8 Ecommerce Blog Post Templates You Can Use Today

By Rodney Laws | Ecommerce

Dec 04
A woman uses an ecommerce blog post template to plan her strategy

Blogging is one of the most effective marketing methods open to ecommerce businesses.

Blogs offer an array of benefits for online stores: they generate leads, increase relevant web traffic, engage prospective customers, outline brand values, and so on. Beyond that, it’s relatively easy to do, requires no extra software or tools, and can be done anywhere at any time.

If you’re writing content for your online store today, you need a blog post template to go with it.

But why is using a template for your blogs such a good idea?

Creating high-quality ecommerce blogs on a regular and consistent basis can be difficult. Writing fresh content is a time-consuming task, and blog templates speed up the process by giving you a clear direction of where to go.

Using a template for your articles saves you time, guides your writing, and helps you create an engaging blog post that your customers will actually read.

We’ve created this essential list of ecommerce content templates to help you quickly and easily create a great blog post. Read on to discover eight great ideas for your ecommerce blog post calendar to suit any occasion.

Blog post template #1: listicles

Revered by some yet reviled by others, you can’t deny that the listicle is a popular format of digestible content that readers love. It’s compact, concise, and perfect for a mobile-first age.

And listicles are flexible too. You can choose whatever theme you like to collate your listicle around, as long as it’s relevant to your audience’s interests.

Generally between 5-20 points long, they can be strategies, tools, techniques, tips, even memes — whatever resonates with your target audience. But for ecommerce, products also make great listicles.

Don’t be afraid to lighten up your listicle with a little humour — listicles are quick, digestible blog posts, and a joke here and there makes them easier to read.

The anatomy

Your listicle should contain:

  • One overarching theme: recipes, style, products, etc
  • 8-10 resources related to your theme, with the following:
    • High-quality image
    • Link to each
    • Concise but engaging description
    • Prices (where applicable)

Blog post template #2: roundups

A roundup post is a great way to reuse old content by transforming it into something new. It’s also perfect for when you’re stacked out with Christmas or Black Friday orders but you need to fill your content schedule in a pinch.

The best roundup posts are those that cater to different audience segments’ specific needs. They will vary depending on your customers and what other competing content you’re up against, but they all generally follow the same structure.

Remember — just because you’re reusing old content, it doesn’t mean you can simply reproduce it and leave it at that. Give it a bit of a shine by adding in some fresh copy and intersperse some images or memes throughout.

The anatomy

Your end-of-year roundup should contain:

  • A brief intro for each post
  • 5-10 of your top-performing posts from the past year, including:
    • Links
    • Prices
    • Photos
    • A short but engaging description

Blog post template #3: interviews

Interviews are an ecommerce content quick win. They’re easy to do (most of the content is provided by your interviewee), great for nurturing relationships by showing some love, and deliver insight from a fresh perspective.

Beyond that, interviews also cement your position as an authority within your niche. Speaking to an expert in your industry shows you’re active and engaged within your niche, rather than a passive observer.

Finally, interviews offer a great chance to amplify your content too. If they’re interesting or valuable, your readers will (hopefully) share your interview with others too. This generates valuable social shares that increase your content’s SEO and brand value.

Remember to offer open-ended questions to encourage your interviewee to offer more information. If you want to know more about something but your interviewee has clammed up, simply politely ask them to elaborate a little for you.

It’s also a good idea to acknowledge your interviewee’s expertise. Praise them for their knowledge, and then ask them a question — you’ll get a lot more out of your interview by creating a positive connection between the two of you.

The anatomy

Your interview should include:

  • An interviewee: someone relevant to your industry that your customers will find interesting. If you’re struggling, it’s worth using tools here — influencer marketing platforms are a good way to find relevant people in your niche
  • 8-10 interview questions: try to go beyond the usual and craft questions that elicit insightful, interesting responses
  • A good photo of your interviewee. If possible, take an original snap that you can share in your social media promo.

Blog post template #4: gift guides

In the run-up to gift-giving events such as Christmas or birthdays, customers often need a little inspiration. Gift guides collate this inspiration into one handy place, helping shoppers find the perfect present to buy their loved one.

As well as helping the individual with gift ideation, these gift guides also function as shareable wish lists for your customers to pass on to their friends and family. For those shoppers struggling to find that perfect gift for a distant aunt for Christmas, your gift guide might provide the inspiration they need.

Beyond that, gift guides can also be optimised for search engines for other struggling customers to find and use for inspiration. This is a handy SEO trick that helps you take advantage of seasonal web traffic, giving your online store a welcome boost in the SERPs.

The anatomy

Your gift guide should contain:

  • A selection of 10-15 products (of which at least a third should be yours)
  • High-quality photos of each product (at least two)
  • A short but snappy description of your product, with price and any discounts
  • A link to each product page.

