E-commerce isn’t just selling anymore. It’s teaching. Brands are including education into their sales strategy to build trust, grow loyalty, and boost conversion along the way.
Experts Say
Expert #1: Casey Carey, Content Marketing Institute
Casey Carey highlights how “education-based videos” shift focus from hard selling to context-driven storytelling. Brands like Apple offer digital photography courses, showing customers how to use products in the real world—driving engagement and loyalty without the pushy pitch fastercapital.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1contentmarketinginstitute.com+2msijournal.com+2contentmarketinginstitute.com+2.
Expert #2: Courtney Roe & Jake Athey, Content Marketing Institute
Roe and Athey at CMI studied Widen University’s success. They found that educational arms drive retention—Widen’s Net Promoter Score jumped from 37 to 56 between 2014 and 2017—and boosted lead gen by 35% annually. Deep learning content beats simple features and price pitches contentmarketinginstitute.com.
Our Take
Brands can’t stop at flashy ads or product pages anymore. To cut through today’s noise, education—usable, real, valuable—is the secret sauce. Authentic content builds bonds, pre-sells value, and turns customers into loyal advocates. But it has to be high‑quality, relevant, and genuinely helpful.
3 Action Steps
- Host Mini Q&A Webinars:
• Pick one key pain point, e.g., Nordstrom’s AI‑styling demo.
• Promote live, 30-minute webinars.
• Feature product demos + live styling advice or use‑case deep dives.
• Follow up with replay + 10% exclusive offer. - Build an “X‑Academy” Hub for Your Niche:
• Launch a course hub (think WidenUniversity or Schneider’s Energy University).
• Offer free webinars, how-to videos, plus paid deep dives.
• Include progress tracking and certification to boost NPS and retention. - Partner for Co-created Learning:
• Collaborate with credible experts, like Dr. Barbara Sturm does.
• Produce masterclasses or tutorials featuring their voice.
• Offer access as a bonus for purchases or subscriptions.
Brands win when they teach more than they sell. Education isn’t fluff—it’s conversion fuel. Ready to turn your store into a school?
Written By Vanessa Manvelyan
