Analytics are more than just numbers, they’re a story that is currently in the process of being written.
They’re powerful tools that tell you where you are, where you’re going, and most importantly how you’re going to get there.
With that in mind, what follows is a list of the top 2017 analytics trends and predictions that you need to be aware of in being able to parse out the data most important to your 2017 content strategy.
It’s a Big Data World, We’re Just Living In It
Perhaps the most important of the 2017 analytics trends has to do with the continued rise of big data and its role throughout our lives.
According to Forbes, by 2020 there will be approximately 1.7 megabytes of new information created for every human on Earth every second.
It stands to reason that an increased dependency on big data and the insight it provides is about to become the new norm.
Improved & Increased Automation
Based on the above, it makes perfect sense that another one of the top analytics predictions is that data-driven intelligence will help automate the buyer’s journey in meaningful new ways.
If big data gives us the valuable insight we need to form deeper, longer-lasting connections, automation helps us optimize the journey to strengthen those connections with a consistency that is invaluable.
Analytics Will Help Break Down Silos
For far too long, sales and marketing teams have existed essentially separate from one another within the confines of the same organization.
Thanks to the real-time insight that analytics can now provide, expect data and technology to help increase the alignment between these two essential components of any business.
Referral Traffic is Not What it Was
In terms of the analytics themselves, MediaShift.org predicts that referral traffic as a metric is about to become a lot less important than it is right now.
We haven’t quite reached the end-of-the-line, but referral traffic as a way to generate a massive audience has absolutely reached a plateau that can’t be sustained in the long-term.
The Downward Shift of Total Unique Visitors
Another MediaShift.org prediction comes by way of the fact that total unique visitors, a number previously used as the metric of success, is about to become a lot less meaningful because it isn’t actually growing any longer.
In its place will be disaggregated audience data, which will be much more useful in terms of editorial decision-making and bringing on loyal readers.
Impact Redefined
We’re about to enter into a time where we question everything we know about what it means to make an impact on an audience.
Instead of trying to measure content in the same way we do direct services, things will take a much more direct approach in terms of the continued measurement of this ever-important idea.
Data Socialization: The New Frontier
Something that is already happening within many organizations that will continue moving forward, is that data will no longer be managed in isolation.
This will give rise to the idea of data socialization where repeatable data modeling allows data and analytics outcomes to not just be shared in an easier way, but to be reused in the future to increase efficiency.
To find out more about these and other 2017 marketing predictions, consider attending the 2017 Content Marketing Conference.
Designed with content innovation in mind – experts, thought-leaders and other industry professionals are incredibly excited to get together and share what they know today, all in an effort to help us collectively carve out the best possible future for tomorrow.