Without the right data, your business can’t function. But how do you generate that data? Through quality, relevant content! I’ll show you how.

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What’s the one thing that every marketer needs to do their job well?

Great imagery and video content? Nope.

A comprehensive distribution strategy? Nope.

Endless buyer’s journey maps? Wrong.

All successful marketers need data to accomplish their objectives.

Without data, you won’t know which imagery or video content appeals to your audience. You won’t understand which content channels drive the most results. You’ll have no clue how a lead finds your brand and why they convert into a paying customer.

But how do you obtain the data you need to effectively run your marketing strategies and business? Through quality content.

Content is the Fuel Your Product Needs

Quality content that resonates with your audience is the driver of critical data.

The more your audience reads, downloads, shares, and interacts with your content—whether original or curated—the more data is generated and can be analyzed for future marketing and operational decisions.

And, the more fine-tuned and accurately collected this data is, the better equipped you are to make decisions that lead to long-term business growth. A survey conducted by Deloitte found that 49% of business leaders rely on analytics and data to make better decisions. Yet, a mere 3% of businesses’ data meet the basic quality standards, according to the Harvard Business Review.

So, how does content play into all this?

Content drives audience engagement. This engagement, in turn, drives valuable data such as:

• Audience demographics
• Time spent on site
• User behavior and activity
• Click-through and open rates
• Device preferences

And that’s only a glimpse into the wealth of data now available to your team.

Using this data, your company can make actionable decisions backed by data. The more high-quality content you create and curate, the more this cycle continues.

Content Provides Value Beyond Branding

All too often, businesses make the mistake of thinking content is only for marketing and branding purposes. You write an article, send it out to your audience in an email newsletter or social media post, and call it a day.

But if you’re only using content for the purpose of branding, you’re missing out on a variety of advantages such as:

• Failing to proactively leverage content — Yes, getting your message to the right audience is important. But are you sure you’re talking to the right audience? If you don’t have the right data, you’ll never know! Analyzing your content for demographic, behavioral, and qualitative data is an effective and proactive use of your content.
• Lasting results — Business relationships aren’t built overnight. Neither is a wealth of data generated from content. Operating with only a single piece of content will lead to low conversion rates. To build a hefty library of data you can use for lasting business results, you’ll need a content strategy that leverages intelligent content marketing with owned, curated, and third-party content.

Content’s value is derived from sustainable repetition and frequency. The more you create and distribute, the more data you’ll receive. You can then use this data to fine-tune your content strategy by understanding:

• The content types and topics that resonate most with your audience
• Which device they use to access your content
• How long they spend interacting with your content and website
• If they share your content with others
• What content leads to conversions

Using content purely from a branding standpoint doesn’t unlock essential opportunities like learning more about your target audience’s preferences or uncovering a load speed issue on your website.

Content is the fuel for your product or platform. Not only because it drives engagement but because it generates the data you need to grow.

Start Collecting Quality Data with Your Content

If you’re still using content only as a branding device, you’re missing the boat.

Content as a data-generator provides a wealth of benefits, including:

• A better understanding of your core audience
• Backing up crucial business decisions with accurate data
• Fueling your product, platform, and company for long-term growth