We all know what buying guides are today, but have you ever wondered how they came about? As it turns out, the history of buying guides is as interesting as it is informative, and understanding how and why these guides are such a popular resource can help you to make smarter choices when you need the information to help you buy something. Here’s the lowdown on where buying guides come from and why they’re so important to the economy of today’s world.
A brief guide to content marketing
People started creating content for various reasons, but all in a bid to help solve a problem or meet an unmet need. From these humble beginnings, content marketing took off and has developed into a multi-billion dollar industry, with many experts even going so far as to say that content marketing will soon be where advertising was in its heyday. However, despite what you may have heard, your goal shouldn’t be to create content as much as it should be to create good content—good enough that people will share it. That way, once they do share it, they’ll also share your name (and not just your brand) with their audience.
Definition of a buying guide
In general, a buying guide refers to a publication, usually found in print or online, that aids consumers in making purchasing decisions. Some sources use buying great products online to refer specifically to articles or other information included with a product purchase; others include subscription services designed to alert customers when new goods are available. In either case, it’s an informational resource designed to make shopping more efficient and/or economical. Many take their cue from user-generated reviews, providing readers with an overview of a good’s best and worst features (although some stop short of saying outright whether they’re positive or negative). A few companies make money by selling subscriptions; those that don’t rely on advertisers for funding.
When were buying guides first published?
Buying guides as we know them today have existed since at least 1957, when consumer goods retailer Montgomery Ward & Co. published its first Ward’s Business Directory, a directory of businesses in seven Midwestern states. The Ward’s directories eventually became a nationally distributed business listing publication that was published until 2000 (the company was sold to Sears and discontinued publishing in 2001). Because it came out just before Christmas, information about holiday shopping trends were included for merchants to use for marketing purposes. Holiday retail ad spending has remained consistent since then: $60 billion per year on Black Friday and over $450 billion annually from November through December.
How many different types are there today?
Buying guides come in all shapes and sizes. To help you navigate them, here are some of their more common types. Some categories overlap, and some can be used for multiple functions (see below). The number of categories might vary slightly depending on where you live (we’ll discuss local specificities later). For example, if you’re looking to buy a car in France, your buying guide will look different than if you’re shopping for a car in Germany. You should also know that there’s no hard-and-fast rule about how many steps there should be: one site may offer four steps while another offers eight or nine. That said, most sites follow similar patterns when it comes to organizing information into steps and sub-steps.
Example 1) Technology Buying Guides
Ever since I was a young child I remember seeing one of these shiny circular things sitting atop my parents’ coffee table. At first, as you might imagine, it simply appeared to be an old magazine with some writing on it. In time, however, I learned that these were actually Buyer’s Guides which had become a staple in American households throughout the 70s and 80s. Yet what I didn’t realize at that time was that they had been around much longer than just one or two decades…which brings us to today’s topic: What is The History Of Buying Guides?
Example 2) Insurance Buying Guides
Carriers and Agents – To give customers a better sense of what goes into choosing an insurance company and agent, many carriers are putting together guides. These can also be distributed at open houses or as part of new business promotion. Some agents might even make one for their own clients. The information included in these can vary greatly, but you may see things like • Insurer’s company information • Different insurance products offered by an insurer • A glossary of terms and definitions to help guide customers through their selections • How to buy insurance from an agent (online vs. over-the-phone).
Example 3) The Ultimate Guide
Since ancient times, humans have been selling one another stuff. And since trade has been a basic human instinct, it’s no surprise that early retailers were among some of civilization’s first entrepreneurs—before even entrepreneur was a word. That said, consumer purchasing still largely works by physical means (such as visiting stores and kiosks) rather than through digital means. Therefore, e-commerce tends to be described as retail sales minus actual retail locations; in other words, e-commerce primarily encompasses digital storefronts or a website where users can buy goods and services online. For more visit here www.top10echo.com