How to Build Measurement Into Your Content Planning Process

This week #ContentChat was joined by Shonali Burke (@shonali), who shared her tips for building measurement into your content planning process. We kicked the chat off with a quick poll to see how many of our participants had started on their 2017 content planning:

As we gather for #ContentChat please introduce yourself and take our poll: Have you started your 2017 #contentmarketing planning?

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

Q1: Why should we be thinking about measurement when planning our content?

A1: Two very good reasons: time, and money. Strategizing, creating & curating good (operative word) content takes time. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A1 Most simply: How will you know if your programs (content or otherwise) are working if you’re not measuring the results? #contentchat

— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) November 14, 2016

You want to check in on metrics consistently so you can spot trends- good or bad- & adjust content plans as needed #ContentChat https://t.co/Ft5PdLQ20C

— Sarah A. Parker (@SparkerWorks) November 14, 2016

A1 cont: And time = money, b/c if we’re not measuring, we don’t know what works, & we waste our time by being inefficient. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A1: You need to know what you’ll measure for ROI before you decide upon what content will work best. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A1 B/c some soulless bean-counter will inevitably saunter into your office & demand proof that you’re not just messing around! #contentchat

— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) November 14, 2016

A1: If you don’t start your content planning by defining your objectives & metrics, how will you know you’re successful? #ContentChat

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A1 Considering measurement when planning content ensures it will be accountable to strategic goals. Outcomes over outputs. #contentchat

— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) November 14, 2016

A1: Without plans to measure content quality, we’ll never know where “there” is or if we’ve arrived. #ContentChat @shonali

— LeslieO (@LeslieO) November 14, 2016

A1: So we are not driving blind. So we know what worked, what didn’t and how to tweak. #contentchat

— HannaLizKnowles (@HannaLizKnowles) November 14, 2016

A1: It’s critical (& non-negotiable IMO) to think about measurement in planning bc you need it 2 measure your success/prove ROI #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

A1. Measurement = Goals. Planning means knowing what u want 2 achieve with your content and finding ways to track that progress #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A1) #contentchat Measurement is a tool and process for making decisions with clarity. Best time to have clarity is in the planning stages.

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

A1. Good luck proposing any business plans without a spend and ROI section! #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A1 This #ContentChat You have to prove the ROI all the time https://t.co/AiXGFwmDHl

— Khepri Tech (@khepritech) November 14, 2016

A1: When you create content without goals + metrics, you’re a traveler wandering without a map or purpose. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A1. Without metrics, you don’t know what your community likes, what’s resonating #ContentChat

— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) November 14, 2016

Not defining goals/measuring=pretty much just shouting into the void. Maybe some stuff will get lucky & stick but be strategic #ContentChat https://t.co/d4kmH2afsM

— Sarah A. Parker (@SparkerWorks) November 14, 2016

A1b: Measurement helps you gain visibility into your progress so you can test, iterate, test some more, and improve #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

A1. Does your content plan require a budget? If so, get ready to show some numbers to higher ups! #ContentChat @SFerika @SpinSucks

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A1: Measuring the effectiveness of your content helps you define and adjust your lead and lean measures. Making you proactive #contentchat

— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) November 14, 2016

A1: Analytics data is the barometer for how well your content is received. Don’t ignore the data. #contentchat

— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) November 14, 2016

Q2: What steps should we take to build measurement into our content planning?

A2: we have to understand what we’re trying to achieve from a business POV, i.e. what really drives the business. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A2. Make sure to benchmark your content plans. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make adjustments until it’s too late #ContentChat @SFerika

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A2: Audit past content to see what your audience likes to see and how your future activity can be tracked for best results. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A2: Map customer paths, define value of each step, apply content that helps drive people to the next stage. Add spreadsheet. 😉 #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

Set recurring calendar reminders to check in on what matters to your goals. Harder to de-prioritize if time=already booked #ContentChat https://t.co/x41Qqf03ml

— Sarah A. Parker (@SparkerWorks) November 14, 2016

A2 (cont): and we *also* need to be very clear on what types of actions we want our target audiences to take. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

2) Make the decision on what measurements mean the most for your content. Does reach mean more than engagement? Something else? #ContentChat

— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 14, 2016

A2. Think about both quantitative and qualitative data points you can gather to help show value #ContentChat @SFerika @SpinSucks

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A2 Identify what success will/should look like. Then you have something to plan toward and strive for. #contentchat

— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) November 14, 2016

A3 (cont): once we know these 2 things, we can back into how content can support these goals… #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A2: Set clear actionable goals with how and what you are going to measure #contentchat

— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) November 14, 2016

a2 Utilize Google Analytics Code into All Content that you want to measure. For Starters – then carefully A/B Test #ContentChat https://t.co/l09mO6IOoY

— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) November 14, 2016

Yes! Without starting with the why, you can’t support business goals. #ContentChat https://t.co/E0ONWa4UE6

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A2: Ensure you have a clear call to action built into your content. Guide your audience down the path that leads to your ROI. #contentchat

— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) November 14, 2016

A2: 1) Define biz objectives 2) Set KPIs 3) ID tools for measurement 4) Review results at regular intervals. #ContentChat

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A2 (cont) that’s how we create content that will provide value, educate & in so doing move our audiences towards action. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A2: Start with the end in mind (business results) and go backwards from there #contentchat

— Spin Sucks (@SpinSucks) November 14, 2016

A2: break planning into stages: annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly…& measure at each stage #contentchat

— Stephanie Parks (@S_WatersParks) November 14, 2016

A2: It’s impt to start with a pulse check, set benchmarks to know how your content stacks up & how much it needs to improve #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

@SFerika @shonali A2 recommend creating a content marketing taxonomy, of the things you WANT to track about your content. (1) #contentchat

— SqueezeCMM (@SqueezeCMM) November 14, 2016

A2 (2) like topic, format, author, persona, channel – so you know what content performs where and with who! #contentchat

— SqueezeCMM (@SqueezeCMM) November 14, 2016

A2) Know your goal.What is the change your content is intended to make in the market?ID indicators that such change w/occur #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

.@SFerika @shonali you bet, you can access it at https://t.co/mMbKlO3vMC – it’s got some examples to get you going! #contentchat A2

— SqueezeCMM (@SqueezeCMM) November 14, 2016

 Q3: How can we map the right metrics to our content objectives?

A3. Host a metrics-mapping session with your executives. Talk them through which metrics work where across the purchase funnel #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A3: Auditing your past content can help you choose the metrics that matter most to your future activity. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A3. It will be different for every business, but make sure internally you agree to which metrics align to what objectives #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A3: I got ahead of myself, didn’t I? Booo… We attempt to use apply our content to customer path but it’s incredibly complex #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

a3 Start with knowing the ideal target audience & find out their “pain-points” so that we are addressing needs. #ContentChat https://t.co/0DxGkSPytG

— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) November 14, 2016

A3 What WERE those objectives? Did you get people to take desired action? Page views aren’t relevant if people didn’t act. #contentchat

— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) November 14, 2016

A3: Figure out exactly what your content objectives are trying to achieve. If you’re trying to sell with content, measure sales #contentchat

— Sebastian Faura (@FauraSebastian) November 14, 2016

A3: Focus on meaningful metrics, like time spent on content, instead of bright-n-shiny metrics mgmt sometimes favors. #ContentChat @shonali

— LeslieO (@LeslieO) November 14, 2016

A3) Does the metric point to the change your objecitve is trying to achieve? If not, it’s trivia and not a kpi. #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

A3 (cont): If it (comms goal) doesn’t tie back to one of your biz goals, why are you measuring it in the first place? #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

@shonali We like to have our goals roll down from the org. For instance, org wants to grow X svc by X%, we throw $X behind it #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A3 Think about specific people you want to engage & how deep or shallow your relationships are. Move ’em along the continuum. #contentchat

— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) November 14, 2016

1. What are your goals for your content? 2. What metrics will show success/progress? 3. Plan content, execute, measure, repeat #ContentChat https://t.co/YUAdCS6TBx

— Sarah A. Parker (@SparkerWorks) November 14, 2016

A3. Try to map out the right metrics depending on your audience’s actions. Awareness= impressions / Consideration = clicks #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

@martinlieberman All too often marketing goals are departmental, and not the orgs true goal. #contentchat

— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) November 14, 2016

A3) Notice trends of results received in the type of content published. Patterns are easy to find when you’re looking for them #ContentChat

— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 14, 2016

Be sure content goals relate back to departmental & overall organizational goals & brand values too #ContentChat

— Sarah A. Parker (@SparkerWorks) November 14, 2016

A3. Start by having your comms objectives align to a business goal. This will show a direct ROI connection then! #ContentChat @SFerika

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A3: must know: your business, your goals, your audience. Metrics for a B2B business new to SM differs from B2C w/ a SM history #contentchat

