Appealing to the consumers in the digital age isn’t always simple. How it pans out for your business all depends on the venues and methods you implement into your digital marketing strategy.

If you happen to be in the e-commerce industry, then you likely use a lot of advertising. But if you’re like some, you’re not getting the return on investment you were hoping for.

It could be due to the fact that internet users are exposed to at least 4,000 and up to 10,000 ads daily. There are several issues this presents.

One, it makes it far more difficult to stand out in the sea of ads your customers are bombarded with.

And then, 73% of consumers hate pop-up ads.

Then 81% of consumers exit a web page or close the browser because of ads. Many are even using ad blockers to get rid of them – with 70% of StopAd users blocking roughly 200 ads per day on desktops alone.

Imagine how many they’re seeing on mobile and desktop combined!

Plus, it was already anticipated that Amazon’s US ad revenue will jump 63.5% in 2018, which surpasses the $2 billion benchmark for the first time.

With all the competition and the strong disdain, consumers have for ads doesn’t make digital advertising a smart move.

So what should you do instead to get the attention of your audience? Content marketing continues to be a trusted method for generating long-lasting results.

Let’s see how you can use content marketing to give your digital commerce sales a boost.

1. Attract the Ever-Growing Mobile Consumer

How important are mobile users to the digital commerce industry? Well, when you look at the stats, you can see U.S. mobile buyers alone make up 136.3 million.

This number is as of 2106, which has likely grown substantially over the past three years. We do know that 84% of consumers between 18 and 29 are shopping online via mobile devices.

You’ll find that many consumers begin their shopping journey on desktops (sometimes at work) and will finish it up on their mobile device at home.

It’s also worth noting that 77% of shoppers use a mobile device while shopping (in-store and online). And 87% say accurate, rich, and complete product content is essential.

So having content that caters to both users is ideal. The key is having your content displayed on sites with a responsive design.

This way, it shows up on any device without flaws.

Also, Google and other search engines will thank you for this by ranking you higher. Of course, having high-quality, optimized, and relevant content helps as well.

And in doing so, you can reap the rewards of showing up in the mobile search results. Some businesses claim that having a position in mobile SERPs builds brand awareness by 46%.

With the right content, you can help your mobile audience move along the buyer’s funnel to the checkout stage.

And that brings us to our next point.

2. Help Consumers through the Buyers Funnel

Now, if you’re using content marketing right, you’ll find it’s a lot easier to drive prospects through the buyer’s funnel to the end.

The key is crafting content for every stage of the buyer’s journey.

For example, you need content for three stages.

At the top of the funnel, it’s all about building awareness. You can do this by creating content that educates your audience about their problem and a plausible solution.

This includes white papers, how-to articles, e-books, and so on.

Then in the middle of the funnel, you have an evaluation. This is when your prospects are considering your product or service. If you did well with your awareness content, then you’ve weeded out those who aren’t the right fit.

Only those who are a good match are here looking for more information. So in this stage, you deliver content that educates them more on your product or service.

You can do this with data sheets, FAQs, demo videos, and similar content. At this phase, you’re nurturing the lead and pushing them through to the bottom of the funnel.

Once they reach the bottom, they’re ready to purchase. But you’re not done yet. You still need content to drive the sale home. They’re already considering your product but to help seal the deal, you can offer a free trial, demos, and coupons.

3. Drive Conversions with Email Marketing

Email marketing is an underutilized form of content marketing. Yet, the brands that are using it are witnessing conversions that are 4.29% higher.

And some companies are witnessing 21% of the business’s revenue stemming from email campaigns. This was an increase from 17% in 2016.

In order to get the best results, it’s recommended you use personalization. You can implement this by using segmented email lists to deliver relevant content.

Segmented campaigns tend to get 14.31% higher open rates than non-segmented campaigns.

Just make sure to optimize your emails for mobile – after all, we already saw how large this target audience is (and growing). This is why you’ll find 73% of marketers prioritizing email for mobile devices.

If you’re considering doing the same, then focus on delivering content that’s personalized. Collect the first names of your prospects and capture and analyze user behavior.

You can also conduct surveys to learn more about each segment to ensure you’re delivering content they want to see. Of course, you can include promotions tailored to them as well.

If you segment by their position in the buyer’s funnel, then design your content strategy around delivering content that suits each stage.

Stop Ignoring the Value of Content Marketing

As the desire for quality content continues to grow, it only makes sense for brands to use it to expand their business. What’s great about content marketing is that it allows you to promote your brand and products/services without coming off as salesy.

Instead, it drives prospects right through your doors (physical or virtually).

Not ready to create a content strategy all on your own? Then don’t hesitate to reach out to content marketing experts!