Data shows brands are bringing data into the conversation, expanding budgets for content analytics to provide benchmarks for web marketing.

Technology can make things easier, but it can also introduce new challenges. Marketers who were apt at gauging audience captivation with traditional practices might not understand how content analytics reports convey valuable insights about customers’ reactions to branded content. Despite this challenge, most professionals are getting on board with new data-driven benchmarks and integrating analytics into their decision-making processes.

A recently released Blue Kai study showed companies recognize they must depend on data-fueled marketing to remain relevant. The number of companies investing at least one-fifth of their marketing budgets on analytics and other similar practices increased 227 percent in the past six months. When surveyed in December 2012, just 11 percent of organizations listed “data driven” efforts as a significant part of their marketing budgets. As of July 2013, around 36 percent dedicated funds to their content analytics and big data marketing strategies.

This is marked progress, but it might not be enough if companies don’t have someone on staff who is qualified to interpret that data. Brafton recently reported 26 percent of companies still lack a dedicated professional for content analytics. This suggests at least one-quarter of marketers are missing out on opportunities to improve their web presences and social media participation to drive traffic to their sites, increase brand awareness and generate conversions.

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.