— Stephanie Parks (@S_WatersParks) November 14, 2016

A3: Work backwards. Where do you want to end? How will you know you’ve arrived? What checkpoints will get you there? #contentchat

— HannaLizKnowles (@HannaLizKnowles) November 14, 2016

A3) Coordinate metrics with the goals/objectives of the campaign! ie. engagement, product knowledge, sales growth #contentchat https://t.co/ODNZXthJVd

— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) November 14, 2016

Agreed. Just because you CAN measure it doesn’t mean you SHOULD measure it. #ContentChat https://t.co/YyIqbYMONJ

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A3: Map specific content metrics to goals for each stage of the buyers journey. Help guide your prospects with targeted content #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

Good one! Find your stepping stones, measure what moves you in the wanted direction #contentchat https://t.co/AEeO8QAaZQ

— AnnSi Krol (@annsikrol) November 14, 2016

Q4: What are some examples of content objectives paired with relevant metrics?

A4: Follow the Inbound Methodology with the 3 stages of the buyer’s journey to determine the various metrics for your content. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A4: If your objective is to increase lead flow, for ex., you can use UTM parameters + a URL shortener + track form fills. #ContentChat

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A4 (cont) say 1 of your obj is to increase your share of voice in your space by X% over Y time period … (cont) #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A4) Public awareness campaign pushing people to know 3 things. KPI would be survey of gen.pop to see % aware of each thing #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

A4. Content Goal: Increase awareness of service. Strategy: blog/content development. Metric: Search engine rankings & clicks #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

@SFerika affiliate links work really well with this, too! #ContentChat

— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 14, 2016

Q4: One of my goals is building relationships for my company so I track likes/follows/connections #contentchat

— Stephanie Parks (@S_WatersParks) November 14, 2016

A4 (cont) then your goals might include getting noticed by influencers in the space. Then a related metric would be (cont) #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A4. Objective = increase sales. Strategy = email marketing. Metric = form-fills on email landing page #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A4 (cont)… # of influencers who mention/share your content (“influencers” as defined for your scenario), etc. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A4: Content objective: Generate awareness; relevant metrics: 3 earned media placements #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A4 (cont): as much as you can, if you also incorporate UTM parameters, per @SFerika, then that can tell you a lot! #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A4. Objective: Improve customer satisfaction. Strategy: social media engagement. Metric: positive social listening results #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A4. Objective: Educate prospects. Metric: # of people signed up/completed e-learning course. #AIMwithTraackr #contentchat

— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) November 14, 2016

A4: Content Objective: educate customers about new service; relevant metrics: # of D/L or conversions #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A4 (cont): Google Analytics is so powerful, yet we only use maybe 5% of its power. @andersenology is ace at this. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A4) Influencer campaign. Track brand mentions + key prod feature discussion among audience of influencers vs gen pop. #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

A4: If you want to drive brand awareness, measure downloads for TOFU content and MQLs to ensure you have the right people #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

Content Objective: Drive leads to sales; Relevant metrics: email opens/clickthroughs (this is a fun game, like SAT comparisons) #contentchat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A4. Always have a CTA in all content strategies that will indicate success. #ContentChat @SFerika @SpinSucks

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

Q5: What if our content doesn’t measure up? How do we apply our data to improve our content?

A5: If your content doesn’t work, look for how it differs from successful content you’ve made. #contentchat

— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) November 14, 2016

A5. See how your competitor’s content ranks in comparison. If it’s better, ask the question “why” and make adjustments #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

A5: It’s a matter of learning from your mistakes. Track the metrics that lead to business growth but still provides value. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A5: If content doesn’t measure up, compare it against historical performance. What worked in the past that isn’t sticking today #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

A5: the data WILL tell you stories, if you look. So first look to see what they’re telling you… why didn’t something work? #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A5: Analytics takes you only so far. It helps identify what content isn’t working but qualitiative data helps determine the why #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

A5: Analytics takes you only so far. It helps identify what content isn’t working but qualitiative data helps determine the why #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

A5b: Maybe your message needs refinement. Have you interviewed your customers & influencers lately? Take a step back and reset #contentchat

— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) November 14, 2016

a5) Most likely we are educating our audience based not on their need but based on our solution. Big mistake. #contentchat

— Scott Johnson (@iScottJohnson) November 14, 2016

A5 (cont): and what the numbers don’t tell you, your customers/audience will. So ask them. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A5: Dig in to find out what and why is not working, then adjust your strategy #contentchat

