615In the post-pandemic era, many brands are recovering their vitality, and Tuke's influence in the global market has made countless brands see the possibility of going overseas.
However, due to the influence of the audience, most of the current overseas brands are B2C enterprises. It is simpler for them to utilize Tuke Shop's resources, and they are more likely to gain fans and customers.
This has led to most B2B enterprises still waiting and watching, anticipating the arrival of the "real" hardware going overseas moment.
But in fact, in places we can't see, a group of hardware companies have already achieved success by attracting traffic to their independent sites through Tuke and other social media.
For example,the laser equipment brand xTool under Makeblock, made 1 billion in just one year of going overseas.
Makeblock was originally an education and training brand, mainly focused on educational products. In 2021, the company faced the "double reduction" dilemma. To reverse the situation, it resolutely decided to enter the field of laser engraving, establishing the digital brand tool xTool, aiming to provide users with creative tools and software such as laser cutting and 3D printing.
Although China is the world's largest market for laser processing equipment, with a large influx of players, market competition is also intensifying. To avoid the invisible battle in the domestic market,xTool decided to extend its reach to overseas markets where brand awareness is still blank, and adopted a differentiated overseas strategy that takes a different approach.
First, xTool avoided fierce price wars and chose a high premium strategy.
Its founder Wang Jianjun stated that through product differentiation and high investment in R&D, they chose to enhance the brand's premium capability by using high-quality products made with advanced materials and the latest technology.
On Amazon, the average price of xTool's laser engraving machine series is between $1,499 and $2,699, while the high-end desktop 55W multifunctional CO2 laser cutter xTool P2 is priced as high as $4,399.
This pricing strategy is highly aligned with the needs of overseas markets. According to the Oulu report, the price and sales of products in this category show a clear high-end market trend: the higher the price, the higher the average sales, and the profitability of a single product is significantly stronger.
Secondly, xTool also attaches great importance to the operation of independent sites and social media such as Tuke.
It adopts a DTC model, which allows direct contact with users. Social media platforms like Tuke and YouTube can provide a large amount of traffic to the independent site. Paid search and organic search can also bring popularity to the independent site and Amazon store, forming a virtuous cycle.
Currently, its independent site has a monthly average ofover 1 million visits. The @xtoolofficial social media account on Tuke has also accumulated148.4K followers and 485.8K likes.
Moreover, unlike other hardware brands' independent sites, xTool's independent site is rich and warm. It has directly transplanted the approach from Makeblock, whether telling touching stories behind the brand or deeply analyzing the excellent performance of the products, all from the perspective of a sharer, conveying the brand's core philosophy and unique value to users, making users more attracted to it.
In addition, xTool has invested heavily in advertising in the education market and in improving consumer product awareness to address the issue that consumer-grade laser cutters are relatively niche and many users have not yet formed usage habits.
This approach is quite rare in any circle.
Looking at xTool's development history, its overseas initiatives in the field of laser cutters actually have many aspects worth learning from for domestic cross-border brands. Whether it is the operation of independent sites or social media like Tuke, it has demonstrated a different approach from the norm, and has shown new possibilities for other cross-border brands, especially B2B brands.
As the consumer space for the niche track of laser cutters continues to grow, we look forward to more emerging forces joining in the future to jointly promote the prosperity and development of the industry.
