Many marketers dread the idea of a content audit. They fear the process will be tedious and time consuming. Also, in an environment where marketers are on overload and are expected to do more with less, the task tends to be put off time and time again. Yet a well-executed audit performed annually can provide important insights about the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and have a positive impact on the bottom line.What is a content audit?
- Which pieces are performing best?
- Which topics, themes and messages are most relevant to our audience(s)?
- Which content needs to be updated or retired?
Conducting a content audit
1. Develop a content inventory. Gather all existing content and develop a spreadsheet that includes the title, published date and URL (if appropriate) for each piece of content. Create separate columns for other important information including frequency, channels utilized, target markets and additional relevant data. Be sure to include:
- Website content
- Blogs
- Bylined articles
- Brochures
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Newsletters
- Videos
- Presentations
- Marketing emails
- Advertisements
- Direct mail
2. Analyze content. Evaluate each piece of content based on how effectively it supports your marketing objectives. Is it enhancing credibility through thought leadership? Does it drive traffic to your website? Is it an important part of the sales process? Look for trends and make note of any statistics, such as web views, wherever possible. How has the marketplace changed? Be sure to look beyond the content you have already created. What opportunities exist to develop additional content that will help you better engage with clients and prospects?
3. Identify your action steps. Based on your evaluation, decide if content needs to be updated, consolidated, archived or used in a different way. Be as specific as possible to make execution more effective. Prioritize projects, incorporate action steps into your marketing plan, assign responsibilities and establish deadlines.
Why is a content audit essential?
Content audits help marketers identify holes that exist and uncover opportunities to fill the gaps. Also, they provide a good check-and-balance system for monitoring performance, making changes when necessary and prioritizing projects. When done correctly, they become the foundation for communicating marketing’s ROI and build the case for budget increases that might be necessary.
All too frequently, companies create content and then never go back to it again. Whether it is a blog post, white paper or product brochure, marketing content can quickly become outdated, stale or totally irrelevant. That’s why best practices suggest that we revisit our content once per year (or more often for companies that produce a higher volume of content) to ensure materials are as fresh, applicable and germane as possible.
If conducting a marketing audit has fallen through the cracks, consider bringing in a professional to evaluate your content. To get help with conducting a content audit, contact Trade Press Services today.
