14 Shopify Content Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales

Picture this.

You’ve set up your online store on Shopify, excited about the prospect of reaching millions worldwide.

Your product pages are perfect, filled with relevant keywords and high-quality images.

But then you wait…

No orders come in. No traffic spike. Nothing. 😟

A week goes by… then a month… and still nothing substantial happens. 😖

You are not alone. According to statistics, only 1 out of 10 Shopify stores actually succeed.

The reality is that having an online store is not enough to make money. You need to get the word out there!

Let me share with you 14 effective Shopify content marketing strategies to maximize your store’s potential and help you reach new heights of success.

Table of Contents:

• What is Shopify Marketing?
• 14 Shopify Content Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales
  • 1. Content Marketing
  • 2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • 3. Social Media Marketing
  • 4. Email Marketing
  • 5. SMS Marketing
  • 6. Video Marketing
  • 7. Influencer Marketing
  • 8. Paid Advertising
  • 9. Retargeting Campaigns
  • 10. Podcasts
  • 11. Affiliate Marketing
  • 12. User-Generated Content (UGC)
  • 13. Referral Programs
  • 14. Partnerships and Collaborations
• Social Media Marketing
• Influencer Marketing
• Email Campaigns
• Shoppable Videos
• Referral Programs
• SMS Marketing
• Conclusion

What is Shopify Marketing?

If you’re running a store on Shopify, it’s important to have a marketing strategy in place that will help drive traffic and sales.

In today’s digital world where competition among online stores has become intense, creating high-quality content can help you stand out from the crowd.

A successful Shopify marketing strategy aims to achieve several goals:

• Attract more customers: By using different digital channels such as social media, email marketing, and paid advertising, you could attract potential customers who are interested in your products or services.
• Build brand awareness: Your target audience needs to know about your brand. You can do this by providing them with the information they need at every stage of their customer journey.
• Increase customer loyalty: Your existing customers are the backbone of your business. To keep them coming back for more purchases, you need an effective loyalty program that rewards their repeat purchases.
• Establish authority: Effective content marketing also allows brands to establish themselves as thought leaders in their niche industry.

Screenshot from Neil Patel

14 Shopify Content Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales

Your online store needs a strong presence across multiple digital channels if you want to reach potential customers wherever they may be online.

Here are 14 effective digital marketing strategies to help you grow your Shopify business:

1. Content Marketing

Create valuable and engaging content such as blog posts, videos, and infographics to attract and inform your target audience. Share this content on your website and through social media to drive traffic and build brand authority.

Blogging

Blogging is an effective way to create high-quality content that engages potential customers and builds brand awareness. It can also be used to promote your products or services without being overly aggressive or pushy.

Here are some tips on how you can use blog articles to promote your products:

1. Create consumer-focused content: Create consumer-focused content that provides genuine advice while subtly mentioning your products or services within the article’s context. For example, if you sell skincare products, write blog posts about different skin types and common problems people face when taking care of their skin.
2. Add internal links: Add internal links within the article to lead readers to relevant pages on your website with optimized anchor text. This not only promotes specific products but also helps improve SEO by increasing page views per session.
3. Showcase your brand personality: Blog articles are an opportunity to showcase your brand personality while providing readers with valuable information related to their interests and needs.
4. Avoid being overly sales-y: Instead of being overly aggressive when promoting products in blog articles, focus on creating informative content that adds value for readers while showcasing what makes your product unique.

If you don’t have time to blog, use an awesome tool like Content at Scale. Within minutes, you’ll have a long-form blog article that’s written specifically for your target audience.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If you’re already creating content and blogging, you should add on one of the most effective Shopify content marketing strategies: SEO.

Search engine optimization will go a long way toward helping your target audience discover your content, store, and products in a key place where most people begin any online browsing session: search engines.

That means you should optimize your website and product pages with relevant keywords to improve your organic search rankings and drive targeted traffic to your Shopify store.

For more specific tips on optimizing your blog content for SEO, check out our blog post optimization guide.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media has become a crucial part of any marketing strategy. It allows businesses to connect with potential customers and build brand awareness by posting engaging content regularly.

Popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can help you reach and engage with your target audience. Post regular updates, share product images, run contests, and interact with your followers to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your Shopify store.

One way to create engaging social media posts is by tailoring the content to your target audience’s interests and pain points. For example, if you sell eco-friendly products on your Shopify store, highlight your brand sustainability practices and initiatives through social media.

You can also use social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter to showcase real-life scenarios featuring your products or services.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you drive sales and retain customers. By creating targeted email campaigns, you can engage your audience and encourage them to make purchases on your Shopify store. 

Build an email list of interested prospects and existing customers. Send regular newsletters, exclusive offers, and personalized product recommendations to nurture relationships, increase customer loyalty, and drive repeat purchases.

Here are some of the different types of emails you should consider sending as part of your email marketing strategy:

• Welcome emails are the first impression that new subscribers have of your brand. They set the tone for future interactions and establish trust between you and potential customers. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself, highlight what makes your brand unique, and provide a clear call-to-action (CTA) for subscribers to visit your online store. 
• Promotional emails are an effective way to increase sales by highlighting special offers or discounts on products in your Shopify store. Use eye-catching graphics, persuasive copywriting, and clear CTAs to entice recipients into making a purchase. 
• Abandoned cart emails are sent when someone adds items to their shopping cart but doesn’t complete the checkout process. These types of emails remind shoppers about their abandoned carts while also providing incentives like free shipping or discount codes as encouragement towards completing their purchase. 
• Order confirmation emails serve two purposes: they confirm that an order has been placed successfully while also offering additional product recommendations based on what was purchased during the checkout process. 

5. SMS Marketing

You can also create SMS marketing campaigns to reach customers directly on their mobile phones.

