Where Does Big Data Fit into Your Article Writing Approach

If the saying “knowledge is power” has any bearing on the world of article writing and content marketing, then tapping into “Big Data” can easily stand out as the biggest weapon in your arsenal. All creative writing services experts will tell you that. The recent studies say that the amount of data in the world was estimated to be 44 zettabytes at the dawn of 2020, but at 2025 the amount of data generated each day will reach 463 exabytes globally.

Interesting fact: one zettabite is 1 billion terabytes.
One zettabyte is equal to one sextillion bytes 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.

Unfortunately for many brands, trying to use this weapon on the digital front is a lesson in frustration and wasted potential. To ensure you’re not letting the rest of your industry pass you by with content refined and optimized via Big Data integration, let’s take a moment to break down the particulars of this tool and where it fits into your content needs in the future.

What the Heck Is Big Data and Why Does It Matter?

Before we get into how it can help writers, let’s first understand exactly what big data is. Simply put, big data is large sets of information collected from various sources. 

The data can include anything from web tracking to customer feedback surveys and more. This information is then analyzed to provide insights into trends and patterns in the data. 

So how big is big? Dumbill notes that Big Data sets often exceed the processing capacity of conventional databases and grows at an accelerated or even exponential rate. 

Essentially, this means that while Big Data offers up powerful insight into the lives of the people that matter most to your brand – primarily thanks to information garnered by social media and even mobile devices – making use of this at times unwieldy tool isn’t always easy, especially for those who are new to the world of laying out content marketing strategies.

Big Data for Writers 

So why should writers care about big data? Well, the insights gained from analyzing the data can help writers create content that resonates with their target audience. 

For example, if a writer has access to website analytics, they will be able to see which topics are getting the most engagement from readers and use this information to create similar pieces of content that readers will find valuable. By understanding what type of content your audience enjoys reading, you can tailor your writing specifically for them. 

Using Big Data Effectively 

As great as big data is for writers, it’s only effective when used correctly. When gathering data, make sure you choose reliable sources that provide accurate information. 

Additionally, keep an eye on your competition – look at what type of content they’re producing and what strategies they’re using to engage their audience so that you can develop new ideas of your own based on their success stories (or failures). 

Finally, make sure your analysis takes into account all factors involved – don’t draw conclusions from just one piece of evidence or one source of data; look at the bigger picture instead!  

Getting the Most out of This Tool

Now that you understand that Big Data is a tool that can help set up detailed and accurate consumer profiles, which in turn guide your content development, but that it’s far from simple to integrate into your current approach, it’s time to talk about easing your transition into a world defined by this kind of data. 

For starters, aligning your brand with a content professional who understands how to translate consumer insight into engaging and value-driven content is a step in the right direction.

From this point, Julie Fleischer – the Head of Content, Data, and Media for Kraft Foods Group – suggests keeping the ball rolling with some clever acquisition and database maintenance tactics. 

During her time on stage at the Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing 2014 expo, Fleischer suggested that instead of thinking of your content development and data insight operations as separate entities, your brand should aim for the shared ground between the two.

Whether this means gating a white paper or other premium content behind a survey, or installing a questionnaire as part of your email contact list sign-up process, you can ensure that your brand has a bead on exactly who spends time checking out its content, as well as what they’re interested in going forward.

Outside of harvesting new data and adding it to any current Big Data sets that your brand owns or leases, Fleischer has one final piece of advice – don’t be afraid to let the trends held within this information guide your content direction. 

By letting go of what you expect the data to tell you, and instead allowing the stats and insight held within point to the subject matter and style that best fits your audience’s needs, you’ll not only drive up page traffic and engagement, but build a deeper bond with these viewers.

Regardless of whether you walk this path alone or connect with a team of article writing experts who have been around the Big Data block before, it’s hard to argue against the appeal of this kind of outlook.

Conclusion

Big Data has become an invaluable tool for businesses around the world – and now for writers as well! By making use of all available resources such as website analytics or customer feedback surveys, writers are able to gain valuable insights into their target audience’s interests and preferences which in turn allows them to craft content tailored specifically for them.

With its ability to provide detailed analysis on various topics and trends related to writing, big data has become indispensable in helping writers create better content today!