I’ve written previously about content, from the value of having a content plan, to the potential of good storytelling. Yet despite the proliferation of content, how to measure whether it’s generating revenue for businesses remains a nagging issue. Fortunately, there are several metrics that can help evaluate your content’s success.
Views, likes and traffic
Most content experts prattle on about the reach of content. While this may sound vague, content’s reach can be measured by how many people read it, share it, or ‘like’ it.
Another way of tracking success involves assessing how content connects with your digital assets, most importantly your website. A good example might involve tracking how many people see a LinkedIn post and click to your website to read the primary blog.
One of my partners at my firm Corpwrite is working with a client that recently overhauled their website. As part of this exercise, we developed a content strategy centred on building the client’s profile as a thought leader. The client has since experienced a 40 per cent increase in website visits, thanks to the blogs posted on its various social assets, such as LinkedIn and Facebook. The proof is in the pudding.
There are tons of tools available to track web traffic, from Google Analytics to marketing automation solutions such as Hubspot. All the major social platforms have analytical tools that can help you track reach.
How do you measure impact on sales revenue?
A content program is a long-term journey. You can’t expect to punch out a few blogs or infographics and suddenly see the dollars pour in. That is totally unrealistic. Ultimately, your content program takes time to build followers. It’s a long-term investment in driving potential leads to your business through engaging content, which will complement more conventional sales methods.
There are differing opinions on how to track content against sales revenue. To be fair, it’s unlikely that a blog will generate direct sales revenue. The point of producing valuable content is to encourage people to interact with your brand in a casual way. Likewise, your sales people should be leveraging the content with their leads and clients. I’ll write more about the ways sales channels can use content in an upcoming blog.
Find out more
If you’re looking for more information about content and ways to track it, I’d recommend visiting these websites:
- contentmarketinginstitute.com: the self-described “all seeing all knowing” content marketing site.
- hubspot.com: this site offers a wide range of blogs on content, which will further your education.
