Data-driven decision making (DDM) is the process used by organizations to make decisions based on actual data rather than observation or intuition alone. Today, many industries, including content-marketing, are aiming to be data-driven to avoid making poor decisions because false assumptions, bias, and other issues often cloud judgment. However, a recent survey revealed that 58% of companies still make decisions based on gut feeling instead of data.
So, how can you make data-driven decisions void of bias and focus on empowering your organization? You must first achieve the following to utilize data effectively:
Identify your mission – Sharp organizational insight is mandatory; you must be able to identify and understand your market and the problems facing your given industry. Once you establish this foundational knowledge, you’ll save time and streamline data collection.
Identify data sources – List the sources from which you’ll extract the data, especially if you’re coordinating information from various databases such as web-driven feedback forms and social media.
Clean and organize data – Interestingly, data analysts spend more than 80% of their time organizing and cleaning data; only 20% is spent on the actual analysis. This 80/20 rule demonstrates the importance of cleaning and organizing information before interpreting its significance for your company.
Perform statistical analysis – Once the data is clean, you can use statistical models to analyze the information. You can now build models for testing the data. Here, you will also need to demonstrate your findings using three main methods, descriptive (facts only), inferential (facts plus interpretation), and predictive (fact-based advice) information.
Draw conclusions – The final step is to conclude. Remember, exceptional data-driven decisions often generate more questions than answers. The drawn conclusions will help the content-marketing company to make more informed decisions and create effective strategies moving forward.
Data analysts must be skilled storytellers to explain their findings to key stakeholders effectively.
Benefits of data-driven content marketing
There are many reasons as to why companies use data-driven content marketing, but in most cases, its main goal is to personalize and enhance customer experience. Both businesses and clients benefit from this approach when the strategies are executed successfully.
Find topics to write about
It’s crucial to know what others in your niche are talking about, or what they’re avoiding. Use available online tools to find engaging topics on social media; don’t write what everyone else is writing about, but address trending and popular topics in a clever way. After you get all relevant information on what your potential clients are searching for online, write the content, and insert the relevant keywords.
Personalize content and campaigns
Companies need to convey the right message, at the right time and to the right audience. Data-driven decisions enable companies to create customized content and marketing campaigns that will convert leads through a profound understanding of the customer’s profile.
Clear-cut clarity
Content marketers can sift through the wealth of information available in their database to determine the most actionable and accurate information regarding prospects and customers. A data-driven approach allows you to separate and cluster the target audiences you want to reach.
Multi-channel experience
You can easily leverage data to extend your reach across several networks beyond email. Marketers can communicate with their audience by distributing data-driven content across multiple channels. Automated campaigns are effective in ensuring that the message is aligned, consistent, and arrives at the intended recipient at the perfect time and place.
Refine customer experience
Countless brands enhance their client’s experiences through data-driven content marketing. They often coordinate surveys to pinpoint areas that require improvement to ensure customer satisfaction.
Enhance brand image
Big data enables companies to observe how customers interact with their brands by monitoring their digital footprints, social media channels, and websites. You can find testimonials, reviews and criticism about your brand in this way. Use the information as invaluable resources to create content that will enhance your brand’s reputation.
Incorporate big data and contextual marketing
Big data analytics can provide insights based on data collected from target customers, services, and sales. Access to this data will help you to determine the type of content that will effectively work (and what will likely fail) to engage your audience. Use this information to develop more personalized and relevant content in the future.
Is data-driven SEO effective?
Being data-driven is mandatory if you want to be an SEO guru. However, many companies reject this strategy because it takes at least 6 months for the results to be visible. Nowadays, landing pages are vital because Google does not only want website owners to cover keywords, but also topics. This means that content marketers must create in-depth landing pages with organized content and more resources.
According to business experts, many brands are unable to succeed at content marketing for lack of data journalism. In traditional media, big publishers like The Guardian have invested heavily in data journalism because of its potential in data storytelling. Audiences prefer such content because it’s shareable.
With patience, data-driven SEO content can provide the following advantages:
Traffic
Infographics are the most shared types of content on social media, which is why visualizations with real value provide an excellent, less-known method to increase traffic to your website.
Value
An explosion of online content is being experienced as many brands and individuals are self-publishing every day. To rise above the clutter, share original, actionable, and relevant content that adds value to people’s lives.
Authority
Establish your brand as a niche leader by analyzing and sharing data that has never been shared before. Fresh data-driven SEO content enhances your credibility and establishes your brand as an expert in the industry.
Transparency
Consumers are increasingly becoming more concerned about how companies collect and use their personal information. Brands can build trust and transparency by using the collected data to provide evergreen content that gives consumers original insights.
A final word
The future of data-driven content marketing seems bright, especially since artificial and predictive intelligence is being used alongside big data. For a successful data-driven decision-making process, always consider the customers’ needs and expectations concerning personalized experiences. The secret to creating compelling content ideas lies within the databases you already have.