How can Content Commerce help your Ecommerce?

It is well-known that medieval monks in monasteries produced illuminated manuscripts. Besides religious texts, these manuscripts sometimes contained promotional materials for the church's events and products like wine or medicinal herbs.

In the transition from the medieval period to the modern era, an invention occurred that would significantly shape the course of human history – Gutenberg's printing press (1440). In addition to influencing the spread of religious teachings and doctrines, scientific achievements, literature, and the written word in general, the printing press also facilitated the dissemination of various forms of content that were, in one way or another, related to commerce. A famous example is the English broadside ballads from the 16th century. Printed on cheap paper, broadside ballads – besides songs – included news, as well as advertisements for products and events.

Finally, there is also the emergence of catalogs. The Sears, Roebuck, and Co. catalog, launched in 1888, enabled consumers to view and order everything from shoes and clothes to furniture and appliances. For people in towns in rural America that weren’t close to cities and shops, the catalog was the ideal mail-order booklet eagerly anticipated year after year.

Source: Vox

Modern-day publishers have also blended commerce in their content reflecting on the growth of their business. In the last couple of years, the e-commerce opportunity for publishers has become much broader as shoppers' attention is switching. According to Joel Pavelski, GQ’s global director of content strategy, 70% of the audience visits GQ to learn what to wear, while 76% of the audience says that shopping guides and product recommendations are content they prefer. For other publishers, shopping and recommendations represent a significant portion of their search ranking and traffic. The research from Sistrix shows that shopping subdomains in comparison to the whole domain account are drivers of the e-commerce revenue for publishers.

Source: PressGazzete

In the early 20th century, print media like newspapers and magazines were the primary sources for information and advertising, with companies using ads to reach a broad audience and consumers relying on these publications to learn about new products and services. The rise of radio in the 1920s and television in the 1950s revolutionized advertising by allowing companies to reach millions with engaging audio and visual messages, including catchy jingles and memorable TV commercials that influenced consumer behavior. By the late 20th century, cable TV and advanced market research techniques enabled advertisers to target specific demographics more effectively, with specialized channels and tailored campaigns designed to reach niche audiences like sports fans or children, thus creating more precise and impactful advertising strategies.

And then, the Internet happened.

The digital age has brought about a revolution in how we buy and sell products and services. Shoppers' journeys are becoming non-linear and multi-session. Shoppers are seeking inspiration before they take action. As e-commerce has developed in the last three decades, the existing marketing channels are becoming less efficient.

The improvement of the e-commerce infrastructure and logistics have pushed the growth in retail e-commerce sales which is predicted to reach $7.9 trillion by 2027. Online retailers have been switching their marketing efforts to a new challenge called the “attention game”. The increase in the e-commerce supply and emergence of the new social media channels have shaped how shoppers discover, search, and make decisions about their next purchase.

Source: Forbes

While the existing marketing funnel frameworks have been well-researched, the rapid changes in how shoppers enter the funnel outpace the ability of e-commerce marketing teams to adapt. Among several changes shaping the future of e-commerce marketing, two stand out as particularly impactful:

1. Decrease of attention span

Attention spans on the screens have been constantly declining in the last 2 decades. According to Gloria Mark, attention span has been averaging about two and half minutes in 2004 before switching attention to another screen. In later years from 2016 to 2021, the time on screen was between forty-four and fifty seconds. Some of the research has shown that attention length on screens was shorter than forty seconds. Hebert (1971) concludes that a wealth of information creates the poverty of attention span, requiring consumers to allocate their attention to different information sources effectively.

Source: Have Attention Spans Been Declining?

2. Consumption of content

With the overabundance of information access, nowadays online users average 240 online accounts, with at least 6.7 media platforms, each demanding distinct marketing formats, strategies, and tactics to construct an effective funnel. Globally, the average time a person spends on social media a day is 2 hours 24 minutes. The internet unlocked the world of distribution fragmenting consumerism, especially in the digital age. The main examples would be 4 million Reddit subreddits or 19 million weekly active Discord servers. With AI unlocking the mass production of digital content we will experience the next wave of hyper-personalization that will aim for user attention and decision making.

The question set for the e-commerce companies is what strategies should adapt to drive shoppers' attention and bridge the gap from attention to purchase. The strategy that is certain to bring the most success is precisely content commerce, improved, modernized, and adapted to the way content is consumed today.

The adoption of mobile apps has produced new ways of content consumption, introducing new avenues for e-commerce marketing. 72.5% of the total US population actively use social media, totaling a number of 246 million people, providing additional opportunities and challenges for businesses to compete for their attention.

Mobile apps have shifted shoppers' attention and apps enabled new content forms to be produced resulting in the new industry - creators industry. “Creators industry” has grown from a $5B industry in 2018 to a $14B industry in 2021, up 40% year-over-year.

The emergence of AI and the decreasing cost of content production have pushed nearly every retailer to share the story they have to tell, a picture to share, and a video to show to compete for the attention of the shopper. We have reached the verge point where content and commerce are merging, placing content as the centerpiece of the awareness efforts to attract targeted shoppers to the brand.

Source: Contrary Research

With increased supply and offerings in the e-commerce world, it is no longer sufficient to simply offer a product or service; consumers now seek an experience where they discover stories, brands, and products that best align with their lifestyles, preferences, and values. This shift in consumer habits is a result of the need for an authentic shopping experience that transcends traditional advertising approaches.

The planned phasing out of cookies, which advertisers have relied on for audience targeting, has further catalyzed this shift. Traditional digital advertising has depended on precise audience targeting through tracking user data across the internet. However, with increasing focus on data privacy and regulations like GDPR, this practice is becoming less sustainable. As a result, brands are turning to alternative strategies, such as content commerce, to capture consumer attention in an authentic and relevant manner. Content commerce is a direction that will allow marketers to capture highly valuable intent signals as they progress through their journey from inspiration to purchase.

Contemporary online shops are often optimized for conversion, meaning they prioritize swift and straightforward purchasing processes. However, in this process, the genuine context and narrative about the products are frequently missing. This is where the power of content commerce comes into play. Instead of merely offering products, content commerce crafts narratives where products are linked with the needs, desires, and interests of consumers.

In other words, it's no longer just about offering a product that might interest the buyer. It's about allowing people to discover through content new products that enrich their lives, enhance their everyday experiences, and align with their value system. Discovery itself becomes an experience.

Recommend is a content platform that plays a significant role in transforming e-commerce through its approach to content creation and personalization. Instead of simple product advertising, Recommenda provides consumers with the opportunity to discover new products and shopping ideas through relevant and digestible content.

Recommend leverages AI tools to increase the creation of meaningful content and data to serve each individual with the right information and inspiration in the shopping journey.

If you are a marketing manager or running your e-commerce shop - you can find more details on how Recommend can help create content that will boost your online marketing funnel.

Recommend is currently available in 9 markets including: Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Italy, UK and US.

You can also find us on App Store and Google Play Store