Weekend Reading – Content Robots, Increasing E-Commerce Conversions and The Power of Reddit

Looking for a way to pass the time this weekend? We’ve scanned the web and created a list of some of our most interesting content finds. Today we’ll look at robots that write content, simple solutions for increasing e-commerce conversion rates and Reddit as a content marketing tool. Let’s roll!

The Robots are Coming!

As a kid growing up in the 80’s, I had a big fascination with robots. I loved Star Wars, Small Wonder, Gobots… you get the idea. I also had an Omnibot on my Christmas list for years but never got one (side note – this Omnibot commercial is so awesome. Be sure you stay for the random breakdance freestyle session at the end).

Read #1 – Content Creation Robots

You’ve probably read content created by AI already… you just don’t know it. This article takes a deeper look at Quill by Narrative Science. It’s interesting to see how far this program has come in not very much time. Is it a replacement for a real live writer? Nope. Could it change the content landscape in a few years? For sure. This one is worth a read! The amount of content that services like Quill can pump out in a short period of time is crazy.

Eliminating E-Commerce Hoops

I often talk about consumer hoops during my presentations. It’s amazing how many people leave an e-commerce purchase mid-stream because the company makes the purchase experience difficult. If only there were a list of things to keep in mind when designing your e-commerce experience. Oh, wait…

Read #2 – 5 Disasters in Checkout That Destroy Conversion Rates

There are some pretty valid points in here. The one that resonates with me the most is the idea of a “guest checkout” option. As a consumer, I appreciate the option of checking out as a guest. Sometimes I just want to get in and get out… I don’t have the time or patience to be your friend and sign up for an account. The part about trust seals was pretty interesting too. In a nutshell – make it dead easy for people to buy from you, or they’ll leave and never come back.

Reddit – The Somewhat Forgotten Marketing Opportunity

If I were to list my favourite social media channels, Reddit would rank in my top 3. It’s not the flashiest platform, and it can be a bit confusing for those just starting out but the information and entertainment found within make it a worthwhile experience. Need a conversation starter at your next party? Spend 5 minutes on Reddit and you’re good to go.

Read #3 – Content Marketing on Reddit

I like this article because it dives deeper than just “you should advertise on Reddit”. It has a bunch of good ideas on how to use Reddit as a way to curate content, discover new content topics, learn about audience groups and source information from specific niche audiences. If you know where to look and you’re passionate about your topic, you should never run out of good content ideas.

There you have it… some light reading for the weekend! Enjoy!