I attended a session at NRF that discussed how to reinvent content in commerce and explore how current retailers are moving beyond the traditional site and marketing content to improve customer engagement, expand their reach and increase sales. Examining new tactics and strategies, the session illustrated how brands and retailers are leveraging consumer-generated content to accelerate sales and be a step ahead of the competition. Content is extremely important today because of consumer engagement and building your brand awareness and conversion:
Today’s Facts:
- Consumers are 5x more dependent on content than they were 5 years ago
- 4 – # of content pieces a consumer engages with prior to making a purchase
- Content sources are shifting! 46% of Internet users consult social media when making a purchase decision
- 70+% use three channels or more when researching a purchase
Traditionally, marketing has been two different things: content and distribution. Content generators that help brands craft their creative and message and media technologies that distribute that message to a target audience. Today, marketing has had to combine the two – content + distribution and are feeling the content crunch and demand for more visual content.
What are the challenges?
- Insufficient amount of content. Brands are struggling to produce fresh content for every audience segment across every channel.
- Ineffective content. Whether stock or brand-created images, finding a variety of high-performing, quality content remains a challenge.
So what is the new role of content in commerce?
- All content needs to be integrated in product pages
- 32% of consumers would be more likely to buy clothing online if featured photos of real people wearing the items
- Must be optimize for all devices and in-store
- Create and deliver shoppable, editorial content
- Leverage user-generated content
- 63% of consumers trust user-generated content more than other branded images
- 6% conversion rate when shoppers interact with user-generated content
And lastly what do you want to tell your audience and how do you reach it?
- eCommerce is all about the ROI
- Content can be used anywhere at any time
- The customer is the channel!
