Brand content: How it can help your ecommerce business grow

The past few years have witnessed explosive growth in ecommerce. Based on current patterns, online shopping is expected to grow by almost 17% by the end of 2022. Companies are experiencing the benefits of selling their products and services directly to consumers (D2C), maximizing profits, and minimizing money and time spent on intermediaries and logistics. 

The pandemic has been a boon for ecommerce as well. Lockdowns forced many consumers to buy items they needed online for the first time, and many of them haven’t looked back. Operating an ecommerce site allows brands to connect more directly to their customers, building relationships that lead to valuable market insights. 

One of the most important aspects of ecommerce success is optimizing the use of content to boost traffic and increase sales. Not only can the right content improve your search engine rankings, but it can also drive brand recognition and attract new customers to your company. 

This article will discuss the importance of brand content for ecommerce businesses and strategies for creating high-quality content that will provide a good return on investment. 

Boost sales with brand content

Content is essentially inbound marketing - it attracts traffic to your website and brings customers directly to you. It is crucial for boosting sales and driving revenue for ecommerce businesses. After all, an ecommerce company’s website is equivalent to a retail company’s storefront. If it is badly maintained, never updated, and doesn’t look inviting, no one will visit. 

Well-crafted content is an important part of a good user experience and shouldn’t be limited to just written articles. Tutorials, videos, songs, infographics, free templates, or eBooks are all great ways to generate interest in your website and brand. When your company can provide needed information or answer common questions asked within your area of expertise, your brand becomes a trusted authority in the eyes of the consumer. 

Free content that answers a question or solves a problem for customers makes them much more confident in choosing you when it’s time for them to buy a product or service. Furthermore, interesting content ensures that your brand is at the front of the mind of customers who aren’t ready to buy yet.

How to create high-quality content

Of course, for content to be effective, it has to be high quality. Your ecommerce content should aim to engage your audience, and articles should be written in a conversational tone that makes the reader feel like they are reading an email from a friend. Responding to comments or inviting readers to interact with your articles are both great ways to create memorable content. 

Not sure what type of content would provide the best value for your readers? Consider reaching out to your current customers and opening a dialogue with them about what they’d like to see. You can also research competitor blogs and make a note of which posts receive the most reactions or likes. What topics were written about, and what format was this presented in? 

Generally, content that solves a problem for customers or gives them information to make a decision resonates the most. For example, if your ecommerce store specializes in selling computer accessories and tech gear, you may want to do some research into what type of equipment your customers are most likely to use. 

Posting a tutorial on how to remove malware from a Macbook, for example, can provide value to your Apple-loyal readers who are dealing with a stressful tech situation. Which ecommerce company do you think they will most likely consider when they want to order additional gadgets for their other devices? Chances are, they’ll remember the brand that helped them out when they needed it.

Although you may outsource your content creation, it’s important that your brand retains control of what type of topics are discussed on your website. You may want to conduct a roundtable with your employees to come up with a list of unique industry insights or professional anecdotes that might result in unique content. 

Using blog posts and articles to build email lists for marketing is a great idea, as is ensuring that all your content is reposted on your social media channels, be it Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Investing in evergreen content (content that doesn’t become outdated quickly) or something that you can reuse can become valuable brand assets many years down the line. 

Conclusion

High-quality content provides so many benefits for ecommerce brands. Besides boosting your SEO, great content is an opportunity for brands to organically engage with their customers and gain valuable insights into their markets. It can increase conversions and create loyal followers, all while boosting perceptions of your brand’s industry authority. Content - aside from being helpful, engaging, or just plain fun! - can provide a huge return on investment for ecommerce brands.