Content to Commerce : a winning marketing strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked

Jerome de LEMPDES , content-to-commerce specialist and Performance Director at Prisma Media Solutions, defines content-to-commerce as follows: 

“Content-to-commerce allows a brand and its products to be contextualised with the support of the media and drive-to-site effectiveness thanks to the links integrated into the article”.

In this article, we will explore the Content to Commerce concept in detail, highlighting the benefits it offers advertisers, publishers and users, as well as the future prospects for this approach. To illustrate this topic, we will be sharing the testimony of Jérôme de LEMPDES, a recognised expert in this field.

What is Content to Commerce?

Content to Commerce is a fast-growing digital marketing strategy that has been gaining in popularity in recent years. It enables websites to generate revenue by creating high-quality, relevant content, such as detailed shopping guides or product and service comparisons. Unlike traditional advertising, publishers can use these guides to offer users a more natural and enjoyable shopping experience.

Content to Commerce can take a number of different forms, including the use of affiliate links, the integration of interactive advertising, the incorporation of purchase buttons into content, the use of comparators, the creation of shopping guides, the writing of blog articles or the production of product demonstration videos, etc. The main aim of this approach is to contextualise the product through editorial content to arouse reader interest.

By adopting this approach, users can discover new products while continuing to read, without having to leave the website. The result is a smoother shopping experience that can strengthen the relationship between users and content publishers. In short, Content to Commerce is an innovative digital marketing method that enables publishers to generate revenue while offering users an enhanced shopping experience.

The benefits of Content to Commerce

Advantages for advertisers:

Content to Commerce offers numerous advantages for advertisers, enabling them to reach a wider audience by integrating relevant products and services directly into editorial content. Content publishers have already established a relationship of trust with their audience, who are more inclined to engage with products recommended by them. 

By integrating relevant products into content, advertisers can reach an audience that is more engaged and more likely to buy. More and more advertisers are adopting this concept and leveraging their content strategy to increase their brand awareness and visibility on the internet.

The benefits for publishers :

Content to Commerce offers new opportunities to monetise their content by offering products related to the content they publish. This can significantly increase advertising revenues and help publishers stand out from their competitors by offering a more personalised content experience to their users. In this way, publishers can diversify their revenue streams and make the most of their audience.

By using Content to Commerce, publishers can also offer content that is more engaging and relevant to their audience. By integrating products and services linked to editorial content, they can offer more detailed and practical information to users, while increasing their rate of interaction with the content. In this way, publishers can better meet the needs of their audience, strengthen their relationship and improve their brand image.

Price comparison sites and shopping guides can also include additional features such as consumer reviews, detailed product descriptions and return and delivery policies to help users make informed purchasing decisions.

Benefits for users:

Content to Commerce offers users a more convenient and enjoyable shopping experience by allowing them to buy products directly from the content they are reading or watching. This approach optimises the user experience by offering relevant products based on their centres of interest. Users can discover new products and services without having to leave the website or the content they are viewing.

In addition, by integrating products and services directly into editorial content, publishers can help users find products they might otherwise have missed. This enables users to obtain more detailed product information and make more informed purchasing decisions. Finally, this improved user experience can also strengthen the relationship between users and content publishers, who are better able to respond to their needs.

Future prospects for Content to Commerce

The future prospects for Content to Commerce are promising. This digital marketing approach is gaining in importance in the strategies of brands seeking to offer a more natural and enjoyable shopping experience for consumers by offering relevant products and services directly in editorial content. Brands such as Femme actuelle, Gala and Capital are increasingly investing in this approach in order to strengthen their engagement with their audience. 

In the future, Content to Commerce is set to develop even further, thanks in particular to the development of technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality. These allow consumers to visualise products before they buy them, which can significantly enhance their online shopping experience. Brands will be able to offer a more immersive and personalised shopping experience, strengthening the relationship between brand and consumer.

Jerome de LEMPDES, content to commerce specialist and Performance Director at Prisma Média Solutions, was kind enough to share his views on this innovative concept with us.

“In the past, advertisers’ collaborations with media sites were aimed at achieving brand awareness through classic advertising formats, IAB and videos. Today, content to commerce enables us to meet lower traffic funnel and conversion objectives.

This means that we can offer advertisers visibility on search engines and on our own sites, with the consumer coaching dimension that is specific to our brands (e.g. Capital, managing your money better; Femme Actuelle, living better every day), and generate qualified traffic and sales on the advertiser’s site thanks to links integrated into the article.

Always on the lookout for new services for our loyal audience, content to commerce articles in their various formats (good deals, buying guides, comparisons, advice and product usage, etc.) enable them to find out more, discover products/services and simplify the act of buying by preventing them from leaving our sites.

Our many iconic brands and leaders in their sectors (Femme actuelle, Capital, Geo, Gala, Voici, Cuisine actuelle, Téléloisirs, etc.) covering more than 100 themes (fashion, beauty, high tech, tourism, cooking/food, household appliances, etc.) with a daily audience of 33 million views, enable us to support a large number of brands in multiple sectors. 

Over the past 2 years, content to commerce has become an essential pillar of our customers’ digital marketing strategies. The key kpi’s for brands are not just the turnover generated, but also the volume of impressions, the time spent reading, the click-through rate and the contribution. So it’s important to emphasise that this lever needs to be worked on as a common thread if you want to benefit from natural search engine traffic, including Discover. “

In conclusion, Content to Commerce is an innovative digital marketing strategy that offers numerous advantages for advertisers, publishers and users. This approach is becoming a major trend in digital marketing and is set to continue to develop as technologies evolve and consumers adopt new buying behaviours. The brands that succeed in online commerce will be those that are able to offer a unique and relevant user experience, adapting to consumers’ needs and preferences.