Content marketing is an effective way to generate traffic to your website. For eCommerce stores, it’s especially helpful to boost brand awareness and persuade visitors to make a purchase.
The goal is to create high-quality content that speaks directly to your target audience. You want to inform (and entertain) potential customers abo+
ut your brand. Why? Better content leads to more traffic, more engagement, and more sales.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out these seven content marketing ideas below.
1. Product Videos
Video is a helpful tool to engage your website visitors. With product videos, you get a chance to convey your brand story and demonstrate the benefits of your product. Amy Onorato, a contributor at IdeaRocket, adds her perspective:
“Product videos give your business an opportunity to showcase (and show off) what your company can do it a visual way. In some cases, this can make your product more accessible and engaging to viewers. As they say, seeing is believing, and a strong product video will help your customers do just that.â€
Some of the best product videos highlight the value proposition for its audience. You want to state the problem and offer your product as a solution. NaturallyCurly uses this exact content strategy for its hair detangler. In a 14-second clip, viewers get a clear snapshot of why they should purchase the product for their curly-haired kids.
2. Frequently Asked Questions
eCommerce websites can benefit from having a dedicated page to answering customers’ frequently asked questions (FAQs). It can enhance the customer experience by addressing product concerns and technical issues, and research shows that 55% of customers are willing to spend more money with a company that guarantees them a satisfying experience.
Your customer support email inbox is a good starting point to find questions. Look for common topics that customers constantly ask about. For example, if you’re a floral shop, your customers may want your priority shipping costs or the best types of flowers to express sympathy.
The purpose of a FAQ page is to provide your website visitors with quick answers and to demonstrate your authority on any particular topic. However, try to avoid in-depth answers that lead your visitors on an unnecessary path.
3. Customer Reviews
Consumers rely on their family members, friends, and even complete strangers for honest feedback about products. They use these opinions to guide their purchasing decisions.
Customer reviews can help strengthen brand loyalty and increase product sales. So, it’s important for your brand to strategically place reviews on your website. Flora Frichou, the lead content strategist at Trustpilot, offers a few suggestions:
“Build consumer trust by showcasing your current customers’ experience with your company. Key pages include your homepage and other high traffic pages (product, pricing, checkout, or post-click landing pages). Reviews here show you’re being transparent and give consumers the encouragement they need to complete a purchase.â€
Death Wish Coffee has an entire page dedicated to customer reviews. Plus, each product page includes reviews for potential buyers to read. This transparency influences visitors and enhances the customer experience.
4. Emails
Emails bridge the relationship gap between customers and brands and move visitors down the sales funnel. Backlinko reports that shoppers spend 138% more when marketed through email, as compared to those who do not receive email offers.
Valuable traffic to your website means new opportunities for more sales. Personalized emails can get subscribers interested in your blog posts. Through segmentation, you can send targeted content based on subscribers’ site behavior, location, and purchasing history.
Constant Contact makes it possible for you to segment your contacts, so you can send the right message to the right people at the right time. This email marketing platform also allows you to schedule an email to automatically resend with an updated subject line to contacts who didn’t open your first email. That way, your brand increases open rates with little to no effort.
5. Quizzes
Interactive content is any content that allows your audience to actively engage with your brand. It can encourage your website visitors to test their knowledge or compete in a game. Quizzes are one form of interactive content that will keep people on your eCommerce website. They also help generate more leads for your sales funnel.
“Pairing your quiz with campaigns that focus on raising awareness is a great way to add an exciting new perspective on otherwise not-so-exciting topics. Shed light on various subjects by attracting an even larger audience to take notice of a particular cause or message,†states JP Misenas, content marketing director at Interact.
For instance, nutrition brand Gainful uses quizzes to personalize the shopping experience. When visitors land on their site, consumers can participate in a quick quiz to determine the best protein powder for them.
6. Podcasts
Unlike written content, podcasts offer a convenient medium for visitors to consume your brand’s content. Customers can simply hit play on their commute to work or listen while doing household chores.
Moreover, podcast listeners are loyal to their favorite audio content. A study found that 54% of podcast listeners are more likely to consider buying an advertised product. These listeners build quality relationships with the hosts and respect their thought leadership.
When producing a podcast, you’ll want to consider the format of your episodes. You can interview experts, highlight success stories, or even discuss your failed experiments. For instance, The Science of Social Media podcast by Buffer provides its listeners with deep dives about the latest social media strategies, including discussions with marketing experts.
7. User-Generated Content
Authenticity is a critical part of consumer purchasing. Customers want a true representation of how your products will help them. User-generated content (UGC) serves a way to attract new buyers with the help of your current customers.
UGC can be anything a customer creates that highlights your brand, from a tweet to a video to a photo. The best UGC will boost brand awareness and get more people interested in your eCommerce website.
“People who create and share user-generated content are likely to be among your biggest fans… UGC allows you to harness that brand excitement and foster a sense of ongoing loyalty in people who may be less familiar with your brand,†writes Christina Newberry, an award-winning writer and editor.
Check out the example below from Old Navy. The retailer highlighted a video submitted by triplet fitness trainers dancing in the brand’s clothing. This UGC contributed to the brand’s #spottedinoldnavy campaign.
Create More Content to Engage Your eCommerce Customers
Top-notch eCommerce websites implement multiple content marketing ideas to engage their customers. Get creative by attracting visitors with product videos, customer reviews, or even interesting quizzes.
Shayla Price creates and promotes content. She lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology, and social responsibility. Originally from Louisiana, Shayla champions access to remote work opportunities. Connect with her on Twitter at @shaylaprice.