Introduction to Tmall Advertising
Tmall operates an extensive display advertising system, fragmented across multiple platforms. Streamlining ad expenses on Tmall is a critical strategy for maximizing revenue in China's most significant retail space.
Zhitongche 直通车
Zhitongche is Tmall's keyword search advertising. Ads surface when users search for the sponsored keyword and are ranked by the bid amount.
This ad type is particularly cost-effective for targeting consumers with focused buying intent. It can elevate your search ranking and is a frequent choice for top-performing flagship stores, which often allocate 25-40% of their budget to Zhitongche. It's also suitable for brands struggling with organic search traffic, general goods, and flagship brands fighting counterfeit resellers.
Zhitongche predominantly employs a cost-per-click model.
Targeting features in Zhitongche include:
Retargeting past visitors or active users in your Tmall store
Analyzing user search and buying patterns
User demographics
Special interest groups (holidays, particular interests)
Time-based spending flexibility and bidding
Customizable campaign creatives per product
Bid on your brand name, as it usually has the highest conversion rate. For other keywords, observing competitor product searches can offer insights. To construct test campaigns, monitor comparable products in competitor stores, focusing on those with similar sales volumes to yours. Striking a balance between keyword relevance and cost is crucial. Allocate most of your keyword budget to your top 3 hero products. These are often the primary traffic generators for your store.
品销宝 Pinxiaobao
Pinxiaobao is another keyword ad format but enjoys the highest search ranking. It's exclusive to Tmall flagship stores, making it ideal for differentiation against fake sellers. Pinxiaobao permits brands to target keywords containing only their brand name.
Gravity Cube 超级推荐
Gravity Cube is Taobao's central ad product, using algorithms to display potentially relevant products based on user behavior. With 50% of users now browsing aimlessly compared to traditional keyword-based searches, Gravity Cube effectively targets this consumer base.
Ad placements are diverse, and different strategies are required for each. The most conspicuous ad location is the homepage after the first scroll. Users often spend extended periods scrolling for leisure, making them more likely to add to cart but less likely to proceed to checkout compared to keyword ads.
Ads in the recommendation feed should focus on encouraging clicks and store visits rather than immediate purchases. Under Gravity Cube, it's advisable to test various product styles to identify those with the highest click-through rates. Products with high conversion rates should be prioritized on the order confirmation page. Larger companies can use Gravity Cube to enhance brand awareness, while established brands can aim for sales conversions.
智钻 Zhizuan
Zhizuan is the banner ad appearing on Taobao's homepage and is the most expensive format. Visibility is high, particularly during holiday promotions, making it attractive for medium-sized brands during Tmall promotional periods.
聚划算 Juhuasuan
Juhuasuan is a flash-sale platform featured atop Taobao's homepage. Brands often have to offer significant discounts to secure placement, making it not always profitable.
However, it serves as a platform to:
Promote hero products and boost sales
Clear inventory
Drive traffic to higher-margin products
Retarget customers
Revitalize or launch stores
淘宝客 Taobao Affiliate Marketing
This allows commission-based promotions via individual users or third-party agencies that promote the products through their own groups and marketing tools. Ideal for brands requiring trust, like skincare and health supplements, which often allocate more of their budget here.
Creating a Tmall Advertising Strategy
Tmall's advertising landscape is intricate, with each channel having a separate budgeting system. Budget allocation varies by occasion, industry, and sales volume.
The approach is usually to:
Examine top-performing stores and close competitors
Build test campaigns
Fine-tune your budget plan
Competitor budgeting can be tracked via third-party Tmall App tools.
Tmall advertising primarily aims to generate sales. ROI should be positive, factoring in operation and product costs, and usually should exceed a 1 or 2 ratio depending on your specific costs.