Right now, maybe more than ever, your content marketing efforts deserve a little measurement. Amidst budget cuts and strapped resources, elements of a marketing communication plan that lack at least some metrics linking back to effectiveness tend to be early casualties. “Nice to have” is often “first to go.”

But more than simply protecting your endeavors (and their corresponding budgets), measurement should be a vital element in any content marketing strategy – bear or bull, boom or bust. Content that fails to link back to marcomm objectives is surely “content” with a lower case “c.”

Even placing some very basic metrics in place takes the first few steps to ensuring your content is doing its job – to your client or yourself — and can lead to increasing effectiveness by applying learning from the measurement’s results.

Here is a quick list to get your content marketing strategy in the swing of measurement:

I object

Simply put, set objectives. Define what ‘success’ means for your program and get it down/approved in writing.

Make certain your objectives are not only measurable (including specific growth number and timelines), but can be achieved directly through the use of content marketing. Think of it this way: Content marketing should not be tasked with ‘cutting operating costs by 15%” but can be challenged to “reduce customer churn by 15%.”

Remember that the flow begins with a Business Objective, then a Marketing Objective, next a Marcomm Objective, and finally a Content Strategy. Your strategy should be solving the Marcomm objective.

Budget, not fudge-it

Continues @http://blog.junta42.com