Quality is one of those tricky terms that means something different to every person you meet. Many assume that high-quality content means well-researched, in-depth and relevant material that is intelligently written in a compelling fashion. That may be so for some readers, some of the time, but value cannot be determined by that definition alone. Sometimes people are looking for simple commentary on a complex issue that they can understand; sometimes they may just want a list of hilarious GIFs. And all of this is okay. Today, content quality is in the eye of the reader.

Personalization on a reader-level is the key to unlocking the value of content. Maximizing potential value in your content library takes knowing what your audience is looking for at the time of their need or search. Use yourself as an example of the nuances of personalization:

  • Do you search for the same things at 10am on a Wednesday as you do at 6pm on a Saturday?

  • How consistent are you when it comes to search queries?

  • Have you ever gotten lost going down the search engine rabbit hole and found yourself learning a lot about a topic you didn’t know existed before?

For many, we’d assume the answers to those questions are “no,” “never” and “yes,” this simple exercise highlights how strongly interests vary just by time of day and instance alone. Many of the same people that read scholarly journals also fill out personality quizzes in their free time, and your brand needs to be able to accommodate these shifts over time, whether that drives greater variety on your blog or more diverse advertising creative.

Trying to force feed the “right” material at the “wrong” time will only annoy your audience. By listening to their implicit and explicit behaviors to automate the right messages, you’ll be prepared to capture their attention at any moment, no matter what they’re in the mood for.

— Jason Grunberg, Director of Content Marketing

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