Magento has become the biggest platform for open commerce innovation. They achieved this by involving not only other businesses in their content marketing campaign, but clients as well.
If you want to find out how your eCommerce website can also attain success like them, read on.
If this article isn’t enough for you, get in touch with one of our Content Strategists for a 15-minute Skype Call.
[sqcta text=”Magento didn’t just give content marketing a try, they really committed to it.” type=”header” color=”gray”]
Their blog has new content at least once a week, but usually much more often, and the email-based lead nurturing strategy they use is extremely effective.
I’m going to give you a rundown of their way of doing business and give my opinion on the matter. I think it would be useful for you to compare your own eCommerce website with theirs, and see how it can be improved.
The Open Source Platform You Can Use for Your eCommerce Website
Magento didn’t just create a platform, keep the code for themselves and ask for money from those who want to use it like many other companies do.
Instead, they choose to make it open source and free. This is the type of philosophy you should also follow when you create content, give business-related insight, and offer useful information to your audience.
[bctt tweet=”Magento showed us how sharing can do wonders for our client base.”]
This means that any aspiring programmer can try to outfit the platform with new features and improvements, and that’s exactly what happened.
Furthermore, this has contributed a great deal to their success because they stood out from the crowd as a thought leader, a company that wanted to work together with others to make sure everyone wins.
[sqcta text=”They actively involve their clients, and their openness and willingness to share information has made them very respected among eCommerce businesses.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
The Magento Enterprise edition is an improved version of the core platform. This version isn’t free, but it also has more features and offers better flexibility. With a free version and a paid version, Magento has its cake and eats it too.
A lesson you should learn from Magento’s example is that keeping the secrets of your trade to yourself is not always the best option.
They went the other way, and look how big they are now. Providing valuable information through content to companies and people alike is always a great way to build recognition and showcase your expertise.
[sqcta text=”Magento became the giant it is today by sharing with others, so make sure your content marketing strategy is built on the same principle.” type=”header” color=”gray”]
Confidence in Content Marketing
As I said in the beginning of the article, Magento has a very active blog. I want to make it clear that just posting often doesn’t mean anything. It can even be detrimental.
[sqcta text=”Sure, you should have new content at least once a week so you keep your audience interested, but if you don’t think you can uphold the quality standards, you should work with an agency.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
Quality over Quantity
[sqcta text=”Magento doesn’t only post often, but they also post high-quality content. From relevant news to useful tips, they make sure that people have a reliable source of material they want to read.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
Don’t just think that it’s easy to do it. Sure, the people there might like to write, but you can bet that they invest a lot of time and money in order to keep it up. There are many ways of doing content marketing right, and all of them require dedication.
Content Is King when Distribution Is Queen
Magento is also very active on social media.
That’s not exactly a groundbreaking tactic, but they don’t stop there: Besides providing a lot of content, they also interact with their audience and clients, helping them in every way they can.
Moreover, don’t assume they use social media for tech support, as they have their own forums. It’s just that they don’t turn away clients.
Not enough companies do that. It proves that you care. Since you provide personal content for your audience, what better way to provide it than actually interacting with them?
Try to be just as dedicated to your audience as they are to you, and you’ll see how much your clients will appreciate it.
[sqcta text=”Make sure that you also spend time with the audience on social media. The company account shouldn’t be just an outlet for content. It should be your best platform on which you communicate with leads and clients.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
Nurture Your Community
Further proof that Magento goes the extra mile is the annual conference they organize. At this conference, they share eCommerce ideas and provide networking opportunity sessions.
[bctt tweet=”Magento highlights the importance of providing your audience with knowledge in real-time.”]
I realize that most companies can’t just organize an event this big, but I still think you should keep in mind how beneficial it is both for your image and for the attendants because of the insight they gain regarding the industry.
Sending Useful Information via Email
Lastly, I’d like to also talk a bit about their efforts to send personal and useful emails. We’re not talking about your generic “Come see our stuff” emails. They only send messages that they know will be relevant for the people who get them.
[sqcta text=”Never send soulless spam emails to the people who subscribed to your newsletter. They subscribed so they can get new content and news from you as fast as possible, so don’t bombard them with ads.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
What You Should Learn from All This
I know that not everyone has access to all the resources Magento has, but they serve as a great example of how to grow your business and your audience with content marketing. You don’t have to perfectly emulate them, but keep their strategies in mind, since there’s no denying that they work.
[sqcta text=”Clients like to feel like they matter to you individually and that you think of them as more than just walking wallets.
Show that you value them with your content, and interact with them as much as possible. They’re not faceless leads, and you shouldn’t be a faceless company.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
Also, don’t try to copy someone’s style or image. Your eCommerce website is your own and that has to be seen. Use your own unique ideas and messages. Be different from everybody else.
[sqcta text=”Do some research to find your niche audience, and cater to their specific needs and interests. Then, create content that you would like to see, not what you think will sell best.” type=”lite” color=”yellow”]
I know that this can be a lot to take in all at once and that not everybody has content marketing in their blood. That shouldn’t discourage you though.
After all, you don’t have to do everything on you own. If you want other people to handle content marketing for you, there are two options: Getting your own in-house team of marketers or outsourcing the job to an agency.
This can be a hard decision as each choice has its own advantages and disadvantages. First of all, you need to know the particular needs of your company. Then, you can consider your options and pick the best one. We’ve written an article that will surely help you with this decision, so be sure to check it out.
If time is short for you, I’ll propose a faster solution: Get in contact with our Content Strategists, and see what we are all about. You won’t be disappointed.
