Measuring Content Marketing - iCrossing - DMA 2013 Conference

Measuring Content Marketing

Karen Pate, Ph.D.Terry Sheehan

Topics To Cover• Defining Content Marketing• Measuring Content Today• Measurement Considerations

DEFINING CONTENT MARKETING

Just so we are on the same page

Con●tent something contained, the topics or matter treated in a written work, the principal substance.

Mar●ket ●ing the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers, for the purpose of selling the product or service.

Today’s discussion is about measuring the impact…

Con●tent something contained, the topics or matter treated in a written work, the principal substance.

Mar●ket ●ing the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers, for the purpose of selling the product or service.

Facets of content marketing

WHO is CONSUMING it

AUDIENCE

WHICH business unitsare CREATING it

ORGANIZATIONAL

HOW it’s being MANANGED

MANAGEMENT

CONTENTWHERE it’s being CONSUMED

DISTRIBUTION

MEASURING CONTENT TODAY

Two Key Challenges

Organizational: Company siloes

– Lack of coordination between department objectives– Individual performance incentives conflict reducing

support of the overall company picture– Differing views of success within the organization

Data Connections: Limited Understanding– Content to conversion– Individual content object vs. content group (individual vs “team sport”)– Latent impact of content Post-today -> impact tomorrow

The Challenges Personified – Part 1

Clueless• Unsure of the end goal• Doesn’t know what or how to measure• End Result: Does not measure anything

Show Me The Money• Obsessed with only the immediate revenue• Has trouble with non-tangible measures• End Result: Left feeling unsuccessful with little

direct revenue measured

The Challenges Personified – Part 2

Keep It Simple• Measures the basic immediate response (page

views, likes, comments, etc…)• Focused on each piece of individual content• End Result: Unsure of what to do next

Drowning in Data• Collects every possible data point• Spends hours over multiple reports• End Result: Analysis paralysis – continues to

look at the next available data point to see

MEASURING CONTENT: CONSIDERATIONS

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT

Think about “Value”

Identify where data comes from

Create structure for all this data

ADDRESSING THE KEY CHALLENGES

Align the Organization

• Develop shared view of assessing content performance

• Create transparency in content performance

Align the Organization

• Adapt your model for organization type

– Centralized company

– Federated company

– Multi-brand company

Create Data Connections

• Create a connection and drive awareness for the brand

• Provide all the necessary information at the point of purchase to drive sale

• Be part of the consideration set through relevant content in the planning process

Measure the Connections: Option 1

Content Mix Modeling• Similar to media mix• Collect aggregate

engagement details of content & content groups• Model high-level

correlations between content’s immediate responses and the ultimate business objective Monthly Page Views of

Awareness Content Group

Nex

t Mon

th S

ales

Measure the Connections: Option 2

• Similar cookie level attribution in media• Collect individual

engagement details of content & content groups• Model high-level

correlations between content’s immediate responses and the ultimate business objective

Day 1: Twitter ClickDay 2: Product Page ViewDay 3: Reviews Page ViewDay 4: Purchase

To thousands of cookies

Content Attribution ModelingFrom an individual cookie

Apply the Insights

• Identify the right content areas – New opportunities– Current content worthiness

• Let insights guide content development and execution– Appropriate format, treatment for target audience, channels

for publishing

Measuring Content: A Case Study

What’s the value?• Goal is not immediate revenue

– Connections made– LinkedIn page views– iCrossing visits– Buzz

• Must look at the collective impact of all presentations • Long-term view of relationships

– Presentations to sales– Presentations vs. close rates– Presentations vs. type of products

sold

• Informs 2014 presentations

QUESTIONS