CHAPTER 5

COMMON E-COMMERCE SKILLS

5.1 CONTENT WRITING

What Is Content Writing?

Content writing is the process of planning, writing and editing

web content, typically for digital marketing purposes. It can
include writing blog posts and articles, scripts for videos and
podcasts, as well as content for specific platforms, such as
tweetstorms on Twitter or text posts on Reddit.

Why Is Proper Content Writing Important?

When most people hear “content writing”, they think “writing

articles”. However, writing content isn’t just important for blog
posts, in fact, content writing is important for all types of
different content formats, including:

Video scripts
Email newsletters
Keynote speeches
Social media posts
Podcast titles
White papers
Web page copy
Landing pages
YouTube video descriptions

Or put another way, writing is the foundation for pretty much

any content that you publish.

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a) Create an Outline

Creating an outline is a GREAT first step in the content writing

process. Outlines help your content come out better for two
main reasons:

First, outlines force you to put all your thoughts down in an

organized way (rather than writing everything off the top of
your head). Which really speeds up the writing process.

Second, outlines usually lead to a much better structure for your

content. That’s because an outline lets you see your content
from a “high level” that’s impossible to see as you’re writing.
Additionally, because you have an outline, your final content
will hit all of the major points that you set out to before you
started writing.

So: how do you actually go about creating an effective outline?

Here are three main strategies that work well:

• Use a previous piece of content that did well: So

when we start working on a new guide, we use a lot of the
structure from our existing guides as a base.
• Use a template: Most professional content writers
work off of proven templates.
• Use top-performing content: Check out BuzzSumo to
find popular content that you can use as the basis for your
outline.
• Make It Easy to Consume and Share: Content that’s
super easy to read and share is of the keys to great content.
You can have a post written by the world’s top copywriter.
But if that post is hard for people to consume, no one will
read it.

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Here are a few tips to help make your content easier to

consume, skim and share.

b) Keep it Snappy, Rich and Entertaining

Whether you’re writing about content creation or cars, your

writing needs to grab (and keep) people’s attention. Otherwise,
they’ll click over to something else.

How you grab someone’s attention depends on the format

you’re working with? In short: your final content needs to be
super engaging to work. And no matter what format you’re
working with, that starts with the content writing process.

c) Quotable On Social Media

According to a study that we conducted, very few blog posts

get shared or linked to. And to increase the odds that your
content ranks in search engines and gets shared on social media,
add shareable quotes.

For text-based content, this can be a statement that you

highlight in your post.

5.2 FREELANCING
Introduction
The growth of freelancing can’t be denied. According
Upwork’s “Freelancing in America” survey, 56.7 million
Americans freelanced in 2018, up 3.7 million from 2014.
That’s more than 1 in 3 people freelancing.

And younger generations are freelancing more than older

groups. In the 18-34 age group, 42% freelanced in 2018,
compared to 38% in 2014. And the 35-44 age group increased

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to 35% freelancing in 2018 from 34% in 2014. Older age

groups actually showed a slight decline in freelancing.

If you want to join the growing group of freelancers, consider

these pros and cons of freelance jobs to help you determine if
it’s right for you.

Pros of Freelancing
– Freedom of Clients

Freelancers have the unique ability to choose the clients they

work with. They also have the ability to work with many clients
or only a few select clients. FlexJobs’ survey of over 1,000
freelancers found that networking (56%) and job sites like
FlexJobs (47%) are the two most common ways that freelancers
find clients.

– Control of Workload

Another benefit of freelancing is the ability to choose your

workload. You can work as much or as little as you want, and
you can choose projects that are meaningful to you. You get to
focus on the work you love without the distractions of a full-
time job like meetings, office politics, office distractions, etc.

– Flexibility

With such freedom over clients and workload, freelancers have

the flexibility that most people dream of. If you want to work
full-time most of the year and only part-time during the
summer, you have the flexibility and control to make that
decision.

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– Independence
Freelance jobs offer independence. Not only are you free of the
cubicle and 9-to-5 work life, you also have the ability to work
alone, and for the most part, where you are most comfortable
doing so.

– Exposure

A lot of jobs offer employees variety; however, working a

freelance job opens up the ability work on a variety of projects
and topics. Working for one company in-house may not
provide experience in other industries and career areas.
Freelancing is a way to broaden horizons. This variety can help
create an environment that is less redundant and boring.

