The Why of content analytics is clear: Quantify text and other "unstructured" sources and you can improve content delivery and findability, optimize storage, facilitate reuse, and extract business information. Why is easy; How is more complicated. A variety of semantic and analytical technologies come into play although different approaches best suit different business challenges, information types, and analysis styles.

We will explore the Why and How of content analytics at next week's Smart Content conference. Whether or not you can attend, five articles I've recently published will help you come up to speed. They're accessible -- not technical -- Five Easy Pieces if you will, with a great deal of richness, to be explored, beneath their surfaces.

Check out --

• Content Management Finds Meaning
• This is Content Intelligence, According to 4 Experts
• Content strategy by the numbers, via semantics
• Six Definitions of Smart Content
• Semantics and Analytics Unlock Value in Social and Online Content

We'll hear more about success stories in diverse business domains at the conference; we'll explore all things content analytics. But even if you can't join us, key a watch on the topic. "Unstructured" content, from online, social, and enterprise sources, is a next big thing for BI and content management both as boundaries expand to create a world of semantically unified business information.