The holiday shopping season is approaching rapidly, and content marketing can help businesses stand out during the highly competitive time of year.

A report from eMarketer suggests that ecommerce spending related to the December holidays will continue its consistent growth since the depths of the economic recession. As more Americans turn to the web to check gifts off their shopping lists, attracting these consumers is increasingly important, and difficult with so many sites available to choose from.

Content marketing strategies that focus on emphasizing product or service values are among the best ways to appeal to new shoppers during these busier times of the year. Developing articles, infographics and other marketing content around the leading benefits of business offerings both drives web presence and presents information that sets a brand apart. Educating an audience and conveying a sense of authority to site users also helps build trust, which can lead to sales.

Developing articles, infographics and other marketing content around the leading benefits of business offerings both drives web presence and presents information that sets a brand apart.

Brafton recently highlighted data from About.com that found more than 80 percent of consumers won’t work with an organization unless they trust it. Website content can foster this trust, and other marketing channels, such as social media, can enhance or develop stronger relationships. With eMarketer predicting online holiday shopping sales will exceed $54 billion, failing to create a strategy that attracts consumers can be a disaster for companies.

EMarketer’s expectations suggest 16.8 percent growth in ecommerce spending from 2011, when Americans spent $46.63 billion on the web. Additionally, total ecommerce spending for 2012 is likely to reach $224.2 billion, which would represent 15.4 percent annual growth.

For marketers, certain periods within the holiday season are especially competitive. Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday, which typically results in the most ecommerce spending of any day during November and December. However, frequently publishing content throughout these months is important to consistently work toward trust and drive prospects through the conversion funnel. Low prices are often selling points for consumers however, Brafton recently highlighted a report from Copernicus that suggested brand message and the experience a company offers can be as important price. Additionally, winning customers with trust-building content during the holidays can lead to repeat purchases throughout the year.

To this end, social media marketing is an increasingly important element of winning business. Brafton highlighted a report from Click Fox earlier this summer that said 72 percent of consumers believe customer service is a critical to brand loyalty. However, less than half of all social media engagement directed at brands garners a response from companies, according to two separate studies. With this in mind, brands can use interactive social content to get an edge this holiday season.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.