In a digitally reliant society with screens on screens, are you sure you’re paying attention to the right information? As marketers, making sure the data being shown is actually the information that is relevant to our goal is crucial! Trevor, our Senior Business Development Executive, sparked a conversation with me about this, and it got us thinking, “What if data isn’t big, but wide?” As you continue to compile more data, and it becomes difficult to monitor patterns, you may ask yourself, “What now?” Digital Archiving provides solutions, but how can you know that the information you are getting is valuable?
Shift your thinking
Datasets compile from many different angles. The variables you can manipulate to make sure your information is relevant can be ever changing and, often, change along with industry standards. Which variables should you be tracking, and how do you pinpoint the best sources to aggregate that data? Think of it this way: you have information coming from different platforms, consumer databases and analytics tools. All of this information isn’t piling on top of itself but rather collecting from all over the Internet. You need to set up metrics and goals that can be monitored via the datasets you are observing.
For example, if you want to make sure that the Facebook ad you targeted toward fans of Marvel movies is sending consumers to your Marvel ecommerce site, you would want to track conversions, engagement and click-through rates via Facebook Ads Manager. With this in mind, marketers should compile the reports used to make decisions from a variety of sources and create their own dashboard of need-to-know info. After all, not all data is set up and displayed in a nice visual format like Facebook Insights.
Cast a net with content marketing
Once you have figured out which data pertains to your company goals or vision—and can be monitored and tracked, you’ll be one step closer to understanding wide data. Attract your big fish by creating content that encourages your product or service and also shows consumers why you are a thought leader in your industry. Even better, Google now rewards thought leaders more than ever with its Panda 4.0 update! Creating original content around your thought leadership ensures that your message is reaching your audience AND attracting the right people to your services. Experts will tell you: don’t write something just because you can; write something that people actually want to learn about!
Why does what you create matter?
Quite simply, you need to keep your consumer base entertained and informed. Give your audience members something to value and appreciate. Even more important than just appealing to your audience is that, over time—after Google recognizes you as a thought leader, it will continue to send traffic your way that meets the criteria you first found when digging through all that data. Gain ranking with content that is created, published and promoted with a well-thought out content strategy that has SEO in mind.
[more]
What should I create?
First and foremost, content should be created with the intent of reaching a specific audience with a measurable goal in mind. One of the most effective and time-tested ways to engage with people is through informative, visual applications. Visual mediums are a quick and effective way to get your message across without having to spend a large amount of time explaining.
Here are some examples of the most engaging online content that brands have used:
10 Popular Memes Masquerading as Marketing Campaigns
