The development of content―from development to its ultimate effect on audiences―is a long journey. The result is difficulty in measuring the “impact” of every input into that final piece of content and the effort required to drive that impact.
And even before measuring, defining “impact” is already a familiar challenge in this sector. There are basic definitions readily available, yet often we are asked for differing metrics from various stakeholders ― making “impact” hard to benchmark and impact reporting to be an inefficient task. Accordingly, impact reporting is often unsatisfactory in its inability to show that the energy put into the content lifecycle is proportional to its resulting effect on the organization and the broader world. A more holistic and unified model of impact for content can empower organizations to better account for the lifetime value and return on their investments in content creation, and to guide budget requests and internal expectations accordingly.
Today, much of this content takes the form of web pages, email messages, social media posts, videos, webinars, downloads, data visualizations, and so forth. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to produce and it is central to your organization’s strategy.
That’s why it’s worth understanding and optimizing with innovative, strategic analytics solutions.
About the content project
In response to this question of what is “impact,” our team at the PTKO Data Innovation Studio has begun an exploratory project of just one dimension of an organization’s impact ― the impact of content.
Nuanced understanding of how content is used helps allow an organization’s staff members make more informed decisions in their work. Our Content Lifecycle Map aggregates PTKO’s extensive experience with mission-driven organizations into a robust roadmap that allows any member of your team to understand the role content and data plays in your organization and its impact, all while making sense of the various variables and dimensions that are unique to your work.
The Content Lifecycle Map is a tool and resource for anyone working within the content lifecycle, from its strategy and conceptualization to the following analysis and refinement post-publishing. The Map documents the five content stages and the universal tasks associated with each stage. Ongoing iterations of this map connect these universal tasks with how data functions within each task, processes associated with each task, and actionable recommendations.
With the guidance of PTKO and the DIS community, this map allows anyone working along the content lifecycle to:
- Demonstrate the content’s impact where thought-leadership is the goal
- Prioritize the content and outreach that satisfied audience interests
- Inform editorial and production approaches based on realistic expectations of audience behaviors
- Differentiate audiences reached from untapped or underserved audiences who need more or new types of persuasion
PTKO Data Innovation Studio
This Map is the first deliverable of more to come from the PTKO Data Innovation Studio and its first study on content impact data. Learn more about our work in the new Data Innovation Studio.
Through our Data Innovation Studio, ParsonsTKO is leading a study that connects a network of content-innovators to develop cutting edge data strategies to optimize the content lifecycle.
Members of our Data Innovation Studio work directly with a network of like-minded industry experts and PTKO in a variety of contexts, including:
- Participating in facilitated discussions on new sources of data and new uses for data in driving organizational effectiveness
- Developing cross-sector benchmarks and best practices to guide tactical decision making and build consensus and confidence in strategic direction
- Creating first-of-their kind datasets that can be used by the participating PTKO Data Innovation Studio organizations
- Receiving reports of recommendations on how to deploy these insights, including opportunities to participate in discussion with other sector leaders, attend methodology reviews, and engage with training sessions to adapt techniques developed in the study
The ParsonsTKO team has worked with mission-driven organizations for over 20 years, implementing powerful and practical Engagement Architectures that manage both communications technology and related marketing and outreach in a comprehensive strategy. And in that time, PTKO has identified shifts in content culture and the rising influx of digital content in this sector and helped guide organizations through this evolution. We invite you to join our Studio to continue developing innovative, strategic, and data-forward solutions for the mission-driven sector.