Learn 7 key tips to content strategy to improve conversion, sales, and loyalty on your ecommerce website. Presented at the Internet Retailer 2016 conference by Alex Schmelkin, CEO, Alexander Interactive (Ai), and Joshua Nafman, Sr. Director Brand & Digital Marketing, KIND Snacks. Designed to help retailers better reach and more deeply engage with their customers, this presentation includes: • the fundamentals of content strategy plans • how to avoid common traps with content • examples of successes and failures from ecommerce content strategy • how to establish successful ways for content will work across your site • case studies about content challenges faced by retailers and content strategies that worked for their businesses • ROI of content strategy • content marketing monitoring and measurement Session description: Thu, June 09, 2016 11:00 am to 11:30 am Content Strategy for Shopper Engagement, Entertainment and Education Alex Schmelkin, Founder, Chief Executive Officer - Alexander Interactive Joshua Nafman, Senior Director, Brand Marketing and Digital - KIND Snacks Type: Main Conference Day 2 Track: Marketing: New Frontiers Retailers are excited about the potential of content marketing. They are ready to jump on the bandwagon of distributing content and luring in customer with blogs, videos and social media posts, but oftentimes there are holes in their content strategy. Content strategy plans for the creation, delivery and governance of content. It is critical to get the fundamentals right and establish how content will work across your site. In this session, you will hear stories about the content challenges that retailers face, learn how they create content strategies that work for their businesses and how they measure ROI.

1. June 9, 2016
Content Strategy
for Shopper Engagement,
Entertainment and Education
IRCE – Chicago, June 9, 2016
Joshua Nafman – KIND Snacks
Alex Schmelkin – Alexander Interactive (Ai)

2. Hi!
I’m Joshua Nafman
Specialize in the Gray Areas of Marketing
Digital, Social, Content, Media
PepsiCo, Starbucks, Apple, ESPN
Hot Sauce Enthusiast
SR. DIRECTOR, BRAND & DIGITAL MARKETING

4. Hello!
I’m Alex Schmelkin
E-commerce strategy, design, and development
Research-based insights
14 years – IMA Top 10 Agency
AdAge & Crain’s “Best Place to Work”
FOUNDER, CEO

6. Our fav

7. Content Creation
Content Marketing
Content

8. Content Creation
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content

9. Content Creation
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content

10. Content Creation
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content

11. This stuff, right?

13. Snap it???

14. Slow down

15. Slow down

16. Content
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content is all of the words,
images, video, and more that
animate your brand, embody
your values, and facilitate your
customer interactions and
transactions.

17. Content
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content marketing distributes
relevant, valuable content to
targeted audiences in order
to build brand awareness,
attract customers, and drive
conversions.

18. Content
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
Content strategy is a
commitment to, and a plan for
content that works for your
business, your team, and your
customers.

19. Why does content strategy
matter to ecommerce?

20. “This matters to me,
here and now.”
“There’s
something
here for me.”
“This product will
serve my needs/
desires.”
“I’m confident in my purchase and that my
personal information is safe.”
“I have a
relationship with
this brand.”
Entry Points Home Page Product Page Cart
Payment
Successful
Checkout Pay
• Social media posts
• Distributed content
• WOM/Influencers
• Paid advertising
• SEO
• Interface copy
(header, footer, etc)
• Navigation
nomenclature
• Key messages
• Product description
• Features/Specs
• Product images
• Video demo
• User reviews
• Size charts
• Security info
• Shipping costs
• Availability
• Delivery timing
• Return policy
• Order updates
• Shipment notifications
• Email marketing
Google
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Direct
The Content Funnel
RELEVANCE RECOGNITION AFFIRMATION SECURITY COMMITTMENT

21. 7 keys to
e-commerce
content strategy
success

22. 01
Align content planning
with business goals

23. IF YOUR GOAL IS TO…
MAKE SURE THAT
YOUR CONTENT…
Increase market share
Meet customers
wherever they are
Invites them to return
Keeps them movingIncrease conversions
Increase retention

24. KIND’S BUSINESS GOAL
Increase household penetration

25. HOW?
Increase awareness & relevancy

27. KIND’s distinctive “content voice”

29. Fun, Witty
Unexpected
Optimistic
Transparent

30. 02
Stop committing
random acts of content

34. Get to know your content

35. You can even grade it…
Over 180,000 items, including
technology, office products,
breakroom supplies, furniture,
industrial supplies, automotive
aftermarket tools, and more.

