How to Drive Revenue with your eCommerce Blog

We all know the importance of blogging for your business and the many benefits you will see from doing so: Build your domain authority, increase backlinks to your business, be recognized as a thought leader in your industry, keep top of mind to your customers and top placement on search engines, to name just a few.  But what about your eCommerce site? Is blogging still important? The answer is a resounding yes! Not only is it important for all the reasons listed above, but when done correctly, it can help you increase revenue, both directly and indirectly.

At AdVision, we partner with both lead generation and e-commerce businesses, so have experience blogging for both.  While the basic best practices apply for both, there are some unique tactics we have found that have driven great results for our eCommerce partners.  Here they are:

1. Include Product How-tos/Demos: Blogs are great opportunity to show your customers how to use your products.  You can explain the different features, and use either pictures or videos to walk through it all. Get creative with this: if you have a pretty basic product, show tips or unique ways of using it.  If your product is something people wear, you can also including sizing guides. This goes beyond the simple measurements, but into detail about how a jean fits, or advice on sizing up and down for bestselling products.
2. Create Endorsee/Influencer Spotlights: Work with either your endorsees (if you have them) or influencers in your industry, to showcase how they use your products, their favorites, or just more personal information about them, to help connect even deeper with your customer base.  One of our partners, CINCH Jeans, regularly features endorsees in their blog, always linking to product pages, to not only connect with their customer base, but also drive sales!
3. Share the History of your Company: Do you have a unique story about how your business was started? Of course you do! Every founding story is unique, and can help you relate to your customer base.  Be sure to include how your company has evolved and why, as well as links to your latest and greatest offerings.
4. Send a Blog Round-up Email: Although not unique to e-commerce, I am including this as it’s even more important for an e-commerce site.  Keep your brand and products top-of-mind, by sending out a regular email featuring the last three or four blog posts.
5. Create Gift Guides:  Gift guides are an incredible way to sell products, but in a blog, it’s important to not just list the products, but to tell a story or have a unique point of view for you gift guide.  Feature someone from a different department (buyer, customer service, etc) and have that person pick favorites, along with why these are their favorites. Or do a roundup of team members’ gift ideas.  
6. Feature Events in which you are Hosting or Participating: This is a great way to humanize your company! If it’s a charitable event, it’s best not to feature products, but if you are sponsoring an event, or hosting your own, you can feature related categories and/or products.
   
7. Create Product Care Guides: Help your customers keep your product in good shape! Not only does this show you care, but it also increases the perceived value of your product.  
8. Showcase New Product Releases and/or Product Updates: Blogs are great opportunity to introduce new products to your customers.  For new products, explain why you are offering this product, and about what you are most excited. For updates, highlight new features or improvements.  As with all blogging, keeping it lighter, and personable!

The most important thing to remember is to feature products in the posts, without seeming to salesy.  Always tell a story and include personal, relatable content, so you can drive revenue while increasing loyalty at the same time.

Do you want to learn more about how AdVision can help you with your blog? Set up free consultation!