— Spin Sucks (@SpinSucks) November 14, 2016

A5: Dig in to find out what and why is not working, then adjust your strategy #contentchat

— Spin Sucks (@SpinSucks) November 14, 2016

A5a Ex: Your time on page lower than average. Determining why that’s the case for that piece of content requires engagement #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

A5 Consider the different elements (tone, pic, length, etc,) of that content and compare it to a successful piece of content. #ContentChat

— HannaLizKnowles (@HannaLizKnowles) November 14, 2016

That’s a smart change @MaureenOnPoint. People can often only carve out a small amount of time for professional development. #ContentChat https://t.co/rg9iIxfg1g

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

A5) Internally bad numbers NEED to be treated as learning opportunity and not a judgement or pronouncement of failure #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

A5b Ex: Your social shares on a piece of content are down… many potential culprits (content, design, delivery…) #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

A5c Ex: Your bounce rate is higher than avg. Is it because your internal linking is unnatural or your content missed target? #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

Q6: What are some tools and resources that help with content planning and measurement?

A6. If you don’t know how to use it already, start to become BFFs with Google Analytics #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

a6 As said, Google Analytics, Google Search Console & don’t forget BING webmaster tools! #ContentChat https://t.co/jJ7rtg7Sbm

— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) November 14, 2016

A6: I love using @Buzzsumo @TrackMaven @Bitly and @Google analytics for #contentmarketing measurement. #ContentChat

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

@SFerika @shonali Content calendar. #contentchat

— Molina Careers (@MolinaCareers) November 14, 2016

A6: @CoSchedule for planning and Google Analytics for measurement #contentchat

— Spin Sucks (@SpinSucks) November 14, 2016

A6: Love @bufferapp @canva @bitly @googleanalytics but a good editorial calendar format is a MUST. #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A6: You really can’t ignore @googleanalytics if you want to track how your content is doing. It’s pretty much a required tool. #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A6: I use #HootSuite to plan, schedule, & track my content. They have reports you can customize and have emailed to you #contentchat

— Stephanie Parks (@S_WatersParks) November 14, 2016

A6 For content planning, I’ve used @evernote, @google sheets, @kapost, and @RedboothHQ (disclosure: a former client). #ContentChat

— Erika Heald (@SFerika) November 14, 2016

All depends on what we are looking at so @Notified @ceralytics All platform analytics, Target Group Survey Data, CRM data etc #contentchat https://t.co/KVX2jR3lot

— AnnSi Krol (@annsikrol) November 14, 2016

A6: Following some key marketing blogs can help you stay informed: @buffer @HubSpot @CoSchedule (for example) #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A6 I love @smartsheet‘s content planner for smaller orgs. @evernote and @feedly for content curation with a dash of @IFTTT #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

I Like @Crowdfire and @Buffer #ContentChat https://t.co/x8VP5htIqs

— M-1 Publications (@M1_Public) November 14, 2016

A6: We use (and love) @trello as our editorial calendar at @JustworksHR. @SFerika @shonali #contentchat

— Adrienne Smith (@AdrienneKSmith) November 14, 2016

A6 For analytics I just use the native tools (Google Analytics/Facebook/Twitter) – about to start playing with a new tool tho! #contentchat

— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) November 14, 2016

@theelusivefish We use GIANT post-its too… turn any wall into a whiteboard! #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A6) From Google there’s a new tool DataStudio that lets you build realtime dashboards from a db of info #contentchat

— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) November 14, 2016

Q7: What are your favorite dashboard tools or templates for presenting content results?

A7: @googleanalytics lets you pull great reports, and present them effectively as well (as long as you pull the right data!) #contentchat

— Shonali Burke (@shonali) November 14, 2016

A7: I’m a die-hard advocate for using templates I get from @HubSpot‘s website. Their templates paint a clear picture of results #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A7: Salesforce-our source of truth, we pipe in our metrics there and use it create a lead lifetime/attribution dashboards #ContentChat

— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2016

A7: For a quick and relatively easy reporting system, simply download the data you have in @googleanalytics. Clean it up tho! #contentchat

— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 14, 2016

A7. Sometimes you have to cross connect dashboard metrics for a custom report. Don’t be afraid of Excel in this case! #ContentChat

— Shred Nations (@shred_nations) November 14, 2016

Q7: @SproutSocial and @googleanalytics for personal use, but create a basic word doc for mgmt. Sometimes simplicity is key. #contentchat

— HannaLizKnowles (@HannaLizKnowles) November 14, 2016