Content marketing experts preach about numbers, metrics and analytics, and for good reason! But if you’re not used to working with these numbers, then you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain of how to handle them
Which numbers are worth your time?
What do you do with the pages of analytical reports?
What metrics should you measure for success?
Back. It. Up. It’s time to refocus.
Will content creation help you increase your traffic, conversions and all those other goals? You betcha! But your content should support and connect with the audience you serve first. Otherwise, it won’t garner those numbers you desire.
Successful Content Is Created With an Audience-First Mentality
A recent study conducted by Sprout Social found that 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them. How do customers define that connection? The same study concluded that 51% of consumers need brands to show they understand their needs and wants.
Consumers want brands to empathize with them—to step into their shoes. To do so, you must create content that fulfills their needs, solves their problems and inspires them.
You must help your customers first and worry about your numbers second.
Okay, But How Do We Know What to Write About?
Sure, you could look at the content your competitors are creating and go from there. You could even plug an industry keyword into a planning tool and generate ideas. But, this doesn’t necessarily serve your audience well.
Your competitors don’t do what you do. And those industry keywords? Well, they’re possibly oversaturated. The best way to determine where to go with content creation is to get to know your audience.
Getting to Know Your Audience
We talk about understanding your audience a lot because you can’t be successful without it. How can you be sure you’re reaching the right people without knowing who they are? It’s impossible.
Start by creating an ideal customer avatar (persona) that goes into detail about who you serve. An avatar will outline your ideal customer’s needs, wants, desires, fears, setbacks and more. With a full avatar in hand, you’ll know exactly who you’re speaking to and how you can help.
Don’t make content creation on behalf of your audience so hard. Take a look at your completed avatar. Every fear can be a blog post. Every need can be a whitepaper. Every question can be a social post. This is the type of personalized content your audience craves.
Where Do Numbers & Analytics Fit?
Numbers have a specific place in the process. Your data and analytics should support your content creation.
Data and analytics should measure if your content is truly connecting.
For example, if you’re writing content that resonates with your audience, you should start to see qualified leads (the right leads) coming through to your business. You should also notice an uptick in website traffic from those in your target audience (not just any traffic).
If you see no changes, it’s time to dig deeper into your audience’s needs and desires. Determine what you’re missing. Ask your audience questions. If you have a sales team, ask what concerns they’re hearing from your target customer.
As you gain more insight, you’ll start to create better-personalized content. As a result, your numbers will show positive change.
Your audience should lead and your data should follow suit.
Struggling to Understand Your Audience? We’re Here for You!
Understanding your audience is the first step towards a successful content marketing strategy. If you’re struggling to understand your audience or feel paralyzed by the numbers game that is the marketing industry, let us help you find clarity. Send the Word Nerds a message.
