What is Fulfillment Marketing and Why Should You Care?

Are you using fulfillment in your marketing strategy? If not, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to boost brand awareness, deliver a better customer experience, and build long-term brand loyalty. 

Fulfillment marketing makes all these things possible. But, what does fulfillment marketing actually mean, and why should you care about it?

What is Fulfillment?

Simply put, order fulfillment is the process of preparing and delivering a customer’s online order.

Who Handles the Order Fulfillment Process? 

While many large companies are equipped to handle their own fulfillment, eCommerce companies and smaller businesses often outsource order fulfillment to specialized fulfillment companies.

However, shipping a customer’s order usually involves more than simply putting a product in a box and dropping it in the mail. So, many fulfillment companies will take care of the entire order fulfillment process on behalf of their clients. Common fulfillment services may include:

• Warehousing the product at a fulfillment center 
• Producing or assembling the product (also known as warehouse kitting)
• Packing the order 
• Labeling the order for shipment
• Shipping the order
• Notifying the customer via email that their order is on its way
• Providing tracking information
• Processing payment and transferring funds to the business
• Handling returns 

What is Fulfillment Marketing?

eCommerce businesses move fast, so eCommerce fulfillment needs to move at the same speed. That’s we created fulfillment marketing to combine fast shipping, transparency, and customization—without sacrificing scalability. It leverages insights collected through marketing data to deliver a personalized experience (even at mass volume!) that will keep your customers happy. The right 3PL partner can even help you manage product assembly with kitting in your warehouse.

Why Should You Care About Fulfillment Marketing? 

More and more businesses are entering the eCommerce space, and in an increasingly saturated online market where consumers have nearly endless options, your business needs a way to stand out. 

Simply sending your products in generic brown boxes won’t do the trick—especially as an eCommerce seller where the first tangible experience you’ll have with a customer is when your package arrives at their door. So, how can you make a more impactful first impression? Through fulfillment marketing! 

Fulfillment marketing is designed to bring marketing and fulfillment together at scale. This strategy enables you to create an entirely unique order fulfillment experience using data you’re already capturing. So how does it work? 

Our fulfillment team will meet with your internal marketing team to gain a deeper understanding of your business and the needs of your customers. Then, you can leverage the analytics within our Global Fulfillment Software™ to quickly pinpoint which fulfillment experience your clients like the most. Then, you can create customized packaging to match! This makes it possible to: 

Build Brand Recognition

With increasing competition for eCommerce businesses, you need a way to differentiate and develop a competitive edge. Fulfillment marketing makes it possible to build brand awareness and recognition so you can stand out in a sea of boring brown boxes and leave a lasting impression on your customers! 

Tailor Your Customer Experience

With fulfillment marketing, you have the ability to tailor the entire fulfillment experience through customized packaging, inserts, labels, coupons, and more. This makes it possible to deliver a more personalized, unique customer experience that won’t soon be forgotten! When given the fact that 80% of online shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalized experiences and marketers see an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized experiences, you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity. 

Leverage Data Insights 

Is your customer male or female? Where do they live? Which landing page or social media link did they come to your website from? What is their average spend? Are they a first-time buyer or repeat buyer? Do they have a birthday or anniversary coming up? Fulfillment marketing makes it possible to use the marketing data you’re already collecting to improve your order fulfillment process and delight your customers. For example, if you notice that a repeat customer has a birthday coming up, you can put a customized coupon in the box next time they make an order! This personal touch will excite your customers and foster long-term brand loyalty. 

Create Loyal Brand Advocates

By delivering a more engaging and personalized user experience, you can turn one-time buyers into repeat customers and loyal advocates for your brand. This means additional revenue from existing, long-term customers! In fact, 44% of consumers say they will likely become repeat buyers after a personalized shopping experience with a company. Seeing as it’s less expensive to retain an existing customer than acquire a new one, keeping your customers happy and coming back for more can help you increase revenue—without putting in much additional effort. 

Create Buzz for Your Brand Through Fulfillment Marketing with The Fulfillment Lab!

We’re ready to help guide you through the fulfillment marketing process—or you can do it yourself in just minutes using our fulfillment software Global Fulfillment Software™ (but don’t worry, we’ll still be available to help if you need us). 

It’s time to expect more from your fulfillment company and get on board with the future of fulfillment! Our comprehensive fulfillment services make it possible for you to:

• Promote your brand
• Build a loyal customer base
• Stand out from the competition
• Create a memorable customer experience
• Boost revenue from repeat customers 
• Attract new customers

Ready to get started? Contact us today to learn more about leveraging fulfillment marketing as part of your marketing strategy!