Although the use of “content intelligence” may seem like something you might start in the future, not only is it “now”, but there are several content intelligence habits you can adopt without diving into a life-changing marketing (or software) investment. These small activities can be leveraged to give your brand the boost it needs to stay ahead of the competition, and continue to engage your customers, both present and potential.
First and foremost, determine what your goal(s) are for the content: Are you looking for customer retention, brand awareness, improved relationships with influencers, increased search rankings, or increased sales? Content has played an important role in the shift from marketing to the top of the funnel, to focusing on the bottom of the funnel (since more than 70% of the buyer’s journey happens before the customer reaches you) AND then strengthening the relationship after the sale.
The second step in this journey to establishing content intelligence habits is to determine what data you are going to use to measure performance. There are many factors involved, as your audience is found in many locations, using different devices, through several different scenarios. Understanding these two aspects of content intelligence will provide you with the details you need to formulate a strategy.
Now let’s dig in to more specific habits you can establish:
- Habit Number 1—Perform a Content Audit. Don’t just ditch your previously-created content simply because you haven’t used it yet. Review content you haven’t used yet, didn’t perform well, or may be perfect for recycling. A content audit allows you to adjust based on what has been successful, what could be reused, what can be used in several applications, or what you may need to scrap altogether. There is an ideal sequence, so map it out. Additionally, this is not a one-time experience. Consider making this a regular process, so you can adjust your plan as needed.
- Habit Number 2—Calculate content ROI. Measure time spent on content creation, determine what you will track, like:
- Traffic
- Conversion rate
- Leads generated
- Habit Number 3—Optimize (or upgrade) your metrics—are you measuring everything you possibly can? The more data you have, the more answers you will find. Track subscribers, social shares, video views, and other marketing channels. Determining by whom, where, when, and for how long your content is being consumed is invaluable. Remember, this process is continually evolving, so you need to remain nimble to stay in front of the changes. Additional tools like SEO (since content is one of the top search ranking factors) and backlinks (not just more, but better quality) can help you improve your rankings---and ROI---even better.
- Habit Number 4--Watch your competitors. Now that there is more to SEO and rankings than simply ranking keywords, it is important to know what the competition is doing. Study the content they are sharing across channels, both in location, type, and frequency. You can gather valuable information about what works and doesn’t work for them, and even gain inspiration for “stepping up your game.”
- Habit Number 5—Optimize your delivery. Not all the answers are found within the content itself. Sometimes it comes down to your method. Consider some of the delivery issues such as:
- Templates: are your emails attractive and engaging and are you providing your mobile users with an optimized experience?
- Frequency: are you sending content at the optimal rate?
- Deliverability: Keep your list healthy and provide opt-ins (and opt-outs)
- Segments: By segmenting your groups, you can combine everything you know to provide the right content, at the right time, in the right format for any specific group
Start These Content Intelligence Habits Now
One final takeaway here is to remember that although there are algorithms to help determine details about your customers, you need to understand INTENT. This can be a little tricky, but with advanced AI tools available, you are now equipped to make more subtle determinations than ever before.
These content intelligence habits are a combination of skills and tools which help you utilize the content you have better, with less money and time invested. Use the technological tools available to you, gather your best content writers, and begin (or improve upon) a journey to remarkable content!
About Digital Impact Agency
Not sure where to start? Digital Impact Agency is a creative firm with years of experience in creating marketing campaigns to maximize your reach and engagement. From marketing strategy to content creation and analytics, we can guide your organization to a more effective and profitable experience.
