Approaches to content auditing are being formalised, mainly by those who seek to charge you for such a service. And make no mistake, demand is up as everyone realises a professional content strategy has to embrace auditing.

We have no problem with this emerging market – we even undertake such projects – but there are some fundamental tactics every organisation can immediately run with.

We talk about these in our recently released B2B Content Marketing 2014 special report (email us for your free PDF copy). But here are three:

1. “What do we have?” Before you ever commission or plan something ‘new’, check what you already have. It might be much easier to repurpose something from your archive. It might be that it has been tried and no one in your audience cared (which tells you something). But always start your move forward with a quick look over your shoulder.

2. Ideas, not just assets. We talk often about not just considering ‘assets’. This isn’t a phrase those with a content background would tend to use. What’s more important than the tangible pieces of content you have (more on that in point ‘3’) is the ‘why’. Even your best-performing past pieces of content aren’t appropriate if your overall goals have changed. And what of those past ideas that never got developed but in hindsight were great? You must dig up those too.

3. Beyond traditional content. A proper content audit isn’t snooty. Content doesn’t just mean blog posts, infographics, white papers or Slideshares. It is all those things and all other forms of communications. Event presentations, brochures, technical documents, how-to videos, pamphlets, podcasts – all these and more are valid. They might take some editing. They might take some updating. But find your content wherever you can.

Remember, a content audit isn’t just due diligence, isn’t just a step in a process someone has deemed ‘best practice’. More than anything, a content audit must be practical.

Any of us who have been at the content audit coalface know it can be hard work. Make that effort worthwhile and so it saves you time and money in the longer term.

photo credit: Bart van de Biezen via photopin cc

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For more advice like this, on content audits but also a range of related content marketing areas, contact us for your free copy of the B2B Content Marketing 2014 special report, produced by Collective Content (UK) and Xpointo Media.
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