5 Reasons Why Ecommerce Sites Rule with Content Marketing
Quality Content With A Side Of Products
In today’s changing e-commerce landscape, people are getting quality, free content from the brands they already purchase from. More and more companies are starting to streamline their products with content, and vice versa. It’s changing the entire marketing system completely around from traditional methods to a more integrated platform. Below are some reasons behind why this phenomenon is taking off fast, as well as some easy to use tips on how to get started.
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Buying Honest Products
The big corporate giants up on their unattainable mountaintops are starting to crumble, thanks to honest, trustworthy content being published by savvy businesses. People want content that is practical and easy to access. The hard sell is dying fast, while having information readily available is growing in popularity. It’s the new “whole package”, and it’s gaining the attention of consumers. Sites like Home Depot are offering fun DIY articles and at the same time also listing all the items used in it for purchase right there in the post. The process is seamless, and the company benefits from both the readable content as well as the sales of each product mentioned.
Behind the Scenes
A unique “about me” or “behind the scenes look” video can turn slightly interested customers into full on fanatics. Exclusive first looks generate anticipation for a product that’s only just become available. Take Stuart Weitzman for example, and his ever popular videos introducing a new boot line. The short videos look like they belong in movies, and they’re shared just like a trailer. A bonus to watching them: they offer inspiration on how to wear each pair of boots with specific outfits. It’s content heavy in an easy to process format while positively influencing consumers to buy their products.
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Formatting is Key
Content needs to be organized and easily readable, not just informative. Having a cohesive format for articles, with easy to find share buttons nearby, can increase a company’s visibility. Think about this: every day there are four billion shares on Facebook. By zeroing in on effective article formatting, as well as producing quality content, a company will have a much better chance of standing above the current content.
Types of Content
This can be tricky, as not every method works for every company. But in general, these are the most popular options for adding content:
- How-To videos: Tap into the one billion monthly Youtube viewers by posting humorous and informative videos. Or start small with a Vine account and make six-second videos for the forty million people using this community.
- High-quality photos: Invest time into taking quality photos, and add social media buttons nearby to make sharing easy for consumers. Pinterest and Instagram along attract 28% of total online users. That’s one third of the internet population simply sharing photos. Not only will people be blown away by a beautifully photographed product, but with each share a whole group of people connected to that first sharer will be able to see it, giving it more and more exposure with each new share.
- Opinion pieces: This might seem like a no-no for traditional marketers, but in today’s new e-commerce world, having an opinion can help build a loyal consumer base. It’s more than taking a stand on a hot-button issue, it’s about staying true to the principal beliefs of a company. Wishy-washy companies are not regarded as having authority over their products, but rather trying (unsuccessfully) to please all parties and looking like a pushover.
Again, it all comes down to honesty. Consumers want to know that the products they buy are from a site with integrity. Make sharing readily available, show exclusive looks with behind the scenes clips, and link quality products within informative articles. This new model for advertising might be hard to switch to at first, but once consumers start hearing there is quality, free content on an already reputable site, a fan base will grow quickly.
