Data-driven solutions to assist in the uncovering of effective content strategies
Content is an extraordinarily important component of every digital strategy, for businesses both large and small. Content creation itself is no easy feat and sometimes, even the very best creatives struggle to form coherent ideas that will ultimately go on to drive positive results. When utilised correctly, data can be an incredibly effective tool for the formation of your content creation strategy, you can use information from other SEO tasks such as keyword mapping to help identify creative content marketing opportunities for your content strategy.
Understand what already works
It can often be enormously tempting to go against the grain in an attempt to carve success from the road less travelled and establish yourself as a progressive and inimitable business with a unique perspective and original ideas. It is, however, also imperative not to forget that taking the time to really understand what already works is a fundamental component of successful content creation, regardless of whether you end up going with or against the tide.
Comprehensive understanding in this area relies on the gathering and analysis of clearly identified metrics, the details of which will vary depending on precisely what you are trying to understand. If, for example, building an understanding of the themes and ideas your audience is particularly interested in, you will likely find that looking at both user behaviour and engagement metrics will provide interesting illuminations.
Consider your competitors and the wider market landscape
Although you will want to pursue different strategies from your closest competitors, it is undeniable that you can learn a lot from taking a close look at the approaches your competitors are currently choosing to take.
There are several key data areas that you should monitor closely, including the specific topics they choose to create content around, how often they are creating unique content, how many likes and social shares they secure, and where their content is published. From here, you will want to begin thinking about how you can provide a new perspective on the same or similar topics that will provide additional value to your audience.
This same practice can also be applied to wider market trends. Setting up regular alerts for a small selection of keywords or phrases will quickly provide you with a wealth of usable data that will help you build a comprehensive image of both the current market and where your target audience sits within this landscape.
Conduct intricate headline analysis
Every piece of content should begin with an attention-grabbing headline that also provides audiences with a quick overview of what they can expect to gain from investing their time in consuming this particular piece of content. The key here is to strike the ideal balance between the types of headlines that are resonating within the industry to attract wider audiences to your content and the types of headlines that will resonate with your current audience base. You don’t have to rely on guesswork or pure experimentation when there is a wealth of valuable data available to you.
Successful content creation relies on a marriage between creativity and strategy. Although these two components may sit at opposite ends of a spectrum, there is simply no need for them to result in conflict. Data will help you to validate your creativity and put together content strategies that will deliver tangible results in both the short and long term.