The Summer Data Sweep Checking In with Your Content at the Halfway Point

The Summer Data Sweep Checking In with Your Content at the Halfway Point

How does your company’s content get created? And how much content is there? What does your company consider “content” and how is it measured?
While a lot of people like to take stock at the beginning of the year and set new goals, I like to evaluate and recalibrate in July. (This may be because I really love data and so it gives me something to look forward too when the holidays are still 6 months away.) So here are a few questions that I typically ask when I do my “Summer Data Sweep.”

Asking the right questions about your content

Start by asking the right questions and being honest with yourself.

  1. What are you currently considering “content” at your organization? If you’re doing any of the following things, they’re all content and should be measured, analyzed and optimized – especially if someone is spending time on them. And if they’re not spending time on them, should they be? Why does the channel exist otherwise? (We’re getting philosophical here.)
    – Website
    – Blog
    – Youtube Channel
    – Quora (or other forums)
    – Twitter
    – Facebook
    – Pinterest
    – Webinars
    – Videos
    – Have you done an audit to make sure no one is using your brand on a channel you don’t know about? (Pandora’s box just open for anyone?)
    …There are more
  2. Who is creating content at your company? Are there multiple teams such as social media, marketing, advertising, community management? Is content split into paid versus earned? Do you have contractors, guest bloggers, interns? Are there people interested in writing content in your organization that aren’t? Taking stock of who is involved in your organization’s content can be eye-opening and ensure you’re including all possible places for lead generation and brand awareness.
  3. How is all this content being measured? Is every channel that potentially touches a user, has someone spending time populating it, has your brand’s name on it – being measured somehow? If so, does all of the data roll up to one person to be analyzed and optimized at the organizational level? Who owns responsibility for each channel and are there any overlaps? Who owns creation of the KPIs and are they agreed upon by the channel owners?
  4. Does the data matter? How often are the KPIs and benchmarks reviewed? Do they get updated with changes in brand strategy, new channels, and industry trends? When a content channel or topic is discovered to be effective, how is it shared and optimized throughout the organization?

Make these answers count

Are there others in the organization that could benefit from reviewing this information? Should multiple people be answering these questions and comparing them? That depends on your organizational structure. You might be an army of one for your brand, or you may be one of hundreds in a global marketing team. Knowing the answers to these questions and reassessing them regularly will strengthen the content you’re creating no matter what.
Whether you keep a shared document for your team, gather a yearly report, or simply use it as a guide in creating your marketing plans each year – check out these questions and make sure someone knows the answers.