Marketing & Advertising
The marketing of an ecommerce business is paramount to its success. Our coverage includes insights on email marketing, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest — affiliate marketing, video advertising, and much more.
Content Marketing | Email & Text Marketing | Google Ads | Influencers & Affiliates | Social Media-
Marketing & Advertising
Best Ad Options for Smaller Fashion Merchants
January 16, 2019 • Viktoria Kanevsky
Small companies on shoestring budgets would be better off to grow organically via search engine optimization, social media, and email. Those channels, to be sure, are time and labor intensive. But the efforts will pay off. However, if you have the resources to invest in advertising, consider the following channels.
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Content Marketing
How to Invest in Videos, Apps, Big Content
January 14, 2019 • Armando Roggio
Even a simple video may cost several thousand dollars to produce — with no guarantee of success. An interactive app might take a few months to develop. It, too, has no guarantee. You could take that risk, toss thousands of dollars at a video or similar content project, and hope for the best.
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Social Media
12 Apps for Creating Instagram Stories
January 14, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Using Instagram Stories, businesses can attract followers with dynamic product and brand content. Here is a list of tools for creating Instagram Stories. There are templates, easy-to-use video editors, and full content production platforms. All of these tools are free, though most offer premium add-ons.
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Email & Text Marketing
Want New Email Subscribers? ‘Sell’ the Content
January 9, 2019 • Armando Roggio
When a customer or prospect subscribes to your email list, that person expects something of value in return. It may be exclusive offers, special discounts, or useful, informative, and entertaining content.
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Google Ads
Setting Up ‘Promotions’ in Google Shopping
January 2, 2019 • Robert Brady
The new promotion feature in Google Shopping can help an ad stand out with a blue “Special offer” link. Once clicked, the offer appears as a popup. It's a good way to move past the typical components of a Shopping ad: product name, price, brand, and image.
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Content Marketing
5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2019
January 2, 2019 • Armando Roggio
Want to increase site traffic and engage potential customers in February 2019? Consider creating articles, videos, and podcasts that entertain, inform, and just plain help out.
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Marketing & Advertising
10 Outstanding Digital Marketing Campaigns from 2018
December 26, 2018 • Sig Ueland
Reviewing the year’s best digital marketing campaigns from established brands can help generate ideas for your own digital marketing efforts. Here is a list of outstanding digital marketing campaigns from 2018.
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Content Marketing
The Key Requirement of Content Marketing
December 19, 2018 • Armando Roggio
The key requirement of content marketing is to be engaging. Without engagement, content cannot fulfill its potential as a marketing tool. In this article, I'll explain why.
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Email & Text Marketing
Email Marketing: 2018 Developments
December 18, 2018 • Carolyn Nye
The power of email marketing has endured over the years with few major changes. But 2018 produced important email developments that affect online retailers. I'll address those developments in this post.
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Social Media
10 New Social Networks for 2019
December 10, 2018 • Sig Ueland
New social networks help merchants reach customers and team members. Here is a list of new social networks — building on our comprehensive list from 2017, "105 Leading Social Networks Worldwide." Several new networks are from established social media companies, while others offer independent, open-source, and ad-free alternatives.
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Google Ads
Google Ads: ‘Exact Match’ Keeps Getting Less Exact
December 6, 2018 • Robert Brady
Google recently announced another change in “exact match” keywords to include close variations with the same meaning as the keyword. I was not a fan when Google first altered the “exact match” policy in 2017. And I’m not a fan of the latest change because keywords are no longer an “exact match.”
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Content Marketing
5 Content Marketing Ideas for January 2019
December 5, 2018 • Armando Roggio
This list of content marketing ideas for January 2019 is built around the theme of "national days." In each case, try to come up with a creative way to connect a particular national day to the products your business sells and the keywords you target.
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Marketing & Advertising
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Merchant Voice
What to do now for 2019 holiday sales
December 4, 2018 • Richard Stubbings
Most ecommerce retailers are now fulfilling the holiday order rush. The vast majority of merchants depend on sales in November and December. It can be the difference between a good year ...
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Content Marketing
Creating a Content Marketing Strategy for Ecommerce
November 29, 2018 • Armando Roggio
A clear content marketing strategy defines its purpose, who it serves, and its format. For small and mid-sized ecommerce businesses, a content marketing strategy may be the documented and thoughtful answers to several questions or thought exercises.
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Marketing & Advertising
Success with Google Shopping, Part 4: Tracking Sales
November 27, 2018 • David Rothwell
Google Shopping ads appear in search results above or beside text-based ads and organic listings. Setting up sales tracking for Google Shopping campaigns is vital — before you launch. This is the fourth article in my “Success with Google Shopping” series.
