How can data analysis help you choose the best content topics?

I think it is important to realise that data talks but, to quote Neil Diamond, 'it don't sing and dance and it don't walk'. In other words, it can only do so much. It is only useful if we understand the context of the data and we don't assume that A + B will automatically equal C. I remember a digital-data media buying company telling me that you should look at what the data is telling you and then discount it 20% for the things you are missing.

You need to have a baseline understanding of what your goals are before you dive deep into content ideation and execution. Once you know what your strategic objectives are, then you can research what content types, formats, and pieces you can design to fulfill that goal/business need. Content for the sake of content is not strategic. You need to use content as a conduit to 'connect the dots' to user journeys you are building in order to satisfy and measure your goals.

Another important goal to consider is what action you want your audience to take. Or, what value do you intend to provide in exchange for their trust?

You need a clear destination to know which road to take! I have worked with a founder on IG campaign for his ecommerce platform, He was doing it for two years that time and guess what he said: "We have the highest engagement in our niche, yet no sales". I asked him: what is your goal and what kind of content do you guys create? "We want more sales volume and we generate funny and engaging content and our audiences does know us." This guy was a live example of missing the goal. Engagement is not sale, and Engaging content does not have to be a good one for sales.

Data analysis can reveal trends in audience engagement, showing which topics generate the most interest, shares, and comments. By analyzing metrics like click-through rates and time spent on content, you can identify the most appealing topics, guiding you to create content that resonates with your audience.

Competitor analysis includes SEO, but it also includes perception and positioning. Yes, I use Ahrefs to understand relative domain authority, backlinks, and visibility, but I also use low-tech tools like Google News to see what competitors are being known for. All of this analysis helps you understand how your brand is positioned today, so you can either build defensibility or move into the market you can win.

Data analysis and being 'data led' is extremely important as it enables you to cut through all the noise and have solid insights to talk to that aren't based on what you and your colleagues 'think' but credible evidence of the needs of the people looking for your products and services. Understanding what people are looking for when they engage with your business as well as understanding the content they are seeking to solve problems they may be facing is gold dust, enabling you to create content around these insights and drive further conversations with existing and prospective clients.

Content is king only if you have actionable insights extracted so to one thing I found very helpful is to label every piece of content published by labels such as - Content pillar - Content objective - Platform - Content medium/ format Then run an analysis to understand the number of content produced vs the engagement/impact the content received per each category above.

Think as a data analyst but act as a human, always and forever! Do not lose your human sense while doing your analysis. Being data driven does not equal losing your human sense, You have to by a data-driven human. Since we as data analysts are studying human actions, it is really crucial to understand their behaviors, manners and the way they take actions. With that said, Let the data guide you, but always be the one who is driving the data.

I strongly believe that strong content strategies are data-led. Your general analysis can easily lead you into a path of what content is desirable, what content may do well, what content to avoid, what responses you could expect, and all these insights can also inform the strategic content your brand should focus on and prioritize.

Data analysis can tell you what people are searching for. But it won't always tell you what people are interested in or what they'll appreciate. So don't be afraid to "write beyond the data." A good content strategy relies on both data and intuition.