Let’s get real for a second: “content marketing” is a cringey buzzword these days.

Even though “content marketing” is a buzzword in 2020, that doesn’t mean it’s any less powerful of a marketing strategy for your eCommerce biz.

Good content marketing increases conversion rates by 6X.

While few people are thrilled about creating content, it’s a play that can convert leads into real, paying customers over time.

Content marketing is about making original, high-quality content that gives value to people.

While sales are always a nice goal, content marketing does a lot more than fuel bottom-line growth. This is about brand awareness and longevity, pal.

If you’re scaling an eCommerce operation, you’ve got to make content marketing your number-one marketing priority.

Does eCommerce really need content marketing?

If you’re already tuning out, don’t. eCommerce sites don’t invest in content marketing because it’s hard; that’s true.

But if you think content marketing doesn’t get results for eCommerce, you’re dead wrong.

After all, you don’t want to risk just burning your money with paid ads, right?

Don’t be the schmuck who focuses too much on advertising and not enough on ol’ reliable: eCommerce content marketing.

Aside from powering up SEO, content marketing improves eCommerce in 3 ways.

1 - Become an authority

Measuring brand authority can feel like nailing Jell-O to a tree.

But even though it’s hard to measure authority, eCommerce content marketing makes you a go-to pro in your industry.

eCommerce businesses that produce content see 19.7% growth every year on average, compared to the 2.5% growth in companies that don’t do content marketing.

eCommerce content marketing gives you a reason to have a relationship with shoppers. That relationship leads to trust and authority.

2 - Address pain points head-on

Your customers have big problems that a standalone landing page can’t fix. Instead of shoving a product page down their throats, direct them to your content.

81% of customers look for online content before making a purchase anyway. The better you can answer their needs, the more likely they are to stick around.

3 - Boost brand awareness

Want customers to think of you when they’re ready to buy? You need eCommerce content marketing.

82% of customers have a more positive opinion of brands that make content regularly.

You’re selling products in a market that’s getting more and more saturated. You just can’t stand out from your competitors without offering value in the form of content.

eCommerce content marketing shows your brand’s personality and values.

And, when you make content consistently, you engage with customers in a real way—something that will bring them back once it’s time to make a purchase.

6 methods to do eCommerce content marketing right

If it’s high time to get your piece of the eCommerce pie, you need content.

But copy-pasting someone else’s content calendar won’t do you any good.

What works for one eCommerce biz won’t work for another. Your eCommerce site is a unique little unicorn, and that means a cookie-cutter approach won’t work.

eCommerce content marketing has to fit with your product and audience. Follow these 6 content marketing approaches to give customers the content they crave.

1 - Blogging

If your eCommerce website doesn’t have a blog, you’re missing out on some easy wins with SEO.

First of all, blogging costs nothing but your time. And it’s a traffic magnet when you do it right.

Think about it: search engine users can stumble upon your website without knowing your brand at all. This free traffic is essential to boosting your brand awareness over time.

… And did we mention it’s basically free?

If you’re stumped for blog ideas, try:

• Roundups: People love these. Mimic Buzzfeed’s style to curate other people’s content. It’s a fast way to create blogs and boost backlinks!
• Sharing tips or hacks: Give readers new or interesting ways to use your products in everyday life. If someone could write a blog on the 29 uses for paperclips, you can make this happen. Apt2b also has a great blog!
• Doing original research: This doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple SurveyMonkey or Google Form will get you where you need to go. Ask your email list to complete a survey about your industry. Share the results in a blog and watch people ogle over your genius.

Oh, and don’t forget your call to action (CTA). Always direct readers to the next steps, whether it’s reading another blog, downloading a freebie, or contacting you.

2 - Original photos

Don’t bore people with the same-old, same-old stock photos. What is this, 2011?

Your followers deserve to see beautiful, original images everywhere: your social media, website, and product pages.

The biggest challenge of online shopping is that customers can’t pick up and touch your products. How do they know if you’re a good fit for their hard-earned money?

eCommerce content marketing should rely heavily on visuals. But not just any visuals will do.

Take as many visuals as possible of your products. Try different angles, backgrounds, and poses for full effect.

If you’re hyperventilating at the thought of doing a custom photoshoot, don’t worry.

You can always farm out the heavy lifting to experienced content creators. Rely on their expertise, get the shots you need, and generate more visuals in way less time (and for way less money).

3 - Videos

Videos are a must-have for your eCommerce content marketing.

Did you know that 71% of shoppers prefer video over other types of content? Plus, 72% of customers who watch videos are more likely to buy something.

Images are great, but videos are even better. You can tell a full story in very little time, and that’s why users love video so darn much.

Share video content like:

• Unboxings
• Demos
• Behind-the-scenes
• Interviews
• How-tos

If you’re camera-shy, start a podcast! Just offer some kind of multimedia that isn’t a static image or text.

4 - Product buying guides

A product buying guide is sort of like a blog, but it’s much more in-depth. It tends to encourage clicks and conversions, too, which is always a plus.

Product buying guides help shoppers find gift ideas. The goal here is to make content that provides information, answers questions, and builds trust.

Follow these tips to write a badass product buying guide that stops thumbs:

• Educate first, sell second. It’s a product buying guide, but that doesn’t mean people want a sales pitch. Focus on giving people gift ideas here, not spamming them with your product features.
• Use tons of visuals. Remember how shoppers love images and videos? Add those suckers everywhere in your guide to boost engagement.
• Make it relevant. Create buying guides for certain times of the year. That might be the holidays, Mother’s Day, graduation, etc. Search engine traffic spikes every year around these holidays from people looking for gift ideas. Don’t miss out on easy traffic!

5 - Email marketing

72% of eCommerce businesses say email marketing is a good investment.

While it technically lives on its own island in the world of marketing, email is actually a form of content marketing.

The ROI on email marketing can be as high as 4400%! That’s $44 on every $1 spent.

But this is about more than sending order confirmations and tracking numbers. Email is a prime chance to connect with shoppers.

That means using tactics like:

• VIP discounts to your most engaged subscribers.
• Sending just-for-fun messages loaded with memes and entertaining content.
• Inviting people to subscribe to your product launch waitlist.

Email gives you a lifeline to a customer’s inbox. That’s a powerful place to be, so use your powers for good.

6 - Influencers

Blogs and videos and emails—oh my.

Maybe your head is spinning with anxiety over the thought of churning out more content. And yes, eCommerce content marketing can get overwhelming.

That’s why you shouldn’t do it alone. Influencers are a savvy, modern way to do eCommerce marketing for fast results.

That’s because influencers aren’t just influencers; many of them are pro-level content creators for hire.

Influencers already have social standing with your target audience. Tap into their expertise to generate eCommerce content marketing that’s automatically tailored to your customers’ preferences.

You heard us right: you can hire a content creator to do a lot of the creative work for you.

Influencers help you create content like:

• Lifestyle product photoshoots.
• Video demos.
• Social media posts with your product.
• High-quality stock photography for your website.

Sure, you could manually look for these content creators online and DM each one separately, but that takes ages.

Just tap into a platform like Trend to get a pre-vetted list of experienced creators fast. It’s way better than agonizing over a photoshoot.

Conclusion

We love paid ads as much as the next guy, but you need eCommerce content marketing, too. B2C brands have so much competition now, and it’s getting harder to stand out online.

Forge your own unique content marketing strategy with these 6 methods in mind. Do what works best for your audience, followers, and industry for eCommerce content marketing that slays.

Wherever you are right now, just get started. Trend can help you put one foot in front of the other with creator content.

Set up your free account now to generate quality content at the speed of light for your eCommerce biz.