In marketing, especially in digital marketing, everything begins with content. You’ve probably heard of the term: “Content is King.” You can do a lot, if not everything, just with smart use of content. Content is the foundation of every marketing campaign, and where all the magic happens. By magic, I mean drawing users into your marketing funnel with the content you create.
Of course, by content I mean quality content, and by quality, I mean well-researched and well-targeted content that brings value to its consumer. Today, one of the biggest challenges for marketers and business owners is to create content for e-commerce sites. How to promote your website when you want to build links, drive traffic or increase engagement on your product page, is an evergreen question.
You can read more about content marketing in the Content Marketing Strategy Framework: Everything you should know.
Let’s put all the cards on the table. We all know that building links to e-commerce product pages with content marketing is not easy. Content marketing is all about being helpful to your audience while linking directly to product pages is considered a shameful promotion.
It’s an unwritten rule that very few website owners (or bloggers) will want to link directly to a product page from their blog post (unless we’re talking about sponsored posts, which is not the topic here). Bloggers want content that will glue readers to their site, and linking to a page where they are expected to spend money is usually not the type of content that will result in the desired effect.
This is the point where we get to the key question:
If link building to e-commerce sites is hard, how come many of e-commerce websites succeed to promote themselves anyway?
Instead of Driving Traffic to your Site, Lure them into the Marketing and Sales Funnel
First, you have to make a shift from the classic SEO mindset. Instead of trying to drive visitors or potential customers directly to your e-commerce website, try to focus on how to ‘lure’ them into your marketing funnel. For example, promoting articles or blog posts on Facebook or Twitter is one way to do it. Target your audience well, otherwise, the engagement rate will be low.
The important part is to familiarize your audience with your brand. This is your first step. This way you won’t be too pushy with your campaign and you will, in a natural way, start building a relationship with your target audience. By giving them helpful content for free, your brand reputation will be on the rise.
The difference is already notable. Never drive your target audience directly to your product page if they’re not familiar with your brand. You will lose most of the possible sales. If you’re still not convinced, here is the question to think about: What would you like more?
- To be brought to the product page on a site you’ve never heard of at the moment you’re not even in a mood for shopping?
- To be offered valuable content (a guide, checklist, relevant blog post, etc.) on the same site, over and over again, and to be familiarized with what this site is selling, so you can get there and do the purchase when you’re ready to buy?
Marketing funnels do exactly that – they drive your potential customers through the process of increasing trust in your brand.
When a visitor makes the first step into your marketing funnel, you have identified the one who is really interested in what you have to offer. They still don’t trust you but are willing to get to know you. Making sure not to disappoint them during this process is crucial for trust building. There are many types of marketing funnels and it’s also important to find the one that works the best with your business model.
How to Lead Users To your Marketing Funnel using Content Marketing
Some other great ways to do content marketing for e-commerce sites are the following:
- Write stunning content for your blog.
- Contribute with guest posts on niche-relevant websites
- Create an infographic related to your product (or service) and post it on your blog. Additionally, reach out to other relevant bloggers and ask them if they would like to republish it on their sites.
- Create a short video virtual tour about how the product you’re selling is made or where it comes from.
- Create a video FAQ, showing how to fix some of the most common issues with the product you’re selling. Be helpful to your customers, they will appreciate it and come back.
- Be active on niche-related forums and Q&A websites like Quora, social networks, community sites like Reddit, and other places where your target audience is.
- Use your social media channels to stay in touch with your target audience. Always share content you’ve published recently with your followers on social media pages, and answer all questions or comments.
- Don’t forget to use pixel code for retargeting purposes. Most major advertising platforms have one (Facebook, Twitter, Adwords, etc.). Once visitors get to your website, no matter if it’s just a blog post or an actual product page, they get familiar with your brand. It’s scientifically proven that people make purchase decisions easier if they know who are they buying from. This means that once they actually get to your product page, your conversion rate will be multiple times higher.
- Don’t forget about paid promotions. When set up well, paid ads can be a great way to promote your e-commerce business. There, you can link to your product page directly when appropriate, as with ad delivery networks you can target your audience in much more detail.
To motivate you to think in this direction, we’re concluding this post with content about content – The Content Marketing Alphabet Infographic by Point Visible. Check it out below:
Promoting an e-commerce business has its specifics. It can be challenging, but quality content is always a great way to go. Keep that in mind for the next time you’ll want someone to link to your website. Your goal is to bring added value to your customer,
And remember, Google is smarter than ever, and it’s changing constantly. Never create a site for Google. Instead, optimize it for your target audience. This is the only way to go in the long run and your safest bet on success. When you don’t know what your next step should be, try creating beautiful and valuable content. Your audience will reward you.