Step 6. Measure Your Results

Within your content strategy should be a clear plan for measuring the impacts of your efforts. Metrics should be based on the strategic objectives you established in Step 1. Use Google Analytics to keep track of traffic to your content, watch where readers click next after viewing a post, and see the impacts of your outreach efforts. By measuring your metrics, you’ll see which sites draw in the most traffic for your content (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and which posts inspire the most conversation (i.e. comments, likes, shares). The metrics you watch most closely should be the ones that align with your goals–getting your organization closer to its strategic vision.

Oh yeah, have fun!

At the beginning of this series, we warned against writing only based on inspiration or momentary feelings. Throughout the series, we encouraged you to be strategic about your communications. Just to be clear: writing your organization’s communications content does not have to be painful! It should be inspiring. It should offer a creative outlet for your ideas and services. It should empower you to become the disciplinary thought leader you aim to become. It should be a little risky. Inspired. Rewarding.

It should just do these things in a consistent, disciplined way that moves you toward a larger vision for your organization or brand. Establishing a content strategy helps sustain your writing through the droughts that come in between moments of great inspiration. Over time, your strategy–when matched with dedication to see it through–will result in a body of work that makes your organizational vision a reality.

Schedule time to talk with us about how we can help you build a powerhouse Content Strategy!