Over 409 million people read more than 20 billion pages each month.
It’s pretty safe to say that we love content.
Google loves it just as much as we do. Blogs can experience a 434% increase in indexed pages and a 97% increase in inbound links.
In other words, content marketing is great for increasing your website’s rankings and ultimately putting yourself in front of a larger audience.
That’s not everything, though.
In terms of eCommerce, a proper content marketing strategy can bring significant results.
Content marketing costs 62% less compared to traditional marketing while generating three times as many leads.
What’s more, websites that adopt content marketing experience an average conversion rate that’s almost six times higher than those that do not.
That’s huge!
To put it differently, if you’re running an eCommerce business, there’s no reason not to give content marketing a shot.
So how can your business experience these numbers?
Let’s take a look.
1. Email Marketing
For every $1 spent on an email, you can get $38 back.
That’s an ROI of 3,800%!
This makes a top email marketing service an excellent starting point for your content marketing strategy. If done right, that is.
For starters, consider micro-segmentation.
This is the process of splitting your target audience into multiple groups based on specific criteria, like age, gender, the amount of money users spend on your website, etc.
Micro-segmentation will allow you to create highly targeted emails tailored for each segment of your audience. Consequently, you can improve your conversion rates.
Let’s say that you’ve divided your audience into two groups: new subscribers and loyal customers.
New subscribers might not have bought anything from you. But they’re still interested enough in your company to sign-up for your newsletter.
That said, sending them an email where you’d showcase products on sale might be enough to close the deal.
Loyal customers likely want to stay up-to-date with your store. Thus, notifying them of new product releases might work out well.
But, no matter how tailored your emails are, nobody will open them if they don’t manage to grab attention.
Make sure that your subject lines and preview texts are enticing enough to increase your open rates.
2. Blogging
Although we mentioned that blogs are great for ranking higher in the Search Engine Results Page, that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing they’re good at—quite the contrary.
Take it as more of a side effect of blogging.
Blogs are best at building healthy relationships with your visitors. Creating content around your customers’ pain points will help you earn their trust.
Furthermore, blogging allows you to establish yourself as an industry expert, further reinforcing that sense of trust.
So instead of creating blogs that only promote your products, you should instead focus on bringing more value to your audience.
For example, you could create a how-to guide for newbies on how to maintain one of your products.
Or, if you’re selling a kitchen robot, why not write a blog post that shows a few tasty recipes?
As you’re writing blog posts that are of the users’ interests, your website will likely notice an increase in engagement levels as well.
Furthermore, consider guest blogging.
Experts at Digital Silk, a company that offers services covering web development in Chicago, say that websites often hesitate when linking to product pages. This makes earning backlinks as an eCommerce store more difficult.
One way to get around this is by submitting content to other blogs within your niche.
Again, your content must be informative, engaging, and focus on your audiences’ pain points.
Besides getting backlinks, guest blogging will also enable you to reach a wider audience.
3. Size Charts and FAQ Sheets
Speaking of valuable content, size charts and fact sheets are a must.
No one likes opening a new tab just to convert something from the Imperial to the Metric system.
Providing a size chart that displays the sizes of your products in all measurement systems will spare your visitors some headaches.
Size charts are not only limited to clothing or shoes. You could also use them if you’re selling furniture, tools, or larger equipment.
Also, consider creating a FAQs page. This is a quick and easy way to clarify any uncertainties potential customers might have, like the cost of shipping, your return policy, the time it takes for your products to be shipped, etc.
4. User-Generated Content
84% of consumers trust peer recommendations more than any other type of advertising.
That’s where User-Generated Content (UGC) comes in. As the name suggests, UGC is content created by your own customers. It can come in the form of images, videos, reviews, testimonials, etc.
We’ve talked to some web developers Los Angeles, and they said that displaying testimonials and reviews on your eCommerce website is a must.
It’s cheap, authentic, and convincing. Once a visitor sees that your previous customers are happy with your products, he likely won’t have any second thoughts regarding your business’s legitimacy.
Furthermore, UGC can also work great on social media. It allows you to enhance brand awareness, increase user engagement and draw new potential buyers to your online store.
For example, you could host a contest where you’d encourage followers to post videos, images, or stories showcasing one of your products. The post with the most votes could receive an award, like a free item.
This way, you’ll not only get users to interact with you more, but the word of your contest will spread like wildfire.
After all, everybody likes free stuff. So your followers will probably share the post with your friends, asking them for votes.
5. Influencers
Influencers are people that have a large, loyal and highly engaged following. They are usually viewed as experts within their niche and can influence their audience’s purchase decisions.
Consequently, collaborating with influencers will raise brand awareness, increase your brand’s credibility and likely generate more sales.
In terms of content marketing, you could use the help of influencers to create new content. For example, you could ask influencers to post photos of them displaying your product and post them on their social media accounts.
Or you could create a blog post that will be posted on their website.
But, to make it work, you’ll need to look for the influencers that fit with your brand the best. Otherwise, most of their audience will probably not be interested in your offer, making your efforts redundant.
6. Repurpose Content
Content comes in many different forms. Coming up with new ideas for each format and platform can be stressful and expensive.
So, why not repurpose your content from time to time?
For example, you could turn one of your previous blog posts into a video. But, aim for the high-performing pieces.
After all, if the blog post already proved successful, the chances are that the video will do just as well, if not even better, maximizing your ROI.
What’s more, turning that blog post into a video will allow you to get in front of a new audience. Some of your YouTube subscribers might not know about your blog, and vice-versa.
That said, by turning it into a video, your subscribers will get just as much value from the content as your website’s visitors.
But, keep in mind that you’ll have to make some adjustments along the way. A 5,000-word article will take some time to read out loud. So you should cut some ideas to make the video easier to follow.
Or, maybe leave the ideas as they are and discuss them in a podcast.
7. Storytelling
Creating content based on storytelling will help you humanize your brand.
You can show how your products impacted your customers’ lives or how your brand got to where it is now. This way, you can connect with your audience on a more personal level.
Thus, you’ll earn your customers’ loyalty, boost traffic and increase social shares.
But, to get it right, you’ll need to align your brand with the audience. Think about how your brand’s message and products line up with your audience’s values and beliefs.
8. Content Calendar
And finally, planning content ahead of time is essential for maintaining consistency.
Using a content calendar template helps you remain organized, eliminates the stress of creating new content at the last minute, and generally increases your productivity.
That said, put some time aside and plan your content for the next few months. By doing this, you’ll save yourself from a few future headaches.
Final Words
All in all, content marketing is no easy task. But, if done right, your eCommerce business will stand to make considerable profits in the future.
Author bio
Travis Dillard is a business consultant and an organizational psychologist based in Arlington, Texas. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for Digital Strategy One.