36. You can even grade it…
DEFINITION
GRADE
EXAMPLES
AA A B C D F
Market
Leader
Print
Possible
Transaction
Possible
No Market
Opportunity
Web
Possible
Enhanced
Web
• Multiple alternate
images
• Full category-specific
attribution
• Keywords
• Synonyms
• Video
• Spin (360)
photography
• Product tours
• Premium relationships
• Category-specific
attribution
• Relationships
• Hi-res image
• Image
• Sell (romance) copy
• Assigned to hierarchy
• Carton weight
• Item number
• Long item description
• n/a

37. Or, just do math.
Cost of Content = $150
Make sure this is less than:
Gross margin $ x Units
= Profit

38. Random also applies to
your channels.

39. KIND Blog
(RANDOM)
• Less than 25 visitors
per month
• Bounce Rate over 75%
• Repository for anything
and everything
• Reallocating resources
and changing purpose

40. • More than 2,500 viewers
per article
• Increased Medium, email
and social subscribers
• Focused purpose
• Dedicating more
resources
KIND on Medium
(PURPOSEFUL)

41. • More than 2,500 viewers
per article
• Increased Medium, email
and social subscribers
• Focused purpose
• Dedicating more
resources
KIND on Medium
(PURPOSEFUL)

42. 03
Develop content that
moves your customers

43. 03
Develop content that
moves your customers

44. Even a little user research can
uncover insights that have a big
impact on your content strategy.

45. Speak to humans

46. Find out what [ ] your customers.
Delights
Drives
Thrills
Repels
Inspires
Shocks
Moves
Empowers
Sways
Bores
Excites
Assures
Impresses

47. Speak to Humans
Joe Clarissa Dyan
Triathlons
Rock & ice climbing
Sea kayaking
7-day a week gym addict
Hiking
Frequent Business Travel
Group fitness instructor
Personal trainer
Holistic health coach
Joe Clarissa Dyan

48. The Box Matters
• INSIGHT:
Warehouse staff needed
different information to
recognize the product
• CONTENT STRATEGY
IMPLICATION:
Include a photo of the
product’s box in the
contents of each product
page.

49. Perspective Sells
• INSIGHT:
Adding the 360° view of
select tools and
equipment to product
pages led to a 44%
increase in revenue per
visitor.
• CONTENT STRATEGY
IMPLICATION:
Do this more!

50. 04
Design content, not pages

51. KIND’S BUSINESS GOAL
Increase household penetration

52. World kindness day
visual?>?

54. The right content for the right channel.

55. 05
Build to scale

56. culture of content
Grow a content culture

57. #KINDTeam

58. Content Organization (Current)
Director
Editorial
Lead
Social
Lead
Media
Lead
Insights
Lead
Editorial
Lead
Editorial
Lead
Editorial
LeadWriters
Social
Lead
Social
Lead
Social
LeadStylists
PhotographersPhotographersPhotographersPhotographers

59. Content Organization (Future)
Director
Editorial
Lead
Social
Lead
Media
Lead
Insights
Lead
Editorial
Lead
Editorial
Lead
Editorial
LeadWriters
Social
Lead
Social
Lead
Social
LeadStylists
PhotographersPhotographersPhotographersPhotographers
Design
Lead
Production
Lead
Production
Companies
Production
Companies
Production
Companies
Production
Companies

60. 06
Don’t be afraid to fail

62. Great, right?!

63. = $

64. Kindness ≠ Sales
= $

65. But, it does increase loyalty
(relevance), another important part
of our business goal.

66. 07
Hold content accountable

67. Find out what works (and what doesn’t)
Product Pages Articles Blog Posts Webinars Charts Avg Content Page
39
77
57
45
39
11
Pageviews/content item

68. Find out what works (and what doesn’t)
Product Pages Articles Blog Posts Webinars Charts Avg Content Page
39
77
57
45
39
11
Uh oh!
Pageviews/content item

69. Find out what works (and what doesn’t)
Product Pages Articles Blog Posts Webinars Charts Avg Content Page
39
77
57
45
39
11
Uh oh!
Up-sell
Opportunity?
Pageviews/content item

70. When you see exactly where your
content stands, place informed bets
on optimization and development.

74. Track where customers view the content.

75. Track where customers view the content.
3x revenue per vistor

76. Over and over again…
Repeat
Pick the winners,
toss the losers
Optimize
Don’t just collect data, do
something with it
Review Regularly
Against brand, industry,
and competitors
Benchmark
Frequent, Likes,
Comments, Shares
Measure Reach
For all content, not just
marketing campaigns
Set KPIs
Hold content accountable

77. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

78. Key
Takeaways:
Content
Strategy
1. Align content planning
with business goals
2. Stop committing
random acts of content
3. Develop content that
moves your customers
4. Design content, not
pages
5. Build to scale
6. Don’t be afraid to fail
7. Hold content accountable

79. Thank you!
KIND Snacks
jnafman@kindsnacks.com
Come visit us at booth #835
W
e’rehiring!
W
e’re
hiring!
Alexander Interactive (Ai)
as@alexanderinteractive.com
Download presentation: http://www.alexanderinteractive.com
Alex SchmelkinJoshua Nafman