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Google Ads
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Merchant Voice
I should have used Google Shopping ads sooner
November 25, 2018 • Elizabeth Hollingsworth
If you’re a nationwide retailer — or even statewide — you may advertise on Google Shopping, if not Google Ads, or both. As a small online-only retailer, I wish I had ...
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Social Media
20 New Tools from Social Media Platforms
November 19, 2018 • Sig Ueland
By following the launches and updates of social media platforms, merchants can discover new ways to reach customers and prospects. Here is a list of recent updates from social media platforms. There are tools for interactive video, customer service, analytics, artificial intelligence, visual search, and shoppable images.
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Email & Text Marketing
Top 10 Email Marketing Metrics for Ecommerce
November 18, 2018 • Carolyn Nye
Key email metrics have changed over the years. Many subscribers now receive and respond to email on their smartphones. It has altered multiple aspects of email marketing — content, subject lines, pre-headers, and more. In this post, I'll rank the top 10 metrics to evaluate email performance.
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Social Media
An Email List Isn’t Just for Emailing
November 13, 2018 • Michael Stancil
An email list is one of the central components of many marketing campaigns, beyond email marketing. Having email addresses is the difference between a targeted message versus scatter. The best email lists contain more info than just the address.
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Content Marketing
16 Quick and Free Grammar and Usage Resources
November 11, 2018 • Marcia Yudkin
At 3 a.m., while polishing an email blast for your customers, you get a brain freeze about a grammar question. Use these free online resources to answer questions on grammar, punctuation, spelling, writing errors, and more.
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Marketing & Advertising
5 Ecommerce Marketing Trends to Watch in 2019
November 8, 2018 • Armando Roggio
The way you market your ecommerce business today may not work tomorrow. Here are five ecommerce marketing trends your business should consider in the coming year. None of these are new, but they should be effective.
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Content Marketing
5 Content Marketing Ideas for December 2018
November 5, 2018 • Armando Roggio
Connect with potential customers in December 2018 with humor, a history of eggnog, and holiday happenings. What follows are five content marketing ideas your business can use for December 2018.
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Content Marketing
8 Content Tips to Drive Organic Search Traffic
November 4, 2018 • Jill Kocher Brown
Content marketing can drive natural search performance. Shoppers engage with the content and share it. Or so we hope. The more links from high-quality sites, the more likely your site will rank. These eight tips will help you generate more links to the content you create.
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Marketing & Advertising
Holiday Social Media Tips for Fashion, Lifestyle Merchants
November 2, 2018 • Viktoria Kanevsky
To entice holiday shoppers to come to a smaller store instead of, say, a leading brand, go the extra mile — from product selection to customer service to unique marketing, including social media campaigns. Organize social media holiday campaigns by channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
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Marketing & Advertising
Success with Google Shopping, Part 3: Merchant Center Setup
October 28, 2018 • David Rothwell
Google Shopping ads can deliver many prospects to an ecommerce site. The ads can appear for precise keyword searches — such as a product make and model — making them effective in matching products to buyers. This is the third article in my "Success with Google Shopping" serious.
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Social Media
Use Facebook Groups to Promote Your Ecommerce Business
October 22, 2018 • Armando Roggio
Ecommerce businesses can use Facebook groups to help potential customers, build strong reciprocal relationships, and encourage sales. Maintaining or contributing to a Facebook group is a form of both social media ...
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Email & Text Marketing
Email Segmentation Tips to Drive Opens, Clicks, Sales
October 18, 2018 • Carolyn Nye
There are multiple ways to improve the effectiveness of email marketing. The best way is to ensure the message is relevant to the recipient. Segmenting your list to the likes and desires of individual subscribers can improve opens, clicks, and sales.
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Marketing & Advertising
5 Ways to Land Your Company in the News
October 13, 2018 • Marcia Yudkin
You’re likely already marketing in social media. Traditional media such as television, magazines, and news agencies may be off your radar. Getting into the media spotlight can cost nothing other than a little time, effort, and creativity. Here’s how.
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Content Marketing
7 Tips to Optimize Content for Search Engines
October 12, 2018 • Jill Kocher Brown
Search engine optimization hinges on content relevance. No relevance means no rankings and no revenue from natural search. Follow these seven SEO tips to ensure that your site is optimized ...
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Social Media
11 YouTube Channels for Digital Marketing
October 8, 2018 • Sig Ueland
YouTube is a helpful resource for learning digital marketing strategies from expert influencers. There are a variety of channels, offering plenty of practical tips and techniques to market your brand. Here is a list of YouTube channels for digital marketing.