The content you produce matters, but the most important thing about it is making sure it gives value to the people who read it. In order to see if your readers are really getting what they need from your content, you’ll want to measure how valuable they find your words to be. How can you do that? There are several options. One of those options is just to see if your sales increase when you post more content. But that’s not very scientific, and it won’t really tell you if your content is hitting the mark or if you just got lucky.
Just because people suddenly starting buying more, or less, from your business doesn’t mean you’re doing something right, or wrong. It could be a fluke or a glitch. It could be a complete coincidence. Or maybe you hit upon a formula that you need to take a closer look at. Instead of throwing content at the internet to see what sticks, try answering these questions instead.
1. Are You Getting Eyeballs on Your Content?
People have to see what you’re saying. So are you getting people to see your content? If they see it, are they reading it? How can you tell? There are a number of programs you can use to see how many people open your emails or read your posts on various sites and blogs. All of the programs are similar, but they aren’t all the same. Which one should you use? The one that you like, and the one that works for you. There’s no right or wrong answer. You simply need to choose the one that meets your needs. That could mean some trial and error, but that’s all right. It’s how you learn what works for your business.
2. Are the Eyeballs Converting Into Clicks?
Once you get people reading what you’re sending out, you need to get them to take some action. Most commonly, that action is clicking on a link in the email you sent or the social media post you put online. If they click the link, they go to your site or anywhere else you want to send them. If they aren’t clicking, that means the content didn’t compel them to click. That’s going to happen, and you can’t expect everyone who reads your content to click your links. But you can raise your click-through rate if you provide content that people are interested in. Give them what they’re looking for, to keep them interested.
You can raise your click-through rate if you provide content that people are interested in. Tweet This!
3. Are the Clicks Becoming Buyers, or Moving On?
The people who read your content and click your links are all potential buyers. If you want to make them into actual buyers, you need to convert them from just clicking to buying. A lot of people won’t buy because they simply aren’t ready yet, but plenty of them will make a purchase if they feel there’s real value in what you’re offering. For people who don’t see the value, a purchase isn’t going to be made. They have to see the value enough to read the content, then click the link, then make the purchase. That’s a tall order for any company to fill consistently, but it can be done.
Measuring the impact of your content doesn’t have to be a guessing game. With programs that will show you who’s reading, who clicked, and who bought, you can see if you’re getting more interest. You can also see what content and what platforms are working the best for you, in order to provide you with options and opportunities for the future. Don’t shy away from aggressively tracking your content, so you can find what works for you and your customers. They want good content from you just as much as you want to provide good content to them.
Michelle B writes web content, articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and more, and has created thousands of pieces of content for companies all over the world. She holds an associate’s degree in business management and a bachelor’s degree in legal administration.
