Animalz

“Attribution is chasing the dragon. You’re never going to understand exactly what convinces someone to purchase or visit your website.” Deborah Carver 🪩 of The Content Technologist dropped this truth bomb in our interview about using analytics to measure content marketing. The key? Stop obsessing over perfect attribution. Instead, focus on understanding the broader patterns and effects of your content strategy. In our in-depth interview, Deborah also breaks down: 📈 A practical framework for measuring content from awareness to retention 💡 The “hidden gem” metrics most teams overlook ⚡ How to make Google Analytics 4 work for content (not just paid) 🎯 Why organic traffic often drives your highest-quality customers If you’re caught between oversimplified metrics and impossible attribution models, this interview is your way out. With over 20 years of experience in content strategy, Deborah has created a practical approach to help you measure what matters and finally prove the true value of your content. You can read the full interview on our blog. Link in the comments 👇 #ContentMarketing #B2BMarketing #SaaSMarketing #ContentStrategy #MarketingAnalytics

Unit21 took a bold approach to content with their 168-page, printed (!) Fraud Fighters Manual — and the results speak for themselves: thousands of leads, millions in pipeline, and even the U.S. Secret Service requesting a copy. Swipe for five reasons why unconventional content should be part of your strategy. From building authority to fueling sales conversations, an original approach has the power to cut through the noise and create lasting impact. Check out the full case study in the comments to see how a book helped Unit21 stand out. #ContentMarketing #ContentStrategy #ThoughtLeadership #B2BMarketing #MarketingInnovation

Your website gets millions of visitors. Now what? That’s where Preply found itself — millions of monthly visitors, but blog traffic and conversions had hit a wall. So, how did they break through this plateau? By going beyond the surface and tapping into the power of ✨ persona-driven content ✨ At Animalz, we partnered with Preply to redefine their content strategy by focusing on what truly matters: understanding their audience on a deeper level. The results? 25k new visitors every month and a 2-3X increase in social media CTRs 🚀 Using extensive audience research, Preply developed 4 detailed personas that went beyond surface-level insights to capture specific pain points, life circumstances, and motivations. By tailoring their content to the unique needs of each persona, Preply’s traffic and engagement surged, proving the power of persona-driven marketing. Here’s how we made it happen: 💡 Comprehensive audience research: Preply organized multiple surveys and workshops to identify the distinct personas that make up their audience. This level of insight allowed us to create content that resonated on a personal level. 🎯 A persona-led content strategy: Each persona influenced the topics, messaging, and tone of the content we produced. We didn’t just create content for the sake of SEO — we crafted articles that directly addressed the persona’s real-life challenges and goals. 📈 Revenue-generating topics: We also analyzed Preply’s traffic and conversion data to identify 100+ new content ideas across 15+ topic clusters that already generated tons of conversions and revenue. This set up Preply for sustained growth, fueling their content roadmap for months to come and positioning them to capture new audience segments at scale. 💥 Tangible results: The numbers speak for themselves. With this persona-driven approach, Preply saw a 2-3x increase in social media click-through rates, and their overall engagement skyrocketed. It’s a powerful reminder that when you know your audience, your content doesn’t just reach them — it moves them. Curious about how we did it? Check out the full case study to see how audience insights can fuel your content strategy. Link in the comments 👇 #ContentMarketing #SEO #AudienceResearch #GrowthMarketing #ContentROI #ContentStrategy

Milestone marketing requires walking a fine line between humility and hubris. You can’t understate your achievements, but overstating them also turns people off. It’s actually not that different from throwing a party. A good host is present but not overly so. They provide a reason to celebrate but don’t make the event about themselves — they’re focused on making sure the guests have a good time. When done right, milestone marketing is one of the easiest ways to create content that delivers momentum, trust, and growth. Our latest newsletter and article explain how to do just that. #contentmarketing #contentstrategy #marketingtips

