If you have an eCommerce website and don’t know how to get started with content marketing, you came to the right place.
I’m here to help you, and I’ve decided to break down the whole process into 7 ways that I’ll explain as you keep on reading.
If you are still not certain about content marketing, you should read this article to find out more about Magento’s success and how they’re using content marketing.
[sqcta text=”Set your goals” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”1″]
Before you even start planning, it’s important to know exactly what you want to get out of the whole process. You’ll see that it gives you direction, and that it’s much easier to come up with ideas when you have a clear goal in mind.
If you don’t state what you want at the very beginning, chances are the whole campaign will be too confusing. You really want to avoid that because whatever your goal may be, you won’t reach it with an ineffective campaign.
[sqcta text=”I suggest setting up some measures of success and benchmarks.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
Not only is it good to stay organized and focused, but you’ll also be able to see the results of the strategy and how the process is coming along much better.
[sqcta text=”For example, if you’ve checked your analytics and you’ve noticed that you don’t get much traffic to your website, which we all know is essential if you want to improve sales, then one of your goals will be attracting targeted traffic to your website.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
[sqcta text=”On the other hand, if you manage to bring a lot of traffic to your website, but your bounce rate is high, then you should focus on converting the traffic you’re already getting.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
[sqcta text=”Research the audience” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”2″]
You won’t get anywhere trying to cater to everybody, and you shouldn’t try to either.
[sqcta text=”Get to know your target audience, and find out what they like and dislike.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
For instance, if your eCommerce website primarily sells clothes, your audience is probably interested in fashion and that’s what you should talk about.
This is just a made-up example, but I really can’t stress enough how important it is to know who you’re catering to.
[sqcta text=”Determine who your buyer personas are.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
[bctt tweet=”It’s easier to create content for a group of people if you have someone in mind that represents them.”]
[sqcta text=”Go as in-depth as possible when creating these personas. It may not seem so, but the more details you give them, the better the audience will respond.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
Obviously, you don’t want to deviate too much from the basis and end up with unreal characters. Accuracy is still important.
Base your buyer personas on data you have about the customers who already bought from you, and find correlations between the products they bought and the interests they have. If you’re having trouble with this, just let us help you through the process. Our Content Marketing Strategists can give you the assistance you need with creating a targeted plan for your eCommerce website.
[sqcta text=”Find the voice of the eCommerce website” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”3″]
A great pitfall that dooms many strategies to fail is the thought that if someone used a certain style, you should do it too.
[sqcta text=”Originality is quintessential in content marketing.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
However, that doesn’t mean you have to come up with some weird gimmick.
It just means you should be yourself. The company shouldn’t try to be something it isn’t, and it absolutely shouldn’t copy other brands as well.
One of the biggest problems a lot of eCommerce websites have, and they don’t even realize this, is the product descriptions. The products you sell should stand out even if other websites are selling them.
[bctt tweet=”Product descriptions should be unique to your website, as should all the content you create.”]
I’m imagining that the reason you chose to use content marketing is to show that your business is different. This is why it’s important to decide on the aspect of your business that only you have and show it to the world.
This is also a good idea from an SEO perspective. Having the same description everyone else has won’t bring you closer to reaching the first page when it comes to rankings, as your content will show up as a duplicate.
[sqcta text=”Offer value to your readers” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”4″]
Now that you know what will make your content special, you have to decide what you’re going to publish, namely the message itself.
[bctt tweet=”An important part of content creation is the insight it provides to your audience.”]
Sometimes, the lack of knowledge could even deter leads from buying certain products.
[sqcta text=”However, the benefits your business will gain from creating insightful content won’t become apparent immediately. By informing your clients, you don’t necessarily get them to buy something. Instead, you gain their trust.” type=”lite” color=”gray” ]
When they’ll want to do business, they’ll come to you because they know you care about them, and that you’re out to help them, not make as much money as possible.
The type of material you’re going to distribute is entirely up to you. Think of all your options and pick the one you think will be the best.
I’m just saying that you shouldn’t be afraid to give.
[sqcta text=”You have much more to gain by helping others.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
[sqcta text=”Decide when and where you publish” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”5″]
This has less to do with how much impact your content will have, and more to do with how much you are willing to invest in the campaign.
You can choose to have a blog right on your website or you could make a separate one. Both options offer different advantages.
[sqcta text=”The blog is more accessible to clients if it’s on your website though, but it could also get more attention if it stands on its own. You’ll obviously want links between them if you’re keeping them separate.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
There are also social media accounts that need to be considered. You’ll want to have a foothold on all social media networks, but first you’ll need to do your research to find out where the majority of the decision makers in your industry are.
[sqcta text=”It’s better to focus more on the network where most of your audience is.” type=”header” color=”gray” size=”24px”]
[sqcta text=”Decide between having an in-house team and outsourcing” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”6″]
This is a very important part of the strategy, so if you want to find out more about the subject read our comparison on In-house vs. Outsourcing content.
[sqcta text=”To give a short answer, in-house teams require management, while agencies are more independent. The cost can vary, but when you go with an agency, you know exactly how much it’s going to cost you from the very beginning.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
In my opinion, the safer bet is outsourcing, but that doesn’t mean that just any agency will do. You need to make the right decision in order to get the best results.
[sqcta text=”Creating a content amplification plan” type=”bullet” color=”yellow” cnt=”7″]
When the strategy works well, the next logical step is upping the ante.
There is no real threat of painting yourself into a corner, so to speak, so don’t worry about that. The reason you should think of expanding is strictly about the advantages.
It’s much easier for eCommerce websites to become respectable media outlets than it is for other industries.
[sqcta text=”People come to your website not just for products or tips on how to be smart buyers, but to also find out about the latest trends, and to listen to you when they need to decide what they should buy.” type=”lite” color=”gray”]
Few companies get to this point, but then again, few companies actually use content marketing to its full extent. Just make sure you’re one of those few companies.
You don’t have to do everything alone though, since Squirrly has content marketing experience in spades. If you’d like us to give you a helping hand, just talk to one of our content strategists.
Those would be the steps, folks. I hope that they will serve as helpful guidelines for your upcoming content marketing strategies.
