The global\nmarket is becoming seriously competitive, forcing companies to avoid the\nguessing game of what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content is\nsuch a broad subject, and many might claim that they know the secret that\nunlocks the 100% conversion formula. The reality is that there is no\none-answer-fits-all scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why\neach company needs to collect good data, analyze, and leverage the information\ncorrectly to improve their content marketing campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might ask\nyourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Is your content effective?<\/li>
- How are you doing on social\nmedia?<\/li>
- Is there enough engagement?<\/li>
- Does your client base respond\nto a certain type of call-to-action (CTA)?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When a company starts to craft a content marketing strategy<\/a>, it is normal not to know what is going to work. You\u2019ll have to start with some basic hypotheses and use A\/B testing to validate your ideas. The data you collect will be your treasure trove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Why does your content\nmarketing need to be data-driven?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When we use\ndata to make decisions, we take emotion and assumptions out of the picture. We\nalso take past experiences and improve on them instead of starting from scratch\nevery time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where do we start?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we even\nbegin posting content online, we need to set our key performance indicators\n(KPIs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three\nbasic KPIs you need to measure for content include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Traffic<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Who\nis viewing your content?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How\nmany people are viewing it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is\nit the right audience?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Engagement<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Are\npeople responding to your content?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If\nso, how? (positive\/negative?)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How\ndo you measure engagement?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Conversion<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Is\nyour traffic converting?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If\nso, what is the best performing content?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can\nyou identify which CTAs work?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How\ncan you increase these numbers?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How\nto improve conversions using a data-driven content marketing strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Great planning\nwill lead to great results. Here\u2019s what you need to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. \nDefine your goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Before you\nassign a mountain of content to your qualified writers<\/a>, define what results you\nexpect from the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on\nthe goal of your campaign, you need to separate content into various types\nincluding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Awareness-focused content<\/li>
- Traffic-generating content<\/li>
- Conversion-focused content<\/li>
- Fun content<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
For example,\nawareness-focused content is designed to educate the public about your products\nand services. Traffic-generating content is based on strong SEO to drive\ntraffic. Finally, conversion-focused content is enriched with social proof and\nother techniques that help buyers make a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fun content is\nsomething you can share occasionally to continue engaging your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe above is a\nsimple example of a template. Each marketer can create their own according to\nthe needs of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can assign\neach category a number of articles, goals, and KPIs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. \nPublish more articles than you\nthink you need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content\nmarketing is growing faster than most companies can keep up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping the\nattention of your audience is becoming a major challenge for most marketers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know\nthat, according to CMI<\/a>, 72% of marketers report that publishing\ncontent often significantly increases the engagement from their audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to\nthe Digital\nInformation World<\/a>, the average attention span is now floating\nsomewhere in the area of 8 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means\nthat you have 8 seconds to capture and hold someone\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This also\nmeans that trends do not last as long as they used to, so your team needs to be\nconstantly on the lookout for new trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google\nTrends<\/a> is a great tool to use to stay on top of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Publishing\narticles more frequently will get you more leads and also keep you competitive.\nCreating authentic, creative, and engaging content is not an easy task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The faster you\ntrain your team to do it, the faster you will move up in the rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. \nDecide on your channels and\ncontent format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do not limit\nyourself to your company\u2019s blog. There are many channels that you need to use\nto create and distribute your content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To drive\ntraffic on your website you need your own blog, but do not stop there. Consider\nall of the possible channels for content distribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNow you have\nto consider not only the channels, but also the type of content these channels\naccept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we hear\nthe word, \u201ccontent,\u201d most people think of text. But content takes many forms\nand shapes including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Blogging<\/li>
- Videos or vlogging<\/a><\/li>
- Infographics<\/a><\/li>
- Ebooks<\/li>
- Research content<\/li>
- Email content<\/li>
- Website copy<\/li>
- CTAs (micro-content)<\/li>
- Ads<\/li>