Blog post template #5: how-to guides

How-to guides are great content that drives traffic by helping your customers out. They’re useful and informative, and make for some superb evergreen content too.

People often turn to the web to find out how to complete a specific task, or if they need advice on an issue. These tutorials are your chance to deliver that knowledge, solve your audience’s pain points, and drive traffic to your online store too.

Indeed, how-to guides are also a great opportunity to showcase your expertise within your niche. Position yourself as an authority and deliver value to your customers with comprehensive instructional guides.

The key to creating a great how-to guide blog post is to make it accessible. You might know all the necessary jargon, but your audience probably won’t. Keep it simple — short sentences, basic vocabulary, and no fluff. Include only what is necessary and make it as readable and accessible as possible.

The anatomy

Your how-to tutorial should contain:

  • Keyword research: use keyword research to identify what kind of queries your audience is searching for. This will help inform what kind of guides you create
  • A brief into explaining what you’ll be teaching your readers, why you’re teaching it to them, and how it will help them
  • A step-by-step breakdown of the entire process
  • Images for each step to better visualise the process (where applicable).

Blog post template #6: newsjacking

The word ‘newsjacking’ was coined by the marketing strategist David Meerman Scott in 2011. It refers to the practice of adding your own opinions and insights into a current news story, often as it’s breaking.

For ecommerce businesses, this is a huge boon. Newsjacking places your brand into real-world events. It shows that you are active and current, engaged with your industry in real time.

By responding to industry news and providing your opinion on it, you educate your readers and position yourself as a thought leader rather than simply an observer.

Of course, it’s important to tread carefully when newsjacking. It’s easy to stray into difficult territory, and many brands have fallen into the trap of being tone-deaf in their attempts to analyse or insert themselves into the news.

Strive to offer a fresh insight, but be wary of going too far in an attempt to be unique. If in doubt, ask someone to proofread your blog before you publish — a second pair of eyes can be useful for spotting problematic copy.

The anatomy

Your gift guide should contain:

  • A compelling intro that shows why your audience should care about the story
  • A link to the original news story: this helps your readers contextualise your piece
  • 2-3 excerpts of the original story: these serve as anchors for your opinions.

Blog post template #7: trends

People like to know what’s current — something buoyed by the real-time nature of social media.

Being in touch with what is happening right now as it happens is essential, particularly in ecommerce. Style-savvy fashion customers always want to stay ahead of design trends, for instance, and tech geeks are always eager to know about the latest gadgets. 

Trends blog posts help you provide that to your audience — they’re a chance to deliver insight into the future of your niche.

Like other content templates on this list, sharing a trend blog shows that you are engaged in your niche and that you are at the forefront of your industry. It builds your authority as a brand, a valuable thing when it comes to expanding your customer base and growing your store.

But beyond all this, trends blog posts show that you are an active, exciting brand that cares about your niche. It is this that sets your ecommerce business apart from the rest, demonstrating an energy and passion that extends to your customer community.

The anatomy

  • 3-10 genuine trends within your industry: these need to be current. Don’t simply rehash trends from last year (unless they have developed in a significant way) — make your content stand out by listing real, relevant, and current trends
  • Solid research: while it’s certainly possible to rewrite a list from other resources, you likely have the requisite knowledge and expertise to be able to recognise developing trends within your industry
  • Actions: how will these trends impact your industry, your business, or your customers?

Blog post template #8: beginner’s guides

Whether it’s learning how to tie your shoelaces or finding the perfect method of making scrambled eggs, every journey starts with a single step.

As an online store, you can help your customers take that step with simple, easy-to-understand beginner’s guides. You know your industry and your audience inside-out, so you’ll know how to educate people about your niche too.

These kind of article templates are essentially entry-level how-to guides, designed to help complete novices understand elements of your industry. They provide actionable value to your audience that they can take away and use.

But beyond this, beginner’s guide templates build your authority too. They depict you as a source of knowledge and expertise, increasing your value as a brand as a result.

The anatomy

  • Use clear, basic language: avoid unnecessary jargon wherever possible, or include explanations to help your audience get to grips with your guide
  • Keyword research: identifying the most commonly-searched queries, especially those with the suffix “for beginners” or similar, will help you create content that actually resonates with your readers
  • Use visual aids where appropriate to help cater to different kinds of learning within your audience.

The ecommerce blog templates above are just a few examples of possible content ideas for your online store. You can use them as they are, or tweak them for your own purposes — whatever suits your online store’s goals.

Whether you’re still getting to grips with content marketing for ecommerce or you’re just struggling for inspiration, these blog post templates will help you create engaging, relevant content that your audience will love, time and again.