The most effective marketers have their content strategies firing on four cylinders:

Planning Content creation Content promotion Analytics

The list I just presented is the order in which effective content marketing gets done, but it's NOT a priority list. Each tactic is vital. And they are dependent upon each other for success.

In other words, three out of four won't do.

Put it down to fear, or laziness, or lack of knowledge, resources or tools, but number four -- analytics -- is the most neglected.

Need proof? Just take a look at this …

Last year, Orbit Media’s annual blogger research indicated that less than 32% of bloggers always check their analytics. If that number seems low to you, it's actually a up a few notches from years prior.

Not good.

Content marketing metrics-phobia? Is that an actual thing?

It must be. But here’s another thing …

You can get over it. Easily. Right now. An advanced degree in statistics is not required. As the infographic below -- which I developed with Orbit Media -- explains: “Let’s stick the calculators in the desk drawer and look at 10 easy ways to detect if your content is cutting it.”

You’ll find no reasons to fear these simple approaches to analytics. And when you get in the habit of evaluating your content marketing efforts, you’ll also find yourself extracting the insights you need to get perpetually better.