Five commerce strategies every publisher should consider in 2021

By StackCommerce

It’s no secret that 2020 was a challenging year for online publishers, but amidst the layoffs and falling ad revenues, affiliate commerce remained a rare bright spot. The factors that drove shoppable commerce content’s success were two-fold: Readers were thirsty for direction in navigating online commerce during a pandemic, and publishers were looking for ways to compensate for revenue lost elsewhere.

To achieve the former, publishers produced timely content guides with products curated for pandemic-ridden times. At the same time, publishers saw a spike in organic traffic to existing content about products that had become unexpectedly relevant. The Wirecutter’s years’ old roundup of the best bidets, for example, experienced a 5,000 percent year-over-year traffic increase due to the toilet paper shortage in early 2020.

In terms of revenue growth, publishers across the spectrum leaned into commerce to compensate for dips in programmatic and direct-sold advertising. For example, Bustle Digital Group saw an 84 percent year-over-year increase in commerce revenues in the second quarter, leading them to further invest in the approach.

So what does this all mean for publishers as we enter 2021? Consumer behavior will inevitably change as the pandemic restrictions loosen, but commerce content can and will continue to thrive with the right strategies in hand. Whether publishers are just entering the commerce space or they’re looking to scale in 2021, what follows are five commerce strategies that will set them up for success throughout the pandemic — and beyond.

1. Publishers should diversity their retailer strategies

At first glance, it may seem easier to rely on Amazon as the sole retailer for any new commerce strategy. However, an Amazon-only strategy can leave publishers with little control over their revenue stream.

For example, last April, Amazon decided to cut their commission rates, with the rates for many popular categories dropping from 8 to 3 percent. For publishers relying on monthly earnings from those articles, their bottom lines may have been drastically impacted.

Instead of putting all the retailer-strategy eggs in one basket, publishers should work with many retailers, negotiate better rates and diversify their content strategy with SEO buyer’s guides and gift guides, as well as social-first and deal posts.

2. Getting aggressive with article volume and testing drives impact

Publishers may have to take a lot of swings before they hit a home run with commerce content. For those looking for help on the bench, bringing freelancers or third-party content solutions to double or triple content volume and exploring what works and what doesn’t is a common and proactive step. The more data publishers can gather, the more impactful their content can be down the line. With these additional resources, publishers have been able to test out different content types, including SEO-focused articles and social-first deal posts, better informing their strategies moving forward.

3. Promoting digital products gives publishers a revenue edge

Throughout the past year, digital product sales soared. Consumers were looking for ways to stay entertained and busy while stuck at home. They turned to online …read more

Source:: Digiday