In B2C E-Commerce? You Need Content Marketing

By its very nature, content marketing is a long-term investment. This makes it a natural fit for B2B companies with extended sales cycles of weeks, months, or even years.

But content marketing is just as valuable for fast-moving B2C e-commerce companies.

Unfortunately, though, many B2C sellers have succumbed to the false belief that an e-commerce content strategy couldn’t possibly help them.

This belief stems from a misunderstanding. Even seasoned B2C marketing leaders might think that creating and publishing content won’t move the needle. In fact, only 37% of B2C marketers have a documented content marketing strategy, and only 29% say their organization is “very” or “extremely” successful with content marketing.

But those who haven’t made the leap are missing out on the benefits e-commerce content marketing can bring.

1. Content can help you educate consumers.

Today’s consumers like to feel like they’re making informed decisions. In fact, 55% of consumers say they research purchases more than they used to. You can use this innate eagerness to learn to your B2C business’s advantage. For instance, you might want to push out sales enablement content that addresses your customers’ frequent questions or concerns. Additionally, you could write content aimed at solving your target audience’s biggest pain points.

The goal of your content in this case will be to improve consumers’ confidence that your product is the right one for their needs. Through informational e-commerce content marketing, you’ll not only pique prospective buyers’ interest when their desire for awareness and discovery is highest, but you’ll also enable them to better understand the value they’re getting from what you offer.

2. Content can build your B2C e-commerce brand’s credibility.

It can be challenging to gain the trust and loyalty of consumers. But when you’re consistently putting out high-quality e-commerce content marketing pieces, you give your brand the chance to build authentic, deep relationships with prospects and customers and, in turn, build trust.

What types of content marketing are best suited for achieving this type of connection with your audience? Customer stories and case studies are at the top of the list, as people are 77% more likely to buy from brands that share content from actual customers. When potential customers see how their lives could be better if they chose your products over a competitor’s, they might be more apt to hit the “buy now” button.

3. Content-driven search engine optimization can improve brand awareness.

All companies — B2C and B2B — need to establish and maintain strong SEO practices. With a consistent outflow of search-optimized content, you’ll ensure your brand rises through the ranks of search engine results — and, therefore, is more easily found by prospective customers. The trick, of course, is to make sure your content is legitimately helpful. The last thing you want is someone to land on your content only to find a thinly disguised sales pitch. On the contrary, you want your content to offer a stellar user experience so visitors will come back time and time again and your site’s authority will continue to grow.

Remember: Google searches make up more than 90% of all internet traffic. Consequently, if you’re looking to make quick sales, you need to get noticed right away. SEO campaigns help you convert faster because they leverage the power of content to organically net you more visitors. The more people who show up, the more people you can engage and ultimately influence to become customers.

4. Content can help you nurture customers toward a repeat purchase.

Upsells, cross-sells, repeat buys, and referrals are all methods to improve customer lifetime value. As those rates trend upward, so should your profit potential. E-commerce content marketing in the form of email drip campaigns and text messages can keep your B2C brand in the spotlight for people who have already placed at least one order. Never assume that your customers don’t need a nudge or that those nudges won’t pay off.

Content marketing for e-commerce brands might not seem like a necessity — but it is. Unless you want your B2C company to fall behind, you need to keep publishing content to build awareness, educate consumers, and foster buyer loyalty. It’s a long-term play that will net you success now and in the future.