Content marketing is one of the most effective strategies for online stores. But, people often think it’s daunting and “best left to the professionals”. We’re here to show you how to develop a strategy that can be molded to almost any eCommerce business.
We’re here to take you from A to Z, from the initial ideas to finding what works for your business.
If you’re an online store owner and you’ve struggled with content marketing – it’s time to learn how to develop a robust eCommerce content strategy.
Why is a content strategy important for online stores?
Having a clear, defined eCommerce content strategy is the first step to reaping the real benefits of content marketing. Whether you’re a long-time business owner or just getting started selling online, it’s near impossible to drive results without a proper strategy in place.
Content strategy is important because it forces you to think about your content marketing efforts. Defining your content blueprint should start with straightforward, pointed questions – so you can learn more about your audience.
By sitting down to think about how you can connect with your audience, you’re more likely to create engaging, conversion-focused copy.
Without a strategy, it’s incredibly tough to create consistent content and build your brand. It’s unsustainable to try creating meaningful content without a planned approach.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
We could spend hours discussing the many benefits of quality content marketing, such as the writing provided by our writers. Unfortunately, we’ve only got time to list some of our favorites.
Firstly, content marketing helps your audience stay for longer. With quality written content, your audience will enjoy spending time on your site – just reading your content can create value. They may even want to come back. An eCommerce content strategy is excellent for creating repeat business.
Quality content can also build trust. There is enormous value in creating a lasting impression on your customers. With trust, your brand becomes more than just a place to buy a product. You’ll be able to create a more meaningful experience for your customers.
The goal is for your customers to have an incredibly positive association with your store.
But the benefits aren’t all qualitative. Studies have shown that content marketing is the most cost-effective marketing strategy. While upfront costs for content marketing can be steep, ROI is higher than traditional advertising.
Finally, content written by professional writers can position you as an authority in your industry. Once your company is the go-to place for niche information, your customers will automatically associate your products with the quality they see in your marketing.
What should I include in my eCommerce content strategy?
There are countless options when it comes to content marketing. From infographics to blog posts and email newsletters, nothing is stopping you from employing writers, graphic designs, and email specialists in your strategy.
A strategy starts with a plan. Decide what kind of content best suits your product. If you’re a playful D2C brand selling bright products, maybe graphics would be best for you. Conversely, B2B businesses selling more technical products may prefer a blog-based eCommerce content strategy.
Blogs can create up to 97% more inbound links, and websites including a blog have 434% more indexed pages.
Another overlooked category is videos. With the advent of YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter – combining audio with visuals is a great way to reach your customer. What’s more, landing pages have a higher conversion rate – with an almost 80% gain when done right.
A great start is thinking about who your average customer is. What are they into, and where do they spend time online? Are they prone to reading? Or do they need bright and visual content to understand your message?
It all comes down to what kind of business you want to be. Think about what makes you unique and what type of content best fits your brand – the sky’s the limit.
How to create and execute a content strategy
Now you’ve done the planning, the execution is the only thing left to worry about. This can be the most accessible or most challenging part, depending on how you go about it. Creating content can be a massive drain on time, especially if you’re trying to run an eCommerce business. Part of your eCommerce content strategy should be finding the right people to execute your content.
Here at Morex, we specialize in providing professionally written content at a fraction of the market rate. We want to work closely with your business to give you the smoothest content marketing experience possible.
The results of your strategy depend on the quality of your content, so make sure you have the best people creating your content.
An excellent strategy for finding out what works with your audience is A/B tests. Create two pieces of content on similar topics, using different approaches. For example, create two blog posts, one as a “top 10” format and the other as a guide. After a few weeks, see what’s worked and focus on recreating that success.
The beauty of content marketing is that it covers all your bases. From brand awareness to driving leads, content is the most effective way of getting your message out there. But having a strategy is essential to success.
This guide should be a great start to get you thinking about your eCommerce content strategy, but make sure you get in touch with us to optimize your results and transform your content marketing efforts.