Why data is vital for content marketing
| December 12, 2017
‘Data Journalism’ is one of the fastest growing professions in content creation and is one of the key content marketing trends. Publishers learned there’s a hunger for numbers-driven content and are using it to hit their metrics. So, why should marketers follow this trend in publishing? Here are three reasons why data driven content marketing is important for your campaigns.
Data driven content marketing is authoritative
An article that contains data gives the reader a sense of authority, which is a major factor in positive brand image. Put relevant data into your articles and readers will have a more positive view of your brand plus they will leave feeling like they got something valuable.
The data itself should also have credibility, otherwise you’ll lose your messaging completely. For instance, if you’re writing a piece on retail trends, you should know who are the authoritative sources and how they will be perceived by the reader.
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Here’s an example of an authoritative statistic: “The total shares of content published on LinkedIn has more than doubled, from 31 million to almost 73 million”. That’s from Susan Moeller from BuzzSumo and was posted on the Content Marketing Institute’s website. It matches with the subject matter, comes from a credible source and therefore adds to the authority of the piece.
More data means better shareability
According to BuzzSumo, the average number of shares for Medium posts is 379. One of the best ways to get a lot of shares for your posts is put relevant data into an article. An article with helpful data gets 37 percent more shares than articles without numbers.
One great way to get shares in your data driven content marketing article is adding interesting, valuable and easily digestible data. It should be a statistic that’s easy to throw in a tweet, like: ‘80.8 percent of users are reading their emails on mobile’.
If you really want to showcase your most-shareable statistic, put it in a pull quote somewhere else in the article. Remember, much of sharing happens outside built-in share buttons on articles.
An article with helpful data gets 37 percent more shares
Data brings relevancy to your content
According to Hubspot, “47 percent of buyers viewed three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales representative”. That’s a statistic that most content marketers can use and makes this article more relevant for you, the reader.
This is important to keep in mind when you’re designing your campaigns. Many readers quickly search through content and look for statistics. Putting in relevant data keeps you relevant in in the community you’re trying to reach.
Boost your next content campaign
Part of a well-rounded content marketing strategy is having the right tools to streamline processes. Enhance your creative workflow with digital asset management and make it the center of your next campaign. Digital asset management enables your team to store, share and manage your content so you can concentrate on creative endeavors and ditch the asset hunt.