Approximately 97% of marketers surveyed by Semrush said content marketing is integral to their content marketing strategy.
So why would such a large amount of marketers stake their marketing strategies on this one thing? Because it works.
An effective content marketing strategy provides a trifecta of results by generating leads, increasing customer engagement, and increasing brand awareness. The success rate of content marketing for eCommerce is quite prominent, and marketers are putting 70% of their budget into content marketing.
What is content marketing?
The definition of content marketing can differ depending on what you hope to achieve, but content writing is different from content writing, as we explained here.
Content marketing for eCommerce is about creating and promoting valuable content that your customers will want to read. It provides the information they need to make informed decisions, such as what products to buy and where to shop.
It is more than a fancy buzzword- but a proven strategy that has been used by companies like Amazon, Netflix, Nike, and more than 40 other brands to drive massive growth in sales.
Content marketing strategy involves creating and publishing original content to attract and retain customers.
You can use content marketing in any industry. Still, it’s beneficial for small and medium eCommerce companies because it allows them to compete with the most powerful brands in their industry.
You might need more resources (or budget) to do high-quality video production or hire an expensive PR agency if you have a small business. However, you can use content marketing to reach your target audience and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.
How does content marketing for eCommerce work?
The importance of content marketing for eCommerce is undeniable. It is an opportunity to attract new customers, increase engagement and build brand awareness.
The good news is that building an effective content marketing strategy for eCommerce can be done relatively quickly while still delivering high-quality results. Here is how you can do it;
1.Articulate the value proposition
The first step in creating a content marketing strategy for your eCommerce business is to articulate its value proposition- what exactly does your business offer? Why should customers choose it over other options?
2. Identify your target audience.
Your next step is to identify the personas that best represent each target customer persona (e.g., millennials, moms, couples). If you have yet to learn who those people are, look at your current customer database and ask: who do these people most closely resemble? Are there any common traits among them? For example, suppose you sell luxury items for women. It would be best if you focused on women between the ages of 25 and 35 who have recently graduated college and are looking for jobs in finance or consulting.
3. Create a strategy around the persona
In creating a content marketing strategy, you need to know your audience and what works for them. For example, what are the pain points of your target audience? What frustrates them? Are they more prone to use Snapchat or Instagram? What websites do they or are they likely to frequent? Using the luxury product example above, what is the limit of what they can spend on a luxury item? When you create a strategy with these attributes in mind, you are bound to create one that appeals the most to the persona.
4. Launch strategy and analyze results
Once your eCommerce business creates a strategy surrounding the consumer persona, the next step is to launch the campaign for that strategy. Launching a campaign provides real-time analysis of how efficient the eCommerce campaign is. Applications like Instagram and Facebook provide tracking tools to see how well your content marketing strategy is faring according to your objectives. In addition, ECommerce businesses can use other analytic tools like Google Analytics or Buffer, depending on the results they hope to achieve.
Why do eCommerce brands need content marketing?
Digital brands must have asked themselves why they need content marketing at one point or another in their eCommerce journey.
A recent study found that 82% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands they trust, and 76% are more likely to shop at stores that produce engaging content.
So what does this mean for eCommerce brands? First, it implies that eCommerce companies need to invest in their content creation efforts if they want to acquire more customers and increase sales.
Why? Because marketing is not just about getting people in your door; it is also about keeping them there. With so much competition out there, you need to stand out from the crowd- creating engaging content that will help you attract new customers, encourage them to stick around, and keep them coming back again and again.
Here are five reasons why you should start using a content marketing strategy for your eCommerce business:
- Content marketing helps you reach new customers faster
- Content marketing improves customer experience and loyalty
- Content marketing can help you grow your business through word-of-mouth marketing
- Content marketing enables you to generate more traffic to your website
- Content marketing is an effective way to build brand awareness
Top eCommerce content marketing examples
Do you know that 96% of the online content does not rank on Google? That’s because most people believe it is enough to post consistently without a content marketing strategy.
So if your goal is to rely on organic traffic and hope someone from somewhere finds your website and purchases, then working without a plan is acceptable. Of course, you would have to factor in the chance of your website being seen at 1 in 1.98 billion. But if your business goal is to rank high on Google, generate leads, and build consumer trust, then you should have a strategy.
It might seem like a lot to juggle, but it isn’t; the key has an effective content marketing strategy.
Small and large eCommerce businesses have done so before you and will continue. Here are some examples;
This British furniture company combines its social media page and eCommerce website to launch its social media campaign. The idea is to encourage people to showcase the products they purchased from MADE. Customers can be featured on MADE’s Instagram page and possibly their eCommerce website by tagging the company in a post. But the post has to contain the item purchased from MADE. This system works because;
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- it develops customer engagement
- it builds customer trust as others see products from real people
- it acts as a review board that promotes the brand’s image and increases awareness
Most content marketing pitches we come across on the internet sound precisely like what they are; pitches.
They often have a sales angle that does not subtly push consumers to buy their products or sign up for their newsletter. Now it is not wrong to encourage a sale; after all, isn’t that the point of the content marketing strategy, but how it is done matters.
Studio McGee is an interior design company that also makes furniture. But they have found a balance between helping and selling. The Studio McGee blog section features various style approaches to beautifying your space, and they do so using their products.
For example, you can visit their blog and read about how to elevate your space with a nightstand. The images and references used on their blog would be about a nightstand they have in store. This method provides the customer with an option and leaves it up to them to decide what to do. Then, subconsciously when they want to purchase a nightstand, the one on the blog would be the customer’s first choice.
Lush is a cruelty-free and vegan beauty brand that uses video content as a part of its content marketing strategy. Lush has a YouTube channel where they showcase how each cosmetic product of theirs is made.
The transparency shown by letting customers in on the creation process builds brand trust and loyalty. It indicates that Lush means what they say and has no reason to hide its practices. And nothing is better than a trusted brand.
Step Guide: How to get started with eCommerce content marketing
1. This may seem irrelevant, but the first step to eCommerce content marketing is to have an eCommerce business.
2. Next is to determine your brand voice, a voice that resonates well with your audience.
3. The more valuable your content is, the better for your consumers. People are tired of the rabbit hole of the internet and need information that matters.
4. Ensure that you’re creating multiple forms of content for each platform. For example, have content that fits with social media, your website, and your email newsletter.
5. Incorporate backlinks to your products or services as much as possible. For example, let consumers know that as much as you are providing DIY solutions, you can also be the problem solver.
Key Takeaways
Content is king, and if you aren’t utilizing it to grow your business, you might as well be in the stone ages.
Your content is only as good as the content marketing strategy in play to distribute it.
Content marketing for eCommerce might seem like an additional hassle to SMEs, but it gives you a competitive edge. If you don’t want the hassle, you can always outsource it. One of the things we pride ourselves on here at Kaku is that we take on our client’s vision as our own. When your brand succeeds, we succeed. Kaku truly is a one-stop location for all your brand’s content needs. So book a consultation with us and set up an effective content strategy!