A good content marketing strategy can help your eCommerce business reach the right audience, generate brand awareness, and drive up the lifetime value of your customers.
Not only is effective ecommerce web design paramount, content marketing is essential for eCommerce businesses. Many businesses compete in highly competitive niches where it’s difficult to rank #1 in Google for their desired keywords. Other businesses may be brand new and haven’t gained enough trust in the eyes of the various algorithms that control organic Google rankings.
Fortunately, content marketing can allow you to build a successful eCommerce business even if you don’t rank very well in the organic search results.
We’ve come up with our five favorite eCommerce content marketing tips that you can use to help drive new sales and supplement whatever traffic you’re getting from organic and paid promotion:
Social Media Posts
Many eCommerce businesses fall into a common social media trap where they only post thinly veiled self-promoting content. Consumers nowadays are bombarded with online advertisements, and yours is just one of the thousands they’ll see on a daily basis.
Instead of a “Buy our widgets” social media post, how about sharing a customer success story?
Reach out to a few of your customers and ask them to share their story or experience with your products. This is free and easy content for your business as they’ll be the ones doing all the writing.
You’ll also show your audience that people love your products and that will enable them to make an authentic connection with your brand as it’s a real person behind the testimonial.
Videos
Creating a video that showcases your brand, internal company culture, or how to use one of your products is another fantastic way of making an authentic connection with your audience.
Any modern webcam or smartphone can take internet-quality video, and this prevents the need for having to hire expensive professional videographers.
A few ideas for videos can include:
• Webinars
• Live Q&A sessions
• How to’s
• Online courses
Best of all, video content can be repurposed many times over. If you upload it to YouTube, it can drive traffic directly to your website. You can also share the same video on social media and through email marketing or online newsletters.
Product Guides
A product guide is an invaluable content marketing tool no matter what you sell. Think of ways people can use your product that will solve a particular problem or challenge, or somehow add value to their lives. Then create a guide showing the exact step-by-step process.
You can then distribute it through your social media channels, email marketing, or a lead gen magnet where you give it away for free on your website—provided that whoever wants to download it will fill out a short form with their email address and contact info.
Product guides are also excellent for upselling products. Perhaps you sell two complementary products that work well together. Create a product guide showing the value that these two products offer when purchased together and watch how the sales start rolling in.
White Papers or Research Studies
In addition to making you a thought leader, a white paper or research study can help build trust in potential new customers.
It shows that you’re just not out for the sale—you’re the foremost expert on the subject matter, and this is why people should purchase from you instead of the competition.
Keep in mind that the purpose of a white paper is to inform, not to sell. While it’s OK to add your logo and a link back to your website, try to refrain from any self-promoting. This helps build a solid reputation for both you and your brand as people will view it as authentic information, not an overly elaborate sales pitch.
Printed Marketing Collateral
What was once old is now new again. Print magazines are making a huge comeback and are a fantastic way for eCommerce sites to promote their products. They offer a physical, tangible connection with your business that will enable people to make a more authentic connection.
No matter if you’re B2B or B2C, a printed catalog can’t be deleted with the click of a button. It will most likely lay around a kitchen counter, or on someone’s office desk and provide a constant reminder of your products and brand.
A local print shop can offer more suggestions to help promote your products through printed collateral such as sell sheets, brochures, and catalogs. There are a wide variety of paper options, and recent advancements in ink and digital printer technologies have not only driven down the cost but offer some fantastic print solutions that will wow and dazzle your audience.
Marketing Help for eCommerce Sites
Are you stuck on what you can do to promote your eCommerce business, or could your eCommerce website use an updated refresh for 2020?
At Bizango, we’ve helped countless local, and national eCommerce businesses drive new sales and traffic through our marketing and professional website design services.
Give us a call today at (206) 462-4020 or contact us via our website to learn more about the eCommerce marketing and web design services we offer.