Tuesday, December 8, 2015

6 Content Ideas to Keep Ecommerce Shoppers in the Holiday Spirit

December 08, 2015 at 01:00PM

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You've been prepping your ecommerce site for a banner holiday season for months now. You’ve adding sparkly graphics, and changed up clever copy, but you may be forgetting one major thing: your content. See, many of the consumers who find your website this holiday season may not be regular customers. They’re probably shopping for someone else. How will they know they’ve found the perfect products if you don’t have content in place to help them?

FAQs

What could any new customer possibly need to know about your products? The answers you give here aren’t directed toward your usual buyer, so keep that in mind. You need to give answers to someone who may have zero experience with your products or brand.

Stepping outside the comfort zone of your buyer personas is hard, especially after you’ve worked so hard to find that space to begin with. But if you’re not diligent in answering the questions a “newbie” might have, you might just miss the sale.

Gift Guides

Once those buyers know what they need, show them how the products can be used. Gift guides are a great way to introduce new ideas to uninitiated buyers. For instance, maybe a mom is looking for something edgy and fun for her daughter, but isn’t sure which of your products fits. A gift guide spells out exactly who loves your products, shows the best options for everyone on the gift list, and quells buyer’s fears.

Tutorials

Now, suppose your products require some assembly. How would someone who’s not acquainted with your brand go about putting your products together before presenting the gift? Even those who are aware of your brand and want the items you sell very badly may need some help figuring out best uses. Tutorials are the perfect way to keep previous buyers coming back for more information.

You not only have a chance to answer questions and create some serious customer delight, but you can also hint toward the purchase of other products, especially if they can meet your buyers’ pain in any way. Accessories, items that enhance other products, or just additional purchases because you sell cool stuff—these are all great things to introduce in your tutorials.

Product Reviews

No new customer is just going to take your word for it. If you provide only the testimonials you want others to see, then buyers will go somewhere else to get the info they need. That means moving away from your ecommerce site, maybe never to return again.

If, however, you cut out the third-party review sites and includie reviews right there on your own site, you keep buyers around. They appreciate your honesty, and in some cases will reward you handsomely for being so transparent.

Videos

Some buyers prefer to learn by watching instead of reading. That’s just all there is to it. With videos, you have a chance to convey the very same emotions while also introducing a vivid world where your products live. Take the time to produce some quality videos that reach out to the buyers you might not normally see. Use these videos to share all the above content and more.

Remember that your introductory information doesn’t have to be in depth. Sometimes a little humor can capture attention and get those consumers hooked. A video is the perfect way to give a brief introduction that leaves everyone wanting more.

Social Engagement

Don’t forget to listen within your social channels for things said about your brand or products. When you post social ads, graphics, or links, stick around to see who responds. You may get lots of questions or comments that need immediate answers. How you handle your social engagement is just as important—if not more—than the long-form content you’ve been planning. Remember, 140 characters of content is still content, and you can use every last one of those characters to educate and delight your buyers.

A content calendar is a great way to get your holiday content organized and scheduled for release. We do have some templates, or you can come up with something that works just for you. However you plan, just be sure that you do keep your content at the forefront of your mind.

Visit the holiday resource hub for all your holiday marketing needs.

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