Key takeaways:
Content marketing benefits all kinds of businesses, including eCommerce sites. Content helps you generate organic, qualified traffic, so you know your visitors will be interested in what your brand does. And, it’s free to get them there. Content marketing is more cost-effective than paying for ads, and you can get higher-quality leads.
Tracking the customer journey via content and figuring out which formats they respond to for each stage gives you more opportunities for connection and conversion.
How do you do it? Here is your guide for creating a content strategy for your shopping site by integrating content marketing best practices.
Amazing content won’t get you very far without knowing who you’re trying to talk to. Each piece of content you post, whether on your blog, social media, or website, should be carefully crafted for specific groups of people.
Even if you’ve identified your general audience, how do you speak to them and excite them? You need to know information like:
You need to dig into what makes people tick to start connecting with them with your content strategy. You can then create a better SEO strategy that accounts for their common search terms, which is an important element of content marketing.
Another part of knowing your audience is finding out what channels they use. Which social media sites do they frequent? What is their email usage like? Do plenty of research about your chosen demographic.
When you start sending out content to your email subscribers or posting it on your blog or social media, track metrics like clicks, comments, engagements, and others. This data will show you what kind of content your audience really wants to see.
Types of content that will be part of your strategy may include:
Gathering data about what people respond to will help you create a strategy that includes these key platforms and content types. By knowing where to post, you’ll maximize your content marketing ROI.
Once you know who you’re talking to and what your audience cares about, it’s time to craft great content that speaks directly to them. Put yourself in their shoes. Begin your posts and write your headlines based around what would engage them.
You want to build trust with your eCommerce audiences, and content helps you do it. You should always think about the real value that someone gets when they read your posts, website copy, or emails.
If there’s nothing of great value in your content, you’re just adding to all the noise on the internet that people have to sift through to find what they’re looking for.
For your shopping site, your content’s purpose will be to get people to convert. You want to drive traffic to the products and services they want to buy. But beyond just educating or entertaining them, how can you drive them to take the next step, like making a purchase?
Hit their pain points
Emotions are a big driver of purchasing decisions. When you can tell people exactly how your product will solve a particular problem for them, they’re more likely to convert and try it out.
Use hashtags on social
Hashtags are your friend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can turn leads into customers or new customers into brand ambassadors by engaging them with a hashtag campaign. For instance, offer a promotion where customers can get 20% off their next purchase when they post a photo of themselves using your product.
Send surveys
When a lead engages with your brand, or a customer makes a purchase, send out a short survey to assess people’s experiences and feelings. The survey will remind them of your brand so you stay fresh in their mind, and they will want to take the next step with you.
Post quizzes
Social media is a great place to post interactive content like quizzes, polls, and questions. People feel like they’re letting their voice be heard while you’re gathering information about their preferences.
Add an FAQ page
People will have questions about your products and services before they decide to buy. Make it easier for them by adding a frequently asked questions page to your website. You can go into detail about product details and common questions they want to know before they’ll take the leap.
Getting creative with how and where you engage people will allow your content to do more work for you. These ideas are great places to start.
To successfully integrate content marketing into your shopping site strategy, you need content that will work for you. Your goal should be to deliver something of value to your audiences so they trust your brand and decide to make a purchase.
When you need access to stellar content to get you there, ContentBacon is ready to assist. We help you create a winning content strategy for your shopping site, so your leads are more likely to convert.
Check out our content subscription services now to get started with our team of content marketing experts.