Strategies to Transform Online Content into a Valuable Intelligence Resource. Part 2 of 5 in a Series.
Along with the growing volume and availability of information, an increasing reliance on data and analytics has raised the profile of information itself. Information management has become a crucial part of management in general, as data and information are now central to decision-making. Keeping up with the latest news, information and analysis on key topics can seem impossible, especially as organizations become geographically dispersed and more employees work remotely. For example, over 2 million articles are published every day – just on blogs. Targeted Intelligence offers solutions to these challenges, but implementing an intelligence plan may seem daunting.
Targeted Intelligence is the practice of delivering timely updates from a team who curate content using various technologies to select the appropriate information. The goal: easily digestible updates that can be pushed to a variety of channels, such as portals, widgets, mobile applications, email briefings and more.
Fortunately, there are effective strategies for improving Targeted Intelligence. The right approach can ensure delivery of what users need, where, when and how they need it.Through a series of interviews with information professionals across various enterprises, we tracked down details about Targeted Intelligence strategies that deliver real-world results. One successful industry expert used specific strategies to build an internal daily briefing that grew to 4,300 email subscribers without the need for formal marketing. He shared six tips for delivering intelligence that is highly relevant and drives information usage within an organization:
- Adhere to a regular delivery schedule. Choose a delivery time that works for your organization and commit to meeting it. He chose 9:00 a.m. to deliver the company’s “morning newspaper,” ensuring that employees received key information before they got too busy with other tasks.
- Hand-select relevant content. Curation is key in Targeted Intelligence. Choose items for maximum relevance and highest impact. He used a Targeted Intelligence tool to help him filter through hundreds of stories each day and hone in on 20-21 of the most relevant items to include in the briefing.
- Make it easy to read. Consider both form and function. Updates should be visually appealing, easy to read on a variety of devices, colorful and professional. He enlisted the help of a design service to ensure the briefing had the look he wanted.
- Add context where possible. Editor’s notes can be used to add context or explanations, and visual cues like icons or logos can make a publication easier for readers to scan. He added a company logo, for example, to help readers focus on stories that specifically mentioned the company.
- Include videos. Video content can attract interest, enhance visual appeal and even serve as marketing. He shared that videos helped drive viral marketing at the company, noting that, “Every time we included videos, we would get more new sign-up requests.”
- Remember to add human interest. He included a quote of the day in each briefing, sharing something funny, interesting or thought-provoking. Colleagues appreciated this extra touch, often commenting on how much they enjoyed the quote of the day.
This information professional’s tips offer direct, actionable steps any organization can take to meet the information needs of users by effectively curating content. Success can come from a Targeted Intelligence strategy guided by these principles. Improve your results in these ways, use content tools and find the right internal or external team, and the business benefits quickly will become clear.
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