Measure for measurement

Numbers do lie about content’s value [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 5.3.24 WEEKLY NEWS 5.3.24  FEATURED [How To Write Faster With or Without an AI Assist]( By Ann Gynn Imagine you could write more quickly. Deadline stress would disappear. Hunched shoulders would relax. And your boss would smile more. Here’s how to turn that dream into a reality. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE STORIES FROM THIS WEEK: [Oops, Google Did It Again — But You Still Need First-Party Data]( by Content Marketing Institute Team The same week Google smashed its earnings report, it also announced the delayed demise of third-party cookies until 2025. Do you believe them? Does it even matter? Probably not — because you should be doing this. [Avoid Traditional Marketing Metrics To Prove Content’s Real Value]( by Robert Rose Content marketing requires a nuanced measurement program that traditional marketing doesn’t. What does that mean? How can you create something so everybody sees the impact of your content? Consider this four-step process. [How To Develop a Great Creative Brief and Get On-Target Content]( by Daniel Hatch If you’ve ever said, “It would have been easier if I'd done it myself,” here’s a fix: Create a content brief that gets what you need and do it in a format that you can easily update for every new assignment. [ICYMI: How To Build an Impactful Content Dashboard With Google Looker: A Step-by-Step Guide [Free Template]]( by Kiera Wiatrak Google Analytics 4 offers a plethora of data. But how do you curate it into a dashboard that every stakeholder finds helpful? Simplify the process with Google Looker, using this free template and step-by-step process.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Measure for measurement There’s something in the air. In the past week, I’ve been asked more questions about how to measure content marketing than I have in two years. Welcome to the wonderful world of content marketing measurement. I can already hear your response: “I was told there’d be no math in content marketing.” Well, the good news is that all kinds of tools can help you do the math. The bad news? None of those tools will help you understand what content means for your business. Here’s the secret to meaningful content marketing measurement: You must convince whoever receives the analysis that content requires specialized insight into the actual numbers. Put simply, you have to measure things differently from how you’d measure traditional marketing. Marketing is classically measured by how it shortens the time between a product’s availability and the customer’s purchase (i.e., the efficiency of the buyer’s journey). How many more buyers do you reach than average? What percentage of buyers move onto subsequent stages? Any improvement in either or both metrics for the same effort and/or budget means you’re spending the budget more efficiently. In growth companies (like startups), the emphasis may shift toward more customers. In value companies (legacy brands, for example), the focus shifts toward higher conversion. Inevitably, business leaders want both success measurements. However, measurement operates differently in content marketing. The objective is to use valuable content to develop a deeper relationship with a broader group of people than immediate buyers. Sometimes, you intentionally slow down the process so that a visitor becomes sufficiently educated to become a buyer. You’re playing the long game — developing a meaningful relationship so that when a person is ready to buy, they view you as a trusted provider. This is the critical difference. Content marketing measurement assesses the depth and scale of a relationship that may influence the buying process. You measure what your content marketing audiences do that other audiences don’t, showing how these better relationships impact the overall marketing strategy. And that means you must start your content marketing measurement journey with a shared and well-communicated objective. Think of your company as a football team. Your shared goal is to win the game. Everybody knows that you need to score more points than your opponent. But unless you have a shared understanding of how many points result from a field goal or touchdown, no one knows if they’ve scored enough until someone declares the winner. If you’re the loser, it’s too late to change it. If you win, nobody understands why. What’s the answer? [In this week’s Rose-Colored Glasses]( I explain how to get everyone on the same measurement page — and then how to design the objectives and KPIs to assess your progress. What are your measurement challenges or successes? [I’d love to hear from you](mailto:robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=CMI%20content%20feedback%20%E2%80%93%20measure%20for%20measure&elqTrackId=86AE01DA93ED9215C5CEED328CAE5043). It’s your story to tell. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  A WORD FROM ONE OF OUR SPONSORS Learn the Story Structure That Made Toy Story a Success at Sanity Connect Matthew Luhn, former Pixar storyteller, joins Sanity Connect to share tips on telling compelling stories with AI. [Join live for a chance to win his book, "The Best Story Wins" »](  Unlock the Future of Content: Dive Into Our Free AI E-Book Today! Discover the power of AI in transforming content creation and distribution. Explore practical insights, case studies, and expert tips. Download your free copy now and stay ahead in the digital landscape. [Ready to embrace the future? Download your AI e-book now!]( [»](  MORE FROM CMI Next Week’s Webinar: The 2024 Content Marketing Playbook What does the future hold for content marketing in 2024 – and are you prepared for it? Join us Thursday, May 9, at 1 p.m. ET for an in-depth look at the top content marketing trends to prioritize. Together with Zack Kadish, senior SEO strategy director at Conductor, we’ll explore ways to adapt your strategy to industry disruptions, proven tactics for prioritizing quality and building trust, the role AI should play in your content workflows, and more. Register to set your content strategy up for success this year and beyond. [Register for free »](  Content Marketing Awards: Submit by May 19 Have you been formulating strategies, pushing boundaries, and delivering results for your organization over the past year? Submit an entry for the Content Marketing Awards, the largest and longest-running recognition program for content marketing excellence, and be recognized for all of your hard work. Enter for Best Content Marketing Program (or one of the other [60 categories]( in our 2024 CMAs. Submit your entry by May 19! [Start your CMA entry »](  Was this email forwarded to you? Please [subscribe here.]( To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [preference center.]( Copyright © 2024 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]