In a digital world where people are glued to their phones, SMS marketing has become a powerful tool for businesses to reach out to potential customers. According to studies, these campaigns generate six times more customer engagement than emails. 

Moreover, with 48.7 million people opting into SMS communications from companies, you’re seriously missing out if you don’t leverage this powerful tool.

To launch an effective SMS campaign, the first step is building your subscriber list. There are various ways of doing this — one is by promoting exclusive deals or discounts on your website and asking visitors to sign up for them via text message.

Once you have built your subscriber list, it’s time to create effective messages that will convert subscribers into buyers. Keep your texts sweet and short — no more than 160 characters — and add links directing users toward your products or services.

Send targeted and personalized text messages with exclusive offers, updates, and reminders to engage your audience and drive conversions. Make sure you comply with relevant regulations and obtain proper consent from your recipients.

6. Video Marketing

Don’t forget to leverage the power of video to promote your Shopify business. Create product videos, explainer videos, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes content to engage your audience. Share videos on your website, social media platforms, and YouTube to increase brand visibility, engagement, and conversions.

Shoppable Videos

One way to increase engagement and improve customer experience is to create shoppable videos. 

Shoppable videos are interactive marketing videos that allow viewers to click on embedded links within the video itself, leading them directly to product pages where they can make a purchase without ever leaving the video.

There are several benefits of using shoppable videos as part of your Shopify content marketing strategy:

• Improved customer experience: By allowing customers to easily find and purchase products while still watching a video, you’re providing a seamless shopping experience that’s more likely to result in conversions.
• Increased engagement: Viewers are more likely to watch longer when there’s an interactive element involved. And since they don’t have to leave the video player page, it keeps them engaged with your brand rather than bouncing off the page.
• Better conversion rates: With direct links from your shoppable video straight through checkout or product pages, your viewers won’t have to search manually for what they saw in your ads.

An example of a shoppable ad on Instagram. Source: Tubefilter

Tips for implementing shoppable videos:

1. Add your link early: Add clickable links early on during critical moments such as at the beginning or end so viewers don’t miss out on purchasing opportunities.
2. Create high-quality content: Make sure you create high-quality content that accurately reflects your brand identity and resonates with potential customers.
3. Promote across social media: Promote your shoppable videos across all social media platforms to reach a wider audience and increase the chances of conversions.

7. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is another effective way of generating user engagement and online sales. Collaborating with relevant influencers can help promote sales among their followers who hold high buying intent.

Look for influencers or industry experts who have a significant following in your niche and offer to collaborate. They can promote your products or recommend your Shopify store to their audience, helping you reach a wider customer base.

You may offer free products or discount codes as incentives for influencers promoting your product/service on their respective channels.

8. Paid Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to run targeted ads that reach your ideal customers. Set up well-targeted campaigns, write compelling ad copy, and optimize your landing pages to maximize conversions.

9. Retargeting Campaigns

Implement retargeting or remarketing campaigns to reach potential customers who have shown interest in your products but haven’t made a purchase. Display personalized ads to them across various channels to encourage them to return and complete their purchase.

10. Podcasts

Create your own podcast or collaborate with existing podcasters in your niche. Share valuable content, industry insights, interviews, and product recommendations to build brand authority and reach a dedicated audience. Include links to your Shopify store in the podcast description or show notes to drive traffic and conversions.

11. Affiliate Marketing

Create an affiliate program where influencers, bloggers, or other businesses can promote your products in exchange for a commission. This helps you reach a wider audience and drive more sales without upfront costs.

12. User-Generated Content (UGC)

Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products through reviews, testimonials, and social media posts. Share UGC on your website and social media channels to build trust and social proof, and encourage new customers to make a purchase.

13. Referral Programs

Implement a referral program that incentivizes your existing customers to refer your products or Shopify store to their friends and family. Offer discounts, exclusive rewards, or store credits to customers who successfully refer new customers. This helps you tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and acquire new customers at a lower cost.

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to acquire new customers. In fact, according to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over any other form of advertising.

That’s why setting up a referral program should be an essential part of your Shopify marketing strategy. Here are some tips on how to do it effectively:

1. Determine the right reward: To encourage your customers to refer their friends and family, you need to offer them something valuable in return. A discount code or free shipping are popular incentives that can motivate people to spread the word about your store.
2. Track referrals: It’s crucial that you have a system in place for tracking referrals so you can reward those who successfully bring new business into your store while also identifying areas where improvement may be needed.
3. Promote your program: Once you’ve set up your referral program and determined the right rewards, it’s time to promote it! Use social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram to reach out to potential customers who might not know about your brand yet but could benefit from hearing about it through someone they trust.
4. Follow up with customers: After someone has referred their friend/family member into making a purchase through their referral code, make sure to send them an email thanking them for participating in this program. You may offer additional incentives as well.

Screenshot from Neil Patel

14. Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborate with complementary brands or influencers for cross-promotions, joint campaigns, or giveaways. This helps you tap into their audience and build mutually beneficial relationships that can drive traffic and sales for your Shopify store.

These strategies are designed to help you diversify your digital marketing efforts and reach your target audience through different channels. Remember to tailor each strategy to suit your specific target market and regularly measure the results to optimize your approach.

Conclusion

Shopify content marketing strategies are a must-have for e-commerce store owners who want to grow their businesses.

By combining various tactics such as blogging, social media engagement, influencer collaborations, email campaigns, paid advertising, SMS marketing, video marketing, and referral programs, you can create a holistic marketing approach that drives traffic, boosts conversions, and builds brand loyalty. 

Remember to constantly evaluate and refine your strategies based on data and customer feedback to ensure long-term success. With the right marketing strategies in place, your Shopify business can thrive in the competitive digital landscape and achieve sustainable growth.