If you’re in the business of selling goods and services online, you might wonder about the value of editorial content for an e-commerce site. Many entrepreneurs over-privileged the weight of importance placed on product descriptions, landing pages, the categorized structures, failing to capture organic traffic and push users down the sales funnel.
Don’t have a blog set up quite yet? Here are seven reasons why you should stop what you’re doing and make one right now.
It’s fast, easy, and free.
When it comes to allocating your advertising dollars, many business owners of e-commerce sites choose to spend the big bucks on paid search or paid social media campaigns. And while the pay-per-click (P.P.C.) model may be an effective way to outrank your competitors who you’d never have a chance at beating without a little boost, it’s a costly way to market yourself—plus, you need a skilled ad manager who knows how to spend and place bids on AdWords wisely.
Rather than potentially losing a lot of money on P.P.C. efforts that require a ton of time to deliver (possible) results, kick-starting your blog is fast, easy, and free. You don’t need professional experience to get it up and to run; add a page to your WordPress website, and watch a quick tutorial if you’re not sure how.
Depending on the Content Management System (C.M.S.) you use, the feature should be free-of-charge to add on. You can build out pages beneath specific categories that organize content in a manner that’s easy to understand for a user-friendly experience.
It offers an affordable way to boost your online presence.
Content marketing through a blog is all about search engine optimization (SEO), or the art of making your website appear as high as possible on the search engine results page (SERP). Your goal is to match your content with users who have a similar search intent by filling each post with variations of specific keywords.
For example, if you’re in the HVAC business and your product pages contain phrases such as “A.C. unit for sale” or “HVAC service near Los Angeles,” then you might create editorial content that targets users searching for relevant questions such as, “difference between A.C. units” or “Do I need A.C. in California?”.
These types of blog posts are what you’d call “pillar content“; they’re designed to provide perfect answers to a given search topic, and they tend to rank very high on the SERP.
Picking topics to write about is simple.
It’s easy to pick blog topics to write about. If you’re new to the industry and don’t intuitively know the questions users are asking relevant to your field, take advantage of the many free SEO tools available at your disposal. You can use online to identify the best opportunities to go after quickly, usually phrases with a high monthly search volume (MSV) and low competition.
Chrome extensions, such as Keywords Everywhere, can quickly tell you the MSV on a given phrase or query, while platforms such as Answer the Public can provide you with a long list of “Who / What / Where” questions related to a specific term or topic.
If you want, you can outsource the grunt work at a low cost.
Don’t have the time or talent to craft compelling blog content? No problem. As noted, this form of marketing doesn’t require an expert account manager to drive effective results. Rather than placing an employee on the payroll, you can outsource web development and copyrighting to very affordable freelancers—freeing your attention to focus on more pressing business concerns and keeping your marketing efforts well below budget.
It establishes you as a leading authority figure in your industry.
Think of your blog as a valuable learning center. By providing users with useful, informative content that takes an editorial approach—versus a sales-oriented pitch—you can earn their trust and establish yourself as an authority figure within your industry.
For example, if you look at the screenshot above, you can see how My SmartMove, a company that offers online screening services, expands its marketability by addressing a common concern among landlords (their target audience) and providing advice as a solution. Rather than directly advertising their service, they explain how it can be used to alleviate a pain point their users routinely experience.
It improves the quality and quantity of lead generation.
You also have the option to create resource guides, how-to tutorials, or D.I.Y. instructions in exchange for a user’s email address. By submitting their contact information, they can gain access to your material—then you can use it to maintain correspondence with leads using a drip campaign that pushes them through the sales funnel and converts them into a paying customer.
There are many affordable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms that can automate email communication promptly, giving you one less thing to worry about and keep track of. You’ll stay at the forefront of users’ minds with messages about seasonal sales, industry news, expert reviews, and so forth that prove your company’s value and earn more business.
You can build a brand identity with a loyal blog following.
Finally, an e-commerce blog can make an online shopping experience feel far more personal by creating a brand identity that speaks to users in a familiar tone with messaging they can relate to. By continually outputting valuable content, you can connect with your audience and build a loyal blog following that makes business boom.
Keep these tips in mind and revisit your marketing strategy to ensure it includes a blog with SEO content to drive more revenue and increase your e-commerce site’s success.
Author Bio
Kaelee Nelson received her Master’s degree with an emphasis in Digital Humanities and pursued her career as a writer in San Diego, currently writing for 365businesstips.com. She enjoys informing readers about topics spanning industries such as technology, business, finance, culture, wellness, hospitality, and tourism.
