When it comes to content commerce, relevant content is integrated into the online sales process in a targeted way, with the aim to steer the purchasing process and guide the customer all the way to the closing of the deal. Along this entire customer journey, content can play a leading role. Discover what this is below.
Content commerce is gaining significance for B2B
As part of content commerce, content marketing and e-commerce are brought together. The task is to offer high-quality content along the customer journey both in the online shop and in other channels. This content shall entertain customers, on the one hand, and on the other provide comprehensive information so that no questions are left unanswered. The target-group-specific content should also serve first and foremost to push the immediate purchase of products or services. This is what differentiates content commerce from pure content marketing, which aims for other goals such as brandbuilding or thought leadership.
Content commerce is continually gaining in relevance, as an ever-larger share of customers in the B2B segment are performing research on their own and closing deals without any human contact. Should there be direct contact with a person, then this often takes place in the form of video consultation chats. And those who mainly avoid traditional sourcing routes must find the needed information for complex products or services in other ways. Particularly when several sellers have the same or similar conditions in their portfolios, additional offers such as helpful content becomes more significant.
The right content at all times during the customer journey
Content commerce is always a good idea when the right information is provided to match the touchpoint and the respective phase of the sales funnel. For instance, in the early phase of awareness, the customer needs wide-ranging, general information, and then the hard facts shortly before the purchase. Not only should the expert input be in line with the individual situation of the potential customer, it should also have the right format and depth. A white paper, for instance, is a strong measure in the early phase, unlike a product datasheet. What’s more, social media is normally more entertaining than an online shop, where facts are more important.
And just as important: the content should always be geared towards the respective product and for the target group being addressed. An informative text for a very complex service in need of lots of explanation would hardly be adequate when it comes to offering the interested individual a solid basis for taking a decision. An explanatory video would be the better solution in this case.
With the help of connected systems, content commerce solutions automatically provide the matching content for each phase and each channel. The existing database delivers the necessary starting point for selecting which products and content could also be interesting for the customer, based on the customer’s profile and purchasing history, and inspire them to make a purchase.
Content commerce: two stories of success
Various B2B companies have already successfully been leveraging content commerce. These are just two examples:
Albert Berner Deutschland GmbH: The Berner Gruppe (German) is one of the leading trade companies for consumables, tools, accessories and services for professional users in the construction and automotive branches as well as industrial companies. For examples, if a tradesman is looking for special large-load connectors in the online shop, then additional information about the areas of application, the bearing capacity or recommendations for other products can be very helpful. In addition to the essential product information, Berner also provides datasheets from manufacturers as well as approval documents from the authorities for downloading.
Royal Brinkman: The online platform for landscaping has integrated useful content into the web shop which touches on basic problems and questions from customers centred round the toxicity of fertilisers or practical tops for growing tomatoes, amongst others, in the form of guidance articles and short videos. This means that customers of Royal Brinkman (German) are supported in taking a decision and are brought closer to new products.
