How To Create Data Driven Content

What is data driven content?

Data driven content is the practice of using analytics and data to inform a content marketing strategy. Traditionally, the content creation process is formulated from an experience and creative point of view, using intuition to drive communication strategy. Having a data-driven approach uses quantitative research to find out what people want, where and when. This then gives a company insight into what content will resonate with their customers and ultimately increase brand equity and drive sales. 

The data driven way of curating content

Generally, the process for creating data guided content is broken up into 3 areas:

1. Researching for what people are looking for. Finding the topics and questions people are asking for is the hardest and most laborious part of creating data-driven content. Usually this comes in the form of a research project where you scrape Google to find key questions people are asking and in which country, region and even city. The output of this is the quantitative number of people looking for different topics, questions and themes which you can use to inform the bones of your content strategy.

2. Creating content for the right audience. Knowing who already has the highest engagement with your content will help inform the style you should be writing. Internal data such as Google Analytics gives you more than enough information to help with this, look at age, gender, and interest data to see how they all engage with previous content produced. You will learn how different demographics interact with content and also be able to tell what types of content in the past have returned the highest revenue.

3. Once frequently publishing, consistently analyse what is working and what is not via analytics. Be agile in your approach and dig deeper on what is getting cut through and drop what is not. Adopting a test and learn methodology will take you a long way.

So, why this is beneficial

Plain and simple, it gives you security that what you are putting out in the world is actually going to resonate with readers. You are publishing content that you know for a fact people are interested in and so should garner greater engagement, brand affinity and ultimately revenue for your business.

The other great element is that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is largely driven by content. If you have content that people are looking for, you are more likely to show in the Google Search results, ultimately aiding you in your endeavours to drive more organic traffic to your website. 

Data should inform, not dictate

Having a data driven content approach seems full-proof when looking from the outside in, however do not let this dictate every piece of content and information that you put out. Use data to inform, not dictate your content strategy. The biggest asset a company has when creating content is its own brand, therefore let this drive what you produce and allow data to guide, challenge and tweak the output.