The ultimate guide to e-commerce content marketing
E-commerce content marketing is one of the fastest-growing trends in digital marketing. Learn more in this ultimate guide.
An increasing number of marketers are coming to understand that content is important for growing their business. However, it’s no longer a case of just writing articles and blog posts. E-commerce content marketing has evolved into an effective tool that can grow your brand and bring you more sales.
14 steps to mastering e-commerce content marketing
Even when you’ve already got your store set up with the most important parts, there are still many things to consider when it comes to e-commerce content marketing. And it all starts with the proper planning and research.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 14 steps to create a successful marketing approach for your online shop in this ultimate guide.
1) Develop a solid content strategy
One of the best ways to get started with content marketing is by developing a solid content strategy. It includes specific, short-term, and long-term goals. This will help you determine how much time and money to invest in your content marketing efforts.
It’s also important to include your target audience in this plan. This will allow you to create relevant, meaningful content that encourages engagement and conversions.
2) Write compelling product descriptions
It’s important that your product descriptions are written in an engaging way. So, the visitors are compelled to learn more about the products they are interested in. You can also add product reviews and testimonials to help customers make informed buying decisions.
3) Create how-to videos
Videos have become one of the most effective ways to connect with potential customers. Creating how-to videos can teach potential customers how to use your products. Video marketing can help to create brand awareness while cultivating trust and establishing yourself as a thought leader in the industry.
4) Start a blog
Blogging has been proven to be one of the best ways to get exposure for your brand and increase your sales. This is because blogging allows you to reach out to your target audience on a personal level. By sharing useful information, you are showing that you care about them as people, not just customers.
In addition, by sharing information that is useful to them in their daily lives, you establish yourself as an expert in your field. And the more you share, the more they come back for more.
5) Write useful tutorials
Sharing useful information is one of the keys to successful content marketing. Everyone wants to feel like they are getting value from your site. So it’s important that you provide it for them. This can be done through blog posts. If you really want to provide value for your followers, consider writing a tutorial about a product or service that you offer.
6) Share customer testimonials
Testimonials are an excellent way to boost sales and grow your business. They help validate what you’re saying about your own products and services. When someone else says something positive about you or your company, people tend to believe it more than if it were coming directly from yourself!
7) Launch a podcast
Podcasts are a great way to connect with consumers and build authority in your space. They’re more personal than traditional marketing channels. They allow you to build relationships with your audience. They provide a way to become the thought leader in your industry.
To get started, you’ll need a microphone (a professional one will be closer to $100), some editing software (you can use Garageband or Audacity), and a hosting platform like Libsyn.
8) Offer freebies in exchange for email addresses
The most valuable piece of information you can obtain from a website visitor is their email address. By building an email list, you can generate leads by targeting people. They have already expressed interest in your business.
Every time someone visits your site, they should see an eye-catching offer. It should be for something free in exchange for their email address. This could be an ebook, guide, e-course. It canbe access to exclusive content on your site that only newsletter subscribers can access.
9) Reach out to influencers in your niche
Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to get more eyeballs on your content. People tend to trust recommendations from bloggers and influencers over brands. So, partnering with them is an excellent way for you to tap into their audience. It increases exposure for your business.
10) Start guest blogging
Another important way to get in front of the right audience is to start writing guest blogs for other websites. You can read the eight steps to a successful guest blogging strategy here.
11) Run a survey or anything that collects user-generated content (UGC)
The reason why UGC-based marketing campaigns are so successful is that they are based on the specific people who buy your products and thus, who know more about your product than you do.
12) Make a list
Create a list of the best products you’ve got in stock. It can be a top 10, top 20, or even top 50 list (depending on the number of products you sell). Then, make sure to highlight why these products are so great, and how they can benefit your potential customers.
13) Launch an email newsletter
Email newsletters are one of the most effective ways to communicate with your customers directly. They allow you to inform them about special offers and discounts, as well as about new products you’ve added to your e-commerce store.
14) Make sure all your CTAs are above the fold (make them easy to find)
For usability, it is important that all elements of a website – including the call to action – should be easy to find and, most importantly, actionable.
Your CTA should be easily found on top of your landing page. The visual hierarchy of this page makes it appear even more important as it’s surrounded by empty space. It also needs to be easily visible on both desktop and mobile.
Use content marketing to reach customers and increase sales
We hope you found this guide to content marketing useful. With a solid foundation in place, you can succeed at converting visitors into customers.
Emily Johnson is best known for her publication of modern Perfect Essay Writing. Her writing has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and websites.
Photo by Bahman Adlou
