That’s why brands shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the content commerce mix. That mix contains the information that shoppers require for feeling more at ease as they assess the alternatives available to them. The focus is not on selling but rather creating a sense of reciprocity and offering valuable insights – helping potential customers to perceive what’s really in for them and ultimately convert faster.
E-commerce platforms that understand how to leverage such a mix can use content to their advantage and design a marketing strategy that differentiates themselves from the mass – enjoying “conversion rates that are nearly six times higher than their competitors” according to the Content Marketing Institute. But that requires a lot of efforts, and those retailers must see the world through the eyes of the audience to whom they’re selling products and adapt their messaging on a case-by-case basis.
Image Source : centurypa.com
Indeed, some benefits which sound crucial to baby boomers are likely to be useless to younger generations. Expectations may also change entirely depending on the product or service category. Hence, consumers are more than twice as likely to buy fashion products than grocery food online. That’s why there is no such thing as ‘one-size-fits-all’ content in an environment driven by context.
Therefore, the role of content in retail commerce is to provide relevant information in the right format (e.g. presentation, technical manual, blog posts, videos, etc.) based on each particular situation – lifestyle, life-stage, devices at disposal, and/or any other dimension that may affect the decision-making process.
Image Source : redocn.com
Brands Must Deliver Content-Rich Experiences to Users Now
Individualizing experiences by mixing content and commerce is a sine qua non to establish trust with shoppers. It might have been an alternative in the past as the path to product purchase was far more straightforward. There were fewer retailers to choose from, and traditional advertising had much more of an impact on shoppers. However, such direct marketing techniques are now perceived as intrusive and became obsolete to drive engagement – as highlighted by the growing popularity of ad blockers with 64% of users installing those because they consider ads annoying and intrusive.
A Lesson about Content-Driven Commerce to Drive eCommerce Growth
The secret to eCommerce growth and successful content marketing is to combine quality with distribution. That’s basically a two-stage process. Marketers must first commit to creating or curating content that will ensure satisfaction and resonance with their target audience. The next logical step is then to maximize timing and provide just-in-time information to help shoppers follow their customer journey and build loyalty – making them up to six times more likely to buy again.
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