When Content Meets Commerce:

Storytelling Best Practices for the Modern Retail Marketer

Dawn KoleOwnerDigital DNA Marketing

Commerce Enabled Content

Presented By: Dawn Kole@dawn1364

In the beginning…

There was content…

There was commerce…

CONTENT

COMMERCE

In the beginning…

• Besides the product data for commerce that filled the usual product detail page from a database, most other content was relegated to buying guides, blogs or navigational pages.

• Content was not there when a customer needed it to convince their buying decision without forcing the customer to leave the purchase path.

Then we started to get smarter…• Reviews were added

and gave customers information that they could use similar to if they were in a store and asked the salesperson, a friend, or another customer for their opinion.

Then we started to get smarter…• Videos were added to

bring life to the product so a customer could imagine themselves using the item.

• Detailed content like product manuals, specs, warranty information became more available.

Then we started to get smarter…• User generated content

like user photos and social posts began appearing on product detail pages.

But where was the sizzle?

Where was the enticing product STORY that would emotionally engage the customer, no matter what product you were selling?

So, what’s the problem?

• Today content is developed typically in silos. • Marketing departments are more fragmented

than ever.• New systems are designed to facilitate old

processes.

How do we leapfrog over the problem?

• Not just solve it, but blow it away.

• We need a revolution.• We need people that

can lead this change.

Content Silos

• Today, much of the content is developed by each individual area of the company that is responsible for that touchpoint.

• Very large campaigns stand a good chance at getting a cohesive effort – often driven by an outside agency or a committee attempting collaboration as the solution.

Corporate Fragmentation• Web site ownership certainly has made its rounds

from IT to Marketing to Merchandising and everything in between.

• The same can be said for the media side of digital marketing and now content – whether it be user generated social, owned, paid or earned.

• And the realities of corporate organizational behavior create even more reasons that create a fragmented customer content experience as well.

New systems with Old processes

• Companies invest millions in new software to meet the needs of the ever-changing digitally enabled consumer.

• However, old behaviors die hard, and often old processes are kept because that’s “the way we do things here” when the reason why something was done a certain way has been since long forgotten and in fact no longer even relevant.

New systems – Old processes• New systems ‘customized’ keep

old processes in place instead of reinventing new optimized processes that would require employee behavior change.

• And the anticipated ROI of that capital investment is handicapped because the old processes were carried forward.

Imagine a Different FutureThe most powerful execution that can drive customer satisfaction and real shareholder value are implemented in a Create Once Publish Everywhere environment. (COPE)

Digital Content Library

Web Site

Mobile Site

Social Media

Digital Signage

Email MarketingPrint

Broadcast

Publicity

ET AL

Basics of COPEOne amazing marketing team creates an overarching positioning statement and creative assets for the program or campaign, complete with measurement goals for each touchpoint, taking advantage of the best practices in each.

Internal, External, Agency, and Key Partners all contribute to and access the content library through a cloud based digital asset system.

Digital First• Start with Digital First. Create content for digital

communications channels, and then use that content everywhere – optimized for each touchpoint.

• Break the chains that are holding us back.

• Take advantage of second screening, interactive tv, mobile connectivity everywhere, and make it easy for our customers to do business with us.

Top OpportunitiesOnline Video: hotspots, interactive, learning oriented, demonstrations.

Videos on home page

Videos as hero on product detail page

Lead with BENEFIT, not product features.

Hot Spots and Video Showcase

Content/ Commerce Video• HotSpotting in online video – not new, but not mainstream • Higher click through: 5-6 times per video• Higher Engagement: 30% watch • Still opportunities to leverage – don’t hide these videos on

your product pages – they should be on home page, on landing pages, in emails, in display ads, on other company’s sites, YouTube, affiliate partners, shopping sites, TV channel

• Companies to watch: • Concise Click• VideoClix• Overlay.tv• Clikthrough• LiveClicker

Top OpportunitiesCurated: Why make all your own? With so much content already on the web, find the great pieces that support your purpose.

Top OpportunitiesCurated:• Lends credibility

to your site• Visitors will come

back more often• Anti-narcissistic

Top OpportunitiesStart a separate “information site” that links to your retail site.

A bit like you are your own affiliate.

Brand Journalism

Stories from customers, employees, community

Set a mood

Build your brand Alleviate channel conflict

Whose ready to lead this change for your company and for the industry and HOW?

• Planning documents• Organizational structure • Design process to ensure success• Use specialty vendors for speed to market• COPE requires Digital Asset systems first, then Content

Management systems• Decide best uses of each consumer touchpoint based

on your customer usage patterns.

Take Action

• Contact me for more information and guides.

dawn@DigitalDNAMarketing.com704-870-7091