[Corporate content marketing] Here’s why anecdotes are actually a decent measurement

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I hear marketers complain all the time about measurements:

  • Too many measurements
  • Too many platforms
  • Those measurements are not what we want

And yes, ultimately all business actions at some point need to help with revenue – directly or indirectly. Content marketing does that.

Content marketing friend Andy Crestodina goes as far as saying that content marketing and blogging doesn’t drive many leads but actually helps rank other pages – the pages with products and that make money! – rank better. He’s got a point.

There are so many things that can be measured that it can be overwhelming. And of course then there are some things that are not measurable but they still make an impact.

The anecdote as a measurement

Anecdotal measurement matters – especially when it comes in clusters. Let me explain.

Let’s say a doctor blogs about his topic. There are calls to action that allow people to make appointments and even click to call phone numbers that are trackable. Of course there are. It’s 2019!

Some people click them and their conversion is measurable in the digital analyst’s dream scenario.

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Of course, that’s not always the case. Life isn’t linear. Let’s take this case:

I read the doctor’s content because a friend was discussing the topic with me earlier. I send him a link and he calls later after googling the number.

On the office visit the doc asks what brings him in and he mentioned that he read his article on topic A and he thinks he needs help in this area.

The patient and doctor relationship has started and the funnel is hard to measure in this case.

Read now: What do we call people before they are patients?

Now at some point the doctor will be asked whether or not the investment in content marketing is worth it. The cost includes:

  • There are things we can look at:
      • Are people reading?
      Are they converting?
      Is patient volume found up?
      Are the right patients reaching out (based on speciality, for example)
      And anecdotes
  • The doctor sharing that people mention the content matters and counts.
  • This is especially powerful when it happens often or multiple times.
  • Let me give you an example from this blog even. Some people tell me they read daily, I’ve heard from college professors who have quoted pieces and even bought copies of the storybook book and used it in class.
  • Others reached out when they needed help after reading for years. Those anecdotes matter and feel good.
  • I’ve gotten speaking engagements from conferences that read my blog.
  • The same is true for organizations, the doctor and his hospital as well as anyone who does strategic content marketing

    • Anecdotes are hard to measure – sure but really many things in content marketing and business are – especially top of the funnel.

    Let’s not disregard the power of the anecdote and document and share it any way we can.


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