Cons of Freelancing
– Taxes

Uncle Sam gets a share of income whether you are a freelancer

or an employee. Freelancers, though, have the responsibility of
paying self-employment taxes and making sure to pay them
quarterly. However, freelancers also have deductions that
employees don’t qualify for. Taxes can be a disadvantage of
freelancing, so be sure to carefully consider regulations and
laws when setting your rates.

– Lack of Benefits

Whereas an employee is (for the most part) eligible for benefits,

freelancers rarely receive benefits. Since freelancers are self-
employed, they are typically responsible for finding and
funding their own insurance.

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– Sporadic Work

Finding steady work is a real con of freelancing. Projects can

begin and then get shelved. Clients may end a contract early.
You may finish a project and find it difficult to find more work.
The biggest challenge reported in FlexJobs’ survey of freelance
workers was finding clients (65%). Using a job service like
FlexJobs can keep you on top of finding your next gig.

– Ultimate Responsibility

When you’re a freelancer, you’re running a business. You’re in

charge of business development, getting clients, managing your
clients, billing/collecting, and paying taxes. You’ll need to
make many decisions—how you’ll track and accept payment
(QuickBooks, PayPal, check, etc.); which programs you need
to purchase (Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, subscription
platforms, etc.); what promotional tools you need (business
cards, a website, and even a logo) and more.

Not everyone is prepared and able to handle these tasks. You

are the master of your brand, and you need to run your freelance
career like a business.

– Cash Flow Issues

When weighing the pros and cons of freelancing, one of the

more worrisome issues revolves around cash flow. While
freelancers can set their own fees to meet their income (and
clients’) needs, they are also responsible for collecting
payment. Unfortunately, there are some freelancers that have
been faced with clients that don’t pay up.

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Furthermore, freelancers will want to ask prospective clients

about their expectations for the role and whether it’s simply
project-based, seasonal, or ongoing.

– Isolation

Another common downfall to being a freelancer is that you will

ultimately be isolated from a team or company. Unless you
have people close to you to work with, more often than not, you
will work alone. (For some though, this is more of a blessing in
disguise!)

5.3 DIGITAL MARKETING

Introduction to Digital Marketing

In today’s technologically advanced world, digital marketing is
the new way to promote and sell products. Compared to
traditional marketing, it is cost-effective, easily managed, and
simple to analyse and learn. Campaigns can almost
immediately be changed to do better and sell more. But due to
data mining, it has also become dangerous and more than a tool.
It is almost as if the customer can become the product due to
information sold. Let’s explore both sides of that in this essay.

Importance of Digital Marketing

As already mentioned, today we live in a technologically
advanced world where anything is possible through the
internet. Digital marketing functions and is possible only
because of the internet and nothing else. It is the core of what
digital marketing is.

In a society where we struggle with scarcity and rising prices,

digital marketing is the way to turn that around. The internet is

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easily accessible by everyone in any part of the globe. It is no

longer only for a specific class of society. It is easier to connect
with people and without even having to meet them. Digital
marketing is an advantage for businesses in this era.

It is incredibly convenient for people to buy anything required

from the internet without taking a foot outside of their homes.
It saves time and shows a person the various reviews people
have left. A person can easily compare prices on multiple
websites and pick what is best suited to their needs. It is
beneficial to those who are disabled and can help them get their
work done and live a life of independence.

It also helps businesses themselves, big or small. The traders

can advertise for less money, or even for free if one knows how
to do it well. Products can often go viral without any money
being invested in marketing. It helps small businesses majorly
and helps them get traction.

Types of Digital Marketing

Search Engine Optimization or SEO: This medium helps
place your website right at the top of the results that search
engines bring. This increases the number of visitors and
therefore helps in marketing. This works when certain SEO
words are used in the content that is put up on the website.

Social Media Marketing: This is one of the most effective

forms of marketing and also helps engage with people and form
a relationship of trust with them. It is incredibly effective and
cost-effective. It helps a business read a wider but targeted
audience as compared to traditional forms of advertising. One
meme or one viral video can make the products of any business

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famous. One example is the Bernie Sanders meme of him

sitting on a chair with mittens. The person who made those
mittens got thousands of orders, and her business took off.

Email Marketing: Email marketing is advertising done

through emails. It brings advertisements right to the person’s
inbox unobtrusively. This mainly happens when people log in
to shopping websites and such with their emails.

YouTube Channel: This is also a form of marketing that

comes under social media but has another side to it. Often
people make videos reviewing products and services to a large
fan base. If the reviews are good, many people flood in to buy
the product or service.

The Problem with Digital Marketing

One main problem with digital marketing is data mining. No
rules or laws have been put in place to curb the buying of users’
data. It is used to such an extent that it has been said that the
user has become a product.

