Content + Commerce: Preparing for 2017 with a Look at 2016 Trends

The trend has been heading this way for a while. Content can help drive commerce. Storytelling is good for business. Now it even has a common name — or many names. Content-driven commerce. Content commerce. Storytelling commerce.

At the end of the day, though, the goal of combining content and commerce is the same. Stories enable people to relate, and relating to a product or a service makes that item easier to sell.

Storytelling is fun, personal, and helps consumers develop a more authentic and loyal relationship with brands. Developing a strategy where content improves the customer experience can help do things like increase purchasing and decrease shopping cart abandonment. 

At the end of the summer, Forrester, the independent research firm, released a report called, "Businesses Embrace Content + Commerce To Drive Customer Engagement", which included important updates about how companies are using content to strengthen their ecommerce strategy. As we near the end of 2016 — and prepare our strategies for 2017 — let's take another look at some of the highlights from this report:

• 95 percent of companies selling online have taken steps to unify their content and commerce strategies
• 45 percent had already combined their content and ecommerce strategies
• Working with current legacy CMS or implementing a new CMS were named as two top technology concerns
• 69 percent agreed that video content will be more important to shopping experiences in the next two years

As strategies around content-driven commerce continue to grow, so will the platforms and devices that brands use to tell stories. While all of this (potential) content requires planning, resources, and technology, it's very possible to do — and to do well. 

Michael Tucker, Bluespark's president, loves discussing how content can help drive commerce, specifically online.

"It’s not enough to deploy a digital store," he says. "Effective content will educate and intrigue a customer, and you need to be ready to close the deal with ecommerce that makes it easy to buy."

If you have questions about whether your website or CMS is set up for the challenge, send me a message. 

Also, you can download the study for free. 

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You should also check out:

• 6 Great Examples of Content-Driven Ecommerce in the Outdoor Industry
• Start Your Content + Commerce Revolution