Content marketing has come to the forefront after years of marketers using the phrase “Content is KING.” With all of the Google algorithm change in the last few years, the demand for quality content has skyrocketed. Gone are the days of spun articles actually garnering some traffic or making a difference to the search engines. Content strategy has to be on point in order to make every dollar count when it comes to content creation. There are millions of dollars wasted each year by companies that simply wing their content strategy. The following are ways to use data and research to help mold your content strategy.
Use data to define your target demographic
One of the most difficult things for a new company to do when figuring out its content strategy is defining its target demographic. Those with experience and a few years under their belt have a much better opportunity to define this. When looking at the data of customers and their ages, sex, and how they came to find the business’ website, it is important to use the data rather than go with a “Spidey sense” or “gut feeling.” This will allow the content strategy to be formed in a way that will target the customers that were most profitable and to personalize the message to these clients through content.
How it will impact the actual content
Headlines are one of the most important parts of a piece of content. A great headline that catches a customer’s eye can be generated by A-and-B testing. This can be done by using a similar title to see which wording garnered the most traffic.
The tone of the content will be shaped by data as well. If humorous pieces are bringing in massive amounts of traffic, then it is important to stick with what is working. Industries differ on their formalness of content so this is important to note as well. Wealth management or financial advisors might want to avoid this type of tone as people’s finances aren’t a laughing matter. On the other hand, the internet marketing sector is much more laid back so appealing to people’s sense of humor might end in conversions.
The type of content is also important to note when using data. In industries that are a bit more serious and data-heavy, it can be advantageous to visualize this data in the form of an infographic or interactive piece of media. Video is another great way to help spice up some of the “drier” industries’ content. It is important to try a few different types to see what helps with traffic and most importantly conversions.
The most important thing to remember when using data to shape the content is to appeal to the readers that converted in a sale rather than just a click-through to the site or a sales page.
Enlist some outside help
The truth is that many companies cannot interpret the data that they have received. Enlisting a market research company to help can be a huge help in a variety of ways. The company can compile data and look at it with an unbiased eye. This is a huge advantage as sometimes marketing managers or executives have a vision for the company that isn’t in line with what the data is telling the company. The market research company will have gathered data for a myriad of clients so they have experience in translating this in a way that all clients can understand. According to Communications for Research, “Exceptional market research begins with identifying a precise, focused and relevant problem to be solved.” This means that clients think that they have one problem when in actuality the problem is just a microcosm of a larger problem.
Data-driven content strategies are here to stay and the days of the “gut feeling” should be over. Data can help companies save money at alarming rates rather than wasting money on content that will never convert into sales or even leads. Use data to the best of the company’s ability and enlist outside help if the data doesn’t quite make sense. Data is here to stay and it will continue to make the quality of content higher.