It is spoken as a conspiracy theory that we are being spied upon.

But that is not far from the truth. Former employees of Google,
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc., have spoken of how much
data is stored by websites of users that use social media sites.
This information is sold to marketers so they can target specific
audiences with their products. These sites are designed to keep
the person coming back and engaging with the sites. Almost
like an addiction. Proof of this is how much the rates of online
shopping increased during the lockdown. This means that
social media is unsafe and has become more than a tool.

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Conclusion on Digital Marketing

Digital marketing majorly helps all businesses, big and small,
take off. It is vital in this day and age and even helps with the
employment problem. This form of marketing is how one can
take advantage of technology and further their business. But it
is also crucial for users to be careful of what information is put
out on the internet to stay safe. There must be a balance of both,
and companies should be taxed on the amount of data they
have.

5.4 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Introduction
One of the most significant type of digital marketing is Search
Engine Optimization. SEO is made up of multiple elements,
and understanding them is important to know why SEO is so
important. In short, SEO is crucial because it makes your
website more visible, and that means more traffic and more
opportunities to convert prospects into customers. Check out
the SEO tools you can use for optimal ranking.

It’s also a valuable tool for brand awareness, building

relationships with prospects, and positioning yourself as an
authoritative and trustworthy expert in your field. So, here’s
everything you need to know about SEO and why it’s vital to
succeed in today’s digital world.

The Crucial Elements of SEO Marketing

Keywords

Long gone are the days when keywords were the only SEO
technique that mattered, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still

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crucial. The difference is that today, keywords must be well-

researched, carefully chosen, and judiciously used in your
content in order to be effective.

But what are keywords, exactly? Keywords are words and

phrases that prospects use to find online content, and that
brands can then use to connect with prospects who are looking
for their products and services.

When undertaking the key steps of keyword research, it’s

important to look for ones that have high search rates and low
competition and to choose short-tail keywords (such as dog),
long-tail keywords (such as terrier puppies for sale), and local
keywords (such as puppies for sale in Boston) to work into your
content. Along with a primary or seed keyword, you should
also have secondary and tertiary keywords as they will still
offer value to your business. Finally, use keywords to optimize
all your titles, URLs, and other on-page SEO elements.

Content

Content is a vital part of SEO because it’s the vehicle you use
to reach and engage audiences. Knowing your angle and
crafting content that fits is essential.

For instance, if you owned a nursery and wanted to increase

your visibility, you might publish a series of blogs about
gardening, choosing the right species of plants, growing tips,
and more. When a person who wanted to know about gardening
went looking for that information, your blog would come up,
and you’d be able to build a relationship with that prospect by
providing valuable information. The idea is that when the time
came for that prospect to buy a plant, for instance, you’d be the
first nursery that came to mind.

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Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO involves external optimization practices that

happen away from your site rather than on it.

The main technique used for off-page SEO is backlink building

since quality backlinks to your site from external sites tell
search engines that your site is valuable and high-quality which
helps to build authority.

There are many tactics to backlink building, and some of the

current best practices include guest blogging, creating lots of
infographics that will be highly shared, and using influencer
marketing in your content.

Advantages
• Free

SEO is totally free of cost, and it depends on how much time

you spend researching keywords and utilizing them in your
high-quality content.

• Localized Traffic

Using local SEO tools such as Google My Business can help

you improve your localized traffic.

• Mobile Friendly

Good SEO means your site is responsive, your site speed is

good, and there’s no latency for mobile users.

• Expert Status

Following best SEO practices means your site is an authority.

You only have one article per keyword, and you only have
backlinks from high-quality sites.

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• Customer Friendly

Potential customers find your site because of your SEO. They

come to your site and see that you’re professional. There are no
grammatical errors in your content. You’re using the latest
technology on a secure site.

Disadvantages
• Targeted by Competitors

Effective SEO means you rank high. Sites that rank high are
targeted by competitors who want a slice of the SEO pie, which
means you’re always on your toes.

• Changes

SEO can change. Just say the word “panda” and watch business
owners frown. One small change to SEO, and you can be at the
top of the search results one day and the next day find your site
greatly demoted.

• Penalties

You need to always be on top of your game, which may require

some financial investment. One example is websites that
haven’t been upgraded to responsive design will be penalized.

• Slow Results

SEO isn’t a fast-moving process. You can update your site and
use best practices and not see results for months.

• No Promises

You could update all your content and website features and still
not find that your site has improved. SEO doesn’t promise
results.