- Press releases<\/li>
- Reviews<\/li>
- Testimonials\/social proof<\/li>
- Social media content<\/li>
- Podcasts<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Your social\nmedia content strategy needs extra care and attention, as social media is a\ncommon core for all companies and brands out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use\ndata to understand which channels and content formats work well with your\ntarget audience. With tools like Cortex<\/a>, you can collect insights about what\nsubjects, themes, and colors your audience likes. This will help you develop\nthe kind of content that will appeal to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA data-driven\ncontent marketing campaign needs to explore different types of content. Then\nyou need to identify what kind of impact that content has on conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, you\nneed to use the right content for the right campaign<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not feel\nthat you need to test every single piece of content type that exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather, do\nsome research to find out what works well for your industry and start with\nthat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know\nthat, according to WordStream<\/a>, using videos on your landing pages\nwill increase conversions by 86%? You could experiment with this tactic too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. \nUse links and then use some\nmore links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Google’s Andrey Lipattsev<\/a> said that content and links\nare the two main factors when it comes to indexing your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By now, you\nunderstand that you need to plan your content calendar, decide on your KPIs,\nand set up your analytics<\/a>. These actions will help\nyou measure what works while investigating what type of content works best for\nyou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what about\nlinks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many\nways to get links, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Find websites with broken links<\/strong> and contact them to suggest potential links to replace the broken one. Be sure to include your website in the suggestions. To make this super easy, various plugins can automatically check for broken links on websites.<\/li>
- Create infographics<\/strong> and get other websites to publish them along with links to your site.<\/li>
- Have guest authors write for your blog<\/strong>. Even if your blog is a company one, you can ask your clients to share their stories. It is a great way to leverage your existing audience. <\/li>
- Spy on your competitors<\/strong> and sign up for their newsletters and alerts. They might know something you don\u2019t and they are probably spying on you anyway. Check their backlinks and see if they are successful in their methods. <\/li>
- Build internal links<\/strong>. When you publish a new article, connect it to existing relevant articles on your site. This will keep the reader on your website longer, reflecting a lower bounce rate.<\/li>
- Promote your content through social media<\/strong> platforms and channels that make sense for your industry. <\/li>
- Make friends with influencers<\/strong>. Find ways to work with them. They are a trusted source for most consumers. Use popular influencer marketing and discovery platforms<\/a> that can locate influencers for you.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
5. \nYour headlines are your first\nimpression, and they count!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your headline\nis why you got that first click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your content\ncan be incredible, groundbreaking, and breathtaking all in one. However, if\nyour headline does not invite the audience to click, no one is going to read\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of your\nheadline as the window in a store. It needs to be inviting and alluring so that\nit ignites the curiosity in the passer-by to walk in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have\ntrouble thinking of a headline, you can use one of the many headline generators\nout there such as the Ki<\/a>ckass\nHeadline Generator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSome general\nguidelines that work well for headlines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Mention a number<\/li>
- Use an emotion<\/li>
- Use the secret formula of eight words or 62 characters or\n 81-100 characters <\/li>
- Create a sense of usefulness <\/li>
- Negative spins do well (unfortunately)<\/li>
- Make it a question (when possible)<\/li>
- Never lie<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
BuzzSumo<\/a>\nstudied over 100,000 headlines and below is a chart showcasing the results on\nsocial media click-through rates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. \nUpdate existing content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take inventory\nof the content you already have stored away or published. You need to know what\nyou have and where you can use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For older\nposts, go back and make sure you update\nthem<\/a> to reflect the latest statistics and trends. Otherwise, what is\nthe point of anyone reading blog posts from years ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can even\nexplore other ways to reuse older content, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Create infographics<\/strong> and get other websites to publish them along with links to your site.<\/li>
- Infographics<\/a><\/li>
- Conversion<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Engagement<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Traffic<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/mention.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/How-to-Improve-Conversions-with-a-Data-Driven-Content-Marketing-Strategy-template.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/mention.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/How-to-Improve-Conversions-with-a-Data-Driven-Content-Marketing-Strategy-hubspot.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/mention.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/How-to-Improve-Conversions-with-a-Data-Driven-Content-Marketing-Strategy-cortex.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/mention.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/How-to-Improve-Conversions-with-a-Data-Driven-Content-Marketing-Strategy-headline.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/mention.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/How-to-Improve-Conversions-with-a-Data-Driven-Content-Marketing-Strategy-top-headline.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n