2. Data you can actually use

Ditch the vanity metrics and start measuring real engagement

What do we want? Data.
When do we want it? Now.

An increasing trend in 2020 will be the need for post-campaign metrics to evaluate content performance. 68% of financial marketers rate measuring content effectiveness as one of their greatest challenges.

It's unlikely that there are many content marketers who don't measure their content's performance to some extent by now. The fact that more than two-thirds are still struggling to prove its value is very telling of the quality of data they're collecting.

In a survey of finance marketers, more than 80% predict that their lack of usable data will hold back their content marketing efforts in 2020. To combat this, content marketers will have to learn how to distinguish between vanity metrics and data that provides actionable insights.

Which metrics should you be looking for?

While there is some value in vanity metrics, we have to be very critical of whether they allow us to understand exactly how our content is being engaged with. This is the first step in creating a content strategy that is designed for your target audience.

✖️ Vanity metrics

Downloads - Even if someone downloads a document you send them, this doesn't actually tell you if and how they engaged with it.
Open rates - Knowing that someone opened your email newsletter doesn't indicate a reaction to your content, only that they received it.

✔️ Valuable data

Sectional analytics - When you're able to see which individual sections and chapters of your content are being read (or ignored), you know what to focus on in future content.
Avg. time on page - How long people spend engaging with different types of content tells you where the value lies. But remember to always consider word counts.
Individual reader tracking - Although aggregate performance data is important, having access to an individual's journey with your content is essential for segmentation.

Which metric would be of most use to your content strategy?

Sectional analytics
Avg. time spent on page
Individual reader tracking
All of the above