What’s in a Number? In Content Marketing — a Lot!

“What’s in a number?”  In the journey towards 100,000 CFP® professionals that began more than fifty years ago, Lynn McNutt explains, numbers not only reflect the trust and confidence that advisors, firms, and consumers place in the certification, they “quantify the momentum that drives the profession forward”.

“In the realm of marketing, numbers do more than just quantify,” Sowmya S of the ISBR Business School agrees in a LinkedIn article. Odd numbers, she adds, create a sense of curiosity and interest among consumers, while even numbers are associated with balance, stability, and predictability. “Numbers are ‘brain candy'”, Mike Hamers writes, because they automatically organize information into logical order; according to Mark Walker-Ford, using numbers strategically adds clarity and credibility to messaging.

Statistics, I explain to business owners and professional practitioners, can serve as attention-grabbers. In fact, using data in content marketing relates to the theory of social proof, meaning that, as humans, we are simply more willing to do something if we see that other people are doing it.  On the other hand, at Say It For You, we caution content creators to avoid becoming “numbers nudniks”, tossing numbers around for mere effect. Sure, readers may be temporarily attracted to raw data, but they need your guidance in understand what those numbers mean – for them!

In training content writers, I emphasize the value of using numbers (assuming, of course, that statistics are presented fairly and honestly). For one thing, using numbers in titles is a great way to set reader expectations of what kind of information they are going to find. But, where the words come in, I believe, is they put statistics into perspective, helping answer readers’ “So what?” and “So, what’s in-it-for-me” questions.

As is more than evident from social media and referral sites, people are unfailingly interested in who-else-is-doing-whatever-it-is-your-company-is-recommending-I-do. Online readers, in particular, look at what others are doing when making an online purchase of a product or service. Just as Lynn McNutt explained to financial planners, numbers can reflect the trust and confidence that others have placed in what you have and in who you are.

What’s in a number? In content marketing –a lot!