

The goal is to create an eCommerce community through the activity of these prescribers and each individual user on their own that is sufficiently mature as to sustain sales and attract new customers. What advantages come with this new paradigm?

• The maintenance of the community almost exclusively on its own.

• The creation of a parallel sales force that moves among the buyers themselves.

• The generation of brand awareness beyond the target audience.

What resources can be used to highlight the activity of prescribers?

The greatest power of eCommerce prescribers is to attract potential clients that are using the exact same tools and channels that they are. For this, the content is key.

To give voice to and amplify the activity of these prescribers, you have the possibility of using different resources and types of content, such as:

• Face-to-Face Content: Product presentations, workshops, awards… Any type of event that can be organised to encourage prescribers will amplify the message to the rest of the community.

• Participation in Forums: On many occasions, the preferred prescribers are the same profiles that are much more active in online forums and portals. Specially highlighting them and recognising their work will make them feel even closer to the philosophy of the brand.

• Social Networks: Linking the profiles of prescribers with that of the brand will give them the same relevance as in a forum. Pointing out the outstanding eCommerce fans in each social network based on their interactions with the content is a good place to start. Social networks like Facebook already allow you to award those users who interact most with the content shared on the store’s page.

• Reviews and Advice: Offering a real assessment of the products, the shopping experiences, and customer service will get you many more points than a simple positive acknowledgement. Honesty is becoming more highly valued in online shopping, which is why it should not frighten you if the preferred prescribers also point out areas that could be improved. This will increase the trust that the rest of the community has in your eCommerce business because they will know beforehand what to expect in each phase of the buying process. It will allow the brand to improve those critical points as well.