It is easy to make a lot of big mistakes when creating content for a retail business. People seem to have an inbuilt spam detector, which is especially sensitive when it comes to marketing material promoting products. This may be unfair to the majority of retailers out there, but it is nevertheless a challenge to overcome for e-commerce businesses.
This article introduces some simple and effective content marketing strategies for the main channels used by e-commerce businesses. Some use indirect and others direct sales techniques, but all of them use targeting and honest dialogue to encourage customers to make informed purchase decisions.
If you are a new business or want to build up a customer base quickly, Facebook adverts are the easiest and cheapest way to do so. Facebook ads are great because you can target your products to warm prospects based on their online behaviour. For example, if your business sells Wellington boots or umbrellas, you could target your adverts at Facebook users who have indicated attendance at one or more outdoor summer festivals. Facebook ads appear directly in a user’s wall, so are difficult to ignore. Encourage a sale by featuring a promotional code which the customer can use at checkout, such as SUMMER2017.
Prospects frequently seek information on Google if they are undecided between two similar products. Help them make a decision by creating review articles that compare your product with its main competitors. It is important to be honest! A thinly disguised sales pitch is immediately obvious and will put people off. Instead, do your research properly and compare the features of each product side-by-side. If a competing product is cheaper, or has features that yours doesn’t, be upfront about it. An objective analysis of your product’s strengths and weaknesses will gain you happier customers and more repeat business than if you try to pull the wool over people’s eyes. Make sure each blog includes a strong CTA – either to sign up to your newsletter, or purchase your product.
Videos can be extremely powerful marketing tools for retailers. Use your videos to create a buzz around your product, focusing on the value it gives to your customer. For instance, if you produce remote-controlled drones, your video should showcase the joy and excitement purchasers can have with friends and family when using your product. Don’t worry about showing prospects how to put the thing together or how not to crash it into a tree. There is a time and a place for instructional video content, but it doesn’t belong in your marketing videos. Keep your marketing videos to 30 to 60 seconds in length, to encourage social media shares.
Give customers and prospects every opportunity to sign up to an email newsletter, and cram the newsletter full of exclusive deals, handy hints and new product launches. Make liberal use of competitions, discounts and exclusive access. Make it really easy for people to sign up to your newsletter by having sign up slips at the foot of every blog, on every landing page, and on all your social media profiles. You only need an email address from prospects at this stage. You can request more information when you start to build a relationship with them through your nurturing programme.
For more information about implementing an effective marketing strategy for your e-commerce business, get in touch with one of our specialists today. We offer bespoke marketing programmes for retailers in all sectors, with flexible pricing to suit your budget.