Guiding the customer journey is hardly new concept, nor is the practice of content marketing. But for some, moving away from a traditional ‘product-centric’ advertising model into the realm of ‘the customer experience’ can be intimidating and overwhelming. This guide has been developed to help with this transition and to achieve three main goals: • Shed light on the benefits of leveraging content for ecommerce brands. • Help any ecommerce business looking to understand the fundamental basics in creating a killer Content Strategy. • Learn practical, proven tips, insights and effective strategies to develop content pilot programs and achieve measurable results.

1. The Guided Sell
Execute the right plan
to drive ecommerce
sales in 5 steps
Prepared by LOUDSCOUT, 2017

2. This guide is for you if you’re ready to …
• Step back and evaluate your current ecommerce
marketing mix.
• Create an ecommerce content strategy that will
deliver relevant, timely and personalized content to
enhance omnichannel shopper experience.
• Learn the strategies to contribute value-added
content across the digital ecosystem to enhance the
overall shopping experience.
• Be the content superhero you know you’ve always
wanted to be.
WHO IS THIS
GUIDE FOR?
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

3. THE GUIDED SELL
Many of the the top ecommerce sites
are moving towards a much more
content focused approach and the
reason why, is quite simple.
Fresh engaging content helps build
(and maintain) more valuable
relationships.
Guiding the customer journey is hardly new concept, nor is
the practice of content marketing. But for some, moving
away from a traditional ‘product-centric’ advertising model
into the realm of ‘the customer experience’ can be
intimidating and overwhelming.
This guide has been developed to help with this transition
and to achieve three main goals:
• Shed light on the benefits of leveraging content for
ecommerce brands.
• Help any ecommerce business looking to understand
the fundamental basics in creating a killer Content
Strategy.
• Learn practical, proven tips, insights and effective
strategies to develop content pilot programs and
achieve measurable results.
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

4. A Guided Content strategy is where your objectives and
measurement plans that are married to specific content
formats, are grouped into testable pilot programs.
The easiest and most effective ways to begin building your
strategy is to think about and identify:
• The Customer mindset, needs and behaviour (within the
categories you want to target)
• What are your customers pain points? What type of content
might help address these pain points? How will you provide
solutions that will address their needs? How will you reach
them?
• How you will measure success?
THE 5 STEPS
To designing a successful
guided sell program.
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

5. Identify upper, mid
and lower level funnel
opportunities to engage
with content.
Identify content locations
and opportunities
within your ecosystem.
Create a mix of
content formats that are
native to your site, social
or re-envisioned new
formats.
Identify clear content
objectives that impact the
customer experience and
drive sales.
Develop a measurement
plan (with KPI’s) that is
aligned with existing
business objectives.
1 2 3 4 5
FUNNELS
LOCATIONS
FORMATS
IMPACTS
MEASURES
THE 5 STEPS
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

6. We’ve run a lot of pilots in our day - here are 3 of the
most up to date pilots that span the spectrum of educational,
influencer and branded content; all interconnected with
ecommerce.
PILOT #1 – GUIDED CONTENT
Core to moving the customer through consideration to
conversion.
PILOT #2 – INFLUENCER CONTENT
Delivers on a customer’s desire for peer recommendations,
reviews and influencer testimonials.
PILOT #3 – BRANDED CONTENT
Consistently delivers a message that emotionally connects.
ONCE YOU HAVE
A PLAN, IT’S
TIME TO ROLL
OUT THE PILOT
PROGRAMS
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

7. Pilot #1 – Guided Content
Guided Content: is core to moving the customer through
consideration to conversion and serves the purpose of
facilitation product comparison, highlighting features and
benefits and making simple sense of often complex
categories, such as electronics.
During the content framework development, the
objective should be to determine how to translate the
category and product dimensions into customer models
that are instantly recognizable and make sense.
PILOT #1
GUIDED
CONTENT
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

8. Pilot #2 - Influencer Content
Delivers on a customer’s desire for peer
recommendations, reviews and influencer testimonials.
Influencer testimonials can lend an exceptionally high
level of credibility; even when the recommendation
source is completely anonymous to them. People trust
people more than brands, and the role and format of
influencer content should be considered across the
ecosystem.
PILOT #2
INFLUENCER
CONTENT
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

9. Pilot #3 – Branded Content
Branded Content: has come to mean many things in the last few
years. A handful of editorial points of view that focus on shifting
customer perceptions would be ideal for a branded content
pilot.
Branded content at it’s core remains one of the most effective
top-funnel engagement tactics to drive a customer towards
consideration. But only when you speak to customers on their
terms and consistently deliver a message that emotionally
connects.
PILOT #3
BRANDED
CONTENT
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

10. Guided Content Pilot Influencer Content Pilot Branded Content Pilot
CONTENT PILOT BLUEPRINT
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

11. Go Forward Recommendations
At the conclusion of any pilot program the insights are
packaged into ‘Go Forward’ implementation
recommendations that serve as the basis for developing a
more encompassing content and ecommerce strategy and for
the ongoing deployment of “winnable” content experiences.
A ‘Go Forward deliverable’ should outline 3 tiers of
recommendations:
• (1) longer-term content strategy objectives
• (2) mid-term content development opportunities
• (3) short-term process and creative quick hits
WHAT DOES
SUCCESS FROM A
CONTENT PILOT
LOOK LIKE?
The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

12. YOU ARE NOW
100% READY TO
OWN THIS.
BUT MAYBE NOT.
SO DROP US
A NOTE!
HELLO@LOUDSCOUT.COThe Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017

13. Loudscout is a customer
experience agency led by a
group of user experience and
strategy consultants who are
on the front-lines of
experience disruption.
loudscout.co
TORONTO
VANCOUVER
NEW YORK
THINKERS
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
USER EXPERIENCE
DIGITAL STRATEGY
CREATIVE

14. The Guided Sell | Loudscout 2017
SOME BIG NAMES WITH BIG GAME

15. THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AGENCY
LOUDSCOUT