Big news from Content Insights: on the 24th of June, the new and improved platform was released.
For those who may not know, Content Insights is an advanced content analytics solution capable of measuring real reader behavior and content performance with unrivaled precision. It runs on a complex algorithm called Content Performance Indicator (CPI) that recognizes three different behavioral models: exposure, engagement, and loyalty.
The CPI algorithm is continuously improved thanks to the close guidance of our product developers, visionaries, data scientists and data engineers, mathematicians, and of course – existing clients who provide their precious feedback and participate in creating the product they want and need.
In addition, the company has experienced editors in its ranks, which helps the whole team fully understand the pain points of publishers, newsrooms, media organizations, and content professionals, and more importantly – to clearly see what value they seek and expect to get from data.
As a consequence of this collective effort, Content Insights released a new, improved platform with the following changes:
- New CPI calculation
- Unique segmentation
- Updated topic analysis
- New Account & Organization management
- Improved platform performance
Keep reading to find out more about these changes and how they can support your business.
1. New CPI calculation
The CPI algorithm recently reached its third, most precise version yet, and we also introduced important changes in the way things get calculated. This new CPI calculation was necessary to enable proper segmentation and it brought more precise insights for users.
Before we move on to explaining these changes, we’re just going to run through the basics and help you better understand CPI scores and why they matter.
CPI scores for all three behavioral models (exposure, engagement, loyalty) are always presented in a number between 0 and 1000. Interpreting them is pretty straightforward:
- CPI score of 500 = baseline
- CPI score < 500 = underperforming
- CPI score > 900 = exceptional performance
As you probably realize, CPI actually quantifies human behavior and enables you to understand what’s going on with your content with just one glance. For instance, you can easily pinpoint articles that are performing great but lack exposure, or see which content attracts your loyal audience and can be put behind the paywall with minimum risk.
What changed?
In the past, CPI values for all dimensions (articles, authors, topics, sections) were calculated as the average value of an article’s CPI for the observed dimensions in the selected time period.
Now, summary metrics values of the observed dimension are compared (benchmarked) with the summary metrics values of the other dimensions of the same type.
In the past, we compared articles published in the last 30 days to pre-calculate the CPI. Now, CPI is calculated on-the-fly and ad hoc, for whichever period is selected.
Why does this matter?
The change in the way CPI is calculated was necessary to enable proper segmentation, which is a new feature within the platform. In addition, this new calculation is more beneficial for users as it delivers more precise insights compared to the previous platform, enabling them to make better strategic decisions empowered by more relevant insights.
2. Unique segmentation
Segmentation is commonly found in analytics solutions. By creating different segments, you can isolate and analyze various subsets of data and enjoy a more granular view. For instance, it is possible to assess the performance of a specific referrer and better understand how and where your audience likes to consume your content.
But, here’s what makes the segmentation feature in Content Insights unique.
What changed?
Within the previous Content Insights platform, users could only apply meta filters to switch views and see metrics and CPI values for selected dimensions (sections, topics, authors, articles).
The new platform is enriched with unique segmentation which enables users to use traffic filters as well (device type, reader type, channel, campaign, referrer, referrer type). Filters can be saved on the domain level or user level and custom segments can be created, and this flexibility is something our clients really appreciate.
Why does this matter?
The reason why our segmentation capability is unique lies in the fact we recalculate the CPI values incredibly fast for each segment users create.
This means that you will not just discover the amount of traffic coming from, let’s say, Facebook, but the actual quality of that traffic in terms of engagement, exposure, and loyalty. And all that in just a few clicks.
You can segment your traffic in the following ways:
- Reader Type: Subscribed / Anonymous / Registered
- Article Type: Free / Premium / Preview
- Channel: AMP / FIA / Native Mobile
- Referrer Type
For instance, by applying the Reader Type filter – you can see how Subscribed, Anonymous, and Registered readers behave and interact with your content. Each member of your media organization will be data-informed, which saves their time and energy that would otherwise be wasted on sifting through the data.
Understanding the value of different channels and budget organization is also much easier for users now. With segmentation, Content Insights brings great value not just for editors, but also marketing and sales professionals, data analysts, advertising and subscription managers, etc.
3. Updated topic analysis
Publishers love analyzing trending topics and revealing which topics resonate with their audience. This helps them understand the type of content their readers expect and consume the most on their website. Most of the content analytics tools on the market offer some type of topic analysis and they are usually based on the amount of pageviews they generate. Content Insights takes a different approach and puts complex, behavioral metrics in focus for more precise insights.
What changed?
In the Content Insights app, there is a bubble chart with an X and Y axis and easy-to-understand quadrants, which helps publishers to identify topics that are best performing but are still not covered enough, as well as those that are performing poorly and need to either be covered better or covered less.
Within the new platform, we updated topics analysis for more valuable insights. Now it is possible to analyze predefined and custom X and Y axes because we’ve expanded this analysis. We also introduced additional mechanisms to make it easier for users to analyze the topics: they can filter by number of published articles, hide certain topics, pinpoint prominent and underperforming topics – all in just a few clicks and within one glance. UI has also been improved.
Why does this matter?
The topic chart responds to the applied filter, which means users can understand which stories resonate with their readers better, and with more precision. Users now have the ability to switch views as they see fit and compare values they find relevant for their business model. Understanding the overall topic’s performance is pretty straightforward and with new functionalities, it’s possible to dig deeper, manipulate views more easily, and take advantage of the ability to examine data on a granular level.
4. New Account & Organization management
Content Insights is designed to fit into your organization’s workflow – not disrupt it. We know that each team is unique and has different procedures, which is why we wanted to create more flexibility for you in terms of account and organization management.
What changed?
In the past, we recognized two key roles important for account management: editors and writers. This functioned well because a lot of publishers use Content Insights to measure author performance and to create a strategic, data-driven approach towards content production and management.
Within the new platform, we have defined two hierarchically different administration groups: Account administration and Organization administration. Account administrators have higher permissions: they have the ability to create modules their organization will use, allocate domains to Organization administrators, and add new app users. On the other hand, Organization administrators can manage options on their allocated domains, create roles on an organizational level, and manage users.
Why does this matter?
This change aligns better with the real needs of users and the way they organize internal workflows. Media organizations and newsrooms can have clearly defined roles (e.g. administrative professionals, top management), but our experience has shown many professionals in the publishing business wear a lot of different hats and have hybrid roles within their organization. In addition, this new account management system provides convenience and flexibility since it allows users to define roles as they wish. For example, if one editor is responsible for a particular section (e.g. sports), he or she can be recognized as a Sports Section Editor within the app, and have access to the data they truly need.
5. Improved platform performance
Content Insights’ platform is built using the API-first approach, so our dashboards and reporting system use API. This means the user’s system will have full access to all the data provided by our content intelligence. However, we introduced some changes and increased our platform performance.
What changed?
Within the new platform, we introduced APIv2 (which has been significantly expanded compared to the old version), and dashboards and functionalities are completely API dependant. Also, it’s now possible to browse multiple domains in tabs or windows. Guided by user feedback, we decided to terminate digest reports as they didn’t provide enough flexibility or desired utility.
Why does this matter?
For users, browsing multiple domains in tabs or windows is convenient and it lets them switch views quickly and monitor performance with more control and less hassle. We used to send digest reports on a daily or weekly level, but they didn’t offer enough value to our users. Within the new platform, we will offer Insights in Reports (by applying meta filters) which will compensate for the digest reports and bring much more flexibility and value to our users.
Those were the biggest changes in the new Content Insights platform! If you are interested in finding out more about how Content Insights can support your publishing business, feel free to contact us at [email protected] and schedule a talk.
