An advertisement alone is often no longer enough to persuade internet users to buy a product. You want more: a detailed product description with photos and preferably videos, test reports and reviews from other users. The more personal the content around an offer is designed, the more it arouses the interest of the user and the higher the incentive to buy. This is exactly where content commerce comes in: Personalised content that provides more information about a product and serves as buying advice for the user. In stationary retail, the customer can ask the salesperson questions about the product; online, these questions must be answered in the best possible way through additional content. As a result, content commerce is not only less promotional than an advertisement, but also provides the user with added value in the form of additional information about the offer they are looking for.
Reach beyond your own website
Very different channels are used for content commerce: Your own shop, where an advice article or a product manual, for example, is placed in the form of embedded content such as a video. Social media channels in which the product is shown with appealing images and texts and can be commented on and rated by users. Influencers who present a product in posts and videos and recommend it to their followers also enjoy great trust.
It should be noted that the content must have the right “form” for each platform. While a product description or a product test in the form of text, ideally with accompanying photos and videos, is a good idea on the website itself, what is needed most for social media is meaningful image material.
The decisive factor in any form of content commerce is that the content is authentic. Creating the additional content does mean more effort. This is worthwhile, however, because the user does not perceive it as advertising, or not so much, but as added value in the form of information about the product.
This is why content commerce is worthwhile
Unlike banner advertising, content commerce is not primarily focused on the product, but on the user. The additional content on the various channels provides him with much more information than would be possible on an advertisement. The more authentic the content, the easier it is to gain the user’s trust. The offer is perceived less as advertising and much more as a product recommendation. This results in a higher conversion rate. A better understanding of the product can also reduce the return rate. Fewer returns thus lead to a reduction in the burden on customer service.