When you’re creating your online store, it’s easy to think that by simply having the best products and prices that people will come.
Having a marketing and advertising plan is vital for any business and that doesn’t stop with Google Ads or social media ads.
Those are great, paid, ways to reach a customer base, but what about growing your traffic and reach organically?
Enter content marketing.
Content marketing is a must for just about any business and is a fantastic and effective way to grow your eCommerce store and online presence.
Content Can Show Authority
Whatever your niche is, there are industry leaders and experts.
Publishing content allows you to show your authority and knowledge within the niche and subject matter.
Content doesn’t just have to be the written word, but can also be produced through other mediums such as podcasts or videos.
If you run an online golf store, you could make a video about improving your swing or the proper attire to wear on the golf course.
People will come back to you for information and knowledge while browsing your inventory when they are finished with your content piece.
Content Can Provide Interactions
Online businesses rely on reviews as they are becoming more and more important with every passing year. If you’re a local business, then reviews can be your lifeblood.
Reviews are often one of the few ways that businesses can interact with their customers in the online world.
“Wow, I loved X product. It has been great for my family and me. I would definitely recommend it!”
-Mary Jane
“Mary Jane, thanks for your review and kind words! We’re so glad you loved X product. Be sure to check out X page in a few months when the new version will be released!”
-Business Owner
Publishing content online is a great way for you to interact with your customers as well, especially on social media. You can react to people’s comments, respond with memes or emojis, and answer any questions that may arise.
Content Can be Shared and Liked
While we’re talking about social media, we should also mention the impact content can have across networks.
Have you ever heard of the dentist Rich Constantine? He went viral twice in 2018 because of his dancing videos he posted on Facebook, garnering millions of views.
What happened next?
His video was shared millions of times, his page received tons of likes, and he was also featured on Good Morning America. Currently, he’s got 35,000 followers on Facebook. Not bad for a local dentist in Greenville, South Carolina.
Now, not everyone can expect viral success like Dr. Constantine, but the more shares, likes, and views your content gets, the more your business is going to thrive.
Think about the industry or seasonal trends you can ride. If you’re worried about your home-movie abilities, anyone can go viral with their smartphone.
Even though Google denies it, there seems to be a direct correlation between strong social media presence and SERP rankings.
Where does Dr. Constantine rank when you look for “dentist Greensville SC”? Third!
Content Can Boost Your SEO
There are plenty of factors that go into SEO, such as optimizing your website with a website builder specializing in eCommerce and focusing on page speed, but content can also play a huge role in your SEO.
Written content gives you a chance to capitalize on keywords relevant to your niche.
First, you want to think of what you want to rank for. Basketball shoes? Voice coaching? Indian leg wrestling?
Use online tools (that you’ll eventually have to pay for) like SEMRush and BuzzSumo to find keywords relevant to your niche and write content based around those.
When choosing keywords, it’s best to go for those that are long-tail and have low keyword difficulty ranking.
That way, you can hone in on people’s specific actions while going for low-ranking keywords. High-ranking keywords are going to be difficult to rank for and as a new business, you may not be able to break in immediately.
So, when people start searching for those words, your website is more likely to come upon their SERPs.
You should always remember to provide some kind of call-to-action in your written content, directing them to your store or a certain product that they’re looking for.
Having content for content’s sake may get people on your page, but it may not lead to any conversions!
