In the world of digital marketing, content refers to any text, video, images and audio that delivers information, intellectual property or data that engages the audience with a brand. Specifically, this looks like articles, blog posts, photos, infographics, podcasts, videos and ebooks.
As a subset of digital marketing, which often focuses on content promotion, performance content focuses on creating and distributing content that meets business goals and how to track the work’s effectiveness.
It still delivers compelling content which solves problems, answers questions or demonstrates a business’s values, but it prioritizes measurable results, driving engagement and conversion.
Performance content has crystal clear goals: leaders calibrate it to support specific, measurable business goals.
They can look like anything from increasing xx% of sales on Instagram in the fourth quarter to adding xx% high-value contacts to your database in November or securing an additional 5 appointments through the email newsletter this month versus last.
Content without strategy is a dead end. You only know how well you’re doing if you measure, and that’s where performance comes in.
Most users spend about 5.6 seconds looking at written content on a site and an average of 54 seconds looking at a page before they bounce. When you reframe your process to employ performance content, you can take those same metrics and let them drive decisions that change the outcome.
You can write, publish and distribute material intentionally and then use the results to inform future editorial strategy. By refining your approach, you increase your chances to captivate the audience and gain potential clients. (Plus, how else do you know you’re not just speaking into the void?)
Get started
You can start with a simple exercise: What do you offer – most importantly, why?
Don’t overthink it; just let it flow. When we create from an honest place, our narrative spills into anything we publish and shapes our expertise. Once you’ve identified the core of your business, decide which platforms you’ll use to share content.
Here are some basic ideas for performance content:
- Blog posts. Writing provides samples of your work, demonstrates expertise and motivates readers to learn more about the work you do. Track it: Tools like Google Analytics can track the progress of blog posts for views and engagement, and the analytics section of email marketing platforms can tell you which topics yield the most opens and clicks.
- Videos. A powerful form of storytelling, video has become an increasingly popular tool in digital marketing. Even without professional expertise or equipment, you can create videos for social media that engage your audience in an authentic way. These can look like talking about the product, clips of the product itself, testimonials from people or behind-the-scenes content. Track it: Check video performance via Instagram’s professional dashboard, YouTube analytics and newsletter analytics for insights into how many people clicked or viewed.
- Social media posts. 73% of content marketers use social media and between 40% to 70% of customers buy products because of a brand they’re familiar with, they resonate with and that they trust. A social media presence amplifies a brand by creating a virtual space that reflects its business goals and values and provides a direct connection to the audience – it just needs to be consistent. Track it: Instagram’s professional dashboard allows you to track posts’ performance, analyze audience engagement and make adjustments aligned with your strategy.
- Podcasts and webinars. As you dive deeper into specific topics, you may want to create a more intimate community. Hosting a podcast or webinar can give you the chance to build trust and connect with your audience. One can also lead to the other! Track it: Using the podcast platform, track viewership over time to see which episodes resonate the most with your audience to understand the effectiveness of your value.
- Infographics. Imagery to support written content or take the place of bulky paragraphs can quickly engage viewers and tell a story by simplifying complex ideas into digestible visuals. Infographics show that you understand a topic deeply enough to simplify it. Track it: Tools like Google Analytics or email marketing platform analytics can measure effectiveness through data such as click-through-rates and page view retention numbers.
[Savvy Content + Smart Strategy = 472 Leads in 24 Hours]
Need help growing your content marketing strategy? HageyMedia can help. Reach out today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call and start seeing real results.