What’s a non-fiction article that planted an idea in your mind that never left? I’ll start… Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule by Paul Graham Your Blog Is Not a Publication by Jimmy Daly for Animalz We Don’t Sell Saddles Here by Stewart Butterfield for Slack The Winner Doesn’t Take It All: ‘Information Gain’ and the New Future of SEO by Ryan Law for Animalz (now at Ahrefs) I’m specifically looking for blog posts or short memos (not books) to feature in an upcoming Animalz article. Anything in startup, marketing, productivity, and business is welcome. Leave your picks in the comments! 🙏

This data report from Spotify is 🔥🔥 It's a great example of what happens when design + content + data teams work together. I secretly love that design is the hero in this asset and content/copy is in a supporting role. We've been helping create a lot more assets like this at Animalz. If you're looking to do some State of XYZ Report around the turn of the year, hit me up! We have room to do a few more 👍

Sara Stella Lattanzio started posting on LinkedIn three and a half years ago as a creative outlet. Now, she's a LinkedIn Top Voice with a massive following and several brand partnerships. Read more about her growth story and her leadership role at Stryber in our latest newsletter and interview with Sara. #LinkedInGrowth #PersonalBranding #B2BInfluencer

Maybe you're looking for a silver attribution bullet — a tool, a model, anything that brings ease and accuracy. We feel you, because we've been on that search. The disappointing truth is that there's no one-size-fits-you-me-and-everyone-else solution for perfect attribution. What we did find are some principles and practices you can use to improve attribution, regardless of your budget, tool, or org size. We bundled our insights in The Content Attribution Survival Guide — more in our latest newsletter and blog below. 👇️ #marketingattribution #contentmarketing #contentstrategy

Struggling with a blank page and tempted to use AI? Here’s a clever tip from one of our newsletter subscribers that might just spark your creativity: Write out the prompt you plan to feed into AI — but before hitting that “generate” button, answer it yourself first! This technique forces you to engage your own brain and come up with original ideas before turning to AI for help. It aligns with the core message from one of our recent blog articles: Use AI to enhance your creativity, not replace it 🌟 Give it a try! Sometimes the best ideas come from battling the blank page on your own, even if it’s just for a few minutes before AI steps in. #GenerativeAI #ContentMarketing #AIWriting #ContentCreation

Remember when being first was everything? Those days are long gone. In a recent Ahrefs article, Ryan Law expands on his earlier thinking about the shift from information scarcity to abundance. His latest piece explores why: 📊 Information abundance is the new norm What does it mean to market in a world where information is plentiful and easy to find? 👉️ Search results are saturated with comprehensive, well-optimized content 👉️ Basic how-to articles and definition pieces no longer cut it 👉️ Readers get bombarded with similar information coming from multiple sources This abundance creates a new challenge: standing out in a sea of sameness. It’s no longer enough to simply provide information; you need to offer unique value. 🏃♂️ First-mover strategies are losing steam Being first used to guarantee success. Now? Not so much. Here’s why: 👉️ Early adopters have already claimed high-volume keywords 👉️ Ultimate guides and skyscraper content are ubiquitous 👉️ Readers are becoming numb to formulaic, comprehensive content The first-mover advantage has largely evaporated. Simply replicating successful strategies from industry giants won’t yield the same results it once did. 🚀 You need to adapt to the new reality of second-movers Now, for the exciting part: even as a latecomer to content marketing, you can still make an impact. Here’s how: 👉️ Offer new “flavors” of information, like a fresh angle on a well-covered topic 👉️ Create entirely new information by running experiments, solving hard problems in your industry, or sharing insights from your unique experiences 👉️ Focus on quality and uniqueness, rather than racing to publish first The key is to embrace what we call “information gain” — bringing new, valuable information to the table that isn’t found anywhere else. Have you found success as a second-mover in your industry? Share your thoughts and strategies in the comments! 👇 #ContentStrategy #InformationGain #SEO