How Content Intelligence is changing the definition of marketing

Content Intelligence – the new catchphrase in the marketing and data world. It is an attempt at finding newer and improved ways to market a product better. A method that brings the world of business intelligence and content management together, B2B companies have been using it to get their hands on huge amounts of information about their prospective audience’s preferences, challenges and thought process.

In order to develop effective content, content marketers need to focus on the parameters that create engaging and resonating content that also leads to a high-volume of conversions. Marketing is no longer about HIPPO (Highest Paid Person In The Organization Thinks) and hunches! It is about the data that provides hard evidence about what works and what does not. With the availability of such data, marketers can now work out decisions that ensure improved performance, better engagement and increased conversions.

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From choosing email subject lines to creating copy and hashtags, Content Intelligence is set to ensure the creation of more valuable content in the future.

While lack of time and resources are key constraints in the present eco-system, having an effective strategy driven by content intelligence can help marketers move from “What do we think would work?” to “What do we know will work?” As a marketer, knowing your target audience and what engages them is important. Content intelligence is all about efficiency. You need to focus your limited resources on strategic assets that drive maximum traffic towards your product, and you need to learn to aim the right piece of content at the right set of people.

The information sieve

Today, a consumer has adequate information available before they make a purchase decision. Information is handy and just a click away. The marketer also has a wide pool of information about the needs and wants of their target group. Our browsing patterns and the category of products that we spend on give away much more information than we can think of.

Content intelligence is the key to break down these packets of data points and act as an information sieve presenting the marketers the kind of information that can actually turn into positive decisions. It will make you pay more attention at basic things like what is the ideal length of the post you create, how it looks and when it is the right time to throw it at the wall.

The faces of content

Content is meant to generate a certain response from the consumer. With content intelligence, even though not every piece of content might fetch the company some real physical gain, the outreach and consumer engagement that it generates is crucial. The likes, shares and comments can let you know whether your content had any impact on the reader or not. The type, format, narrative structure, emotion and other factors are the tools of content intelligence. They show what the audience loved and got affected by, also giving a clarity on what did not work.

Understanding your competitor’s content is beneficial too, and Content Intelligence helps analyse data on competitors. You, as a marketer, need to know the performance and engagement of your rival companies as well. It is important to keep a track of what is working for them and what can you learn from their content marketing success and failures.

A Forbes Insights survey of 306 execs from companies with $20 million or more in annual revenue found that of the companies that have been carrying out content intelligence marketing initiatives for at least two years, 86 percent have increased return on investment as a result of their predictive marketing. Additionally, following an integrated analytics approach can also save up to 15 to 20 percent of marketing expenditure.

Content intelligence is about understanding where the customer attention is collecting at the present moment and where it’s headed next. Unless you have a direction to move forth, producing a lot of content will not take you anywhere. Implementing Content Intelligence is a two-way conversation that offers more value to the marketer, making it a dominant force in the coming years. Are you ready to make the shift?