We've all heard by now that 'content is king' and 'distribution is queen'. But what about measurement? After we've taken the time to set a content marketing strategy and execute initiatives we need to measure by metrics that matter.
When it comes to content marketing, all sides—B2C, B2B and nonprofit marketers—agree that measurement is key to success. But many struggle with reporting the right metrics and leveraging technology to help them assess performance. In fact, only 23% of B2C marketers are successful at tracking their ROI and the effectiveness of content marketing strategies, according to the "2015 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends" study by Marketing Profs and the Content Marketing Institute.
So with such an enormous amount of data available, which metrics should marketers focus on?The answer lies in the age-old adage: quality over quantity. Marketers should shift their attention from simply reporting the number of followers, click-throughs and open rates to measuring the quality of our brand interactions. Instead, marketers should seek data that indicates engagement, trust, loyalty and other factors that help brands build relationships with their customers.
According to the same survey mentioned above here are some of the metrics marketers are using to measure engagement:
- 62% Website Traffic
- 54% Sales
- 39% Higher Conversion Rates
- 39% SEO Rankings
- 38% Time on Website
- 35% Qualitative Customer Feedback
- 34% Subscriber Growth
In order to capture these metrics, marketers are turning to a number of sources. According to Bizo's "Data-Driven Marketer" survey marketers are using the following ROI measurement tools:
- 61% Analytics Tools
- 39.8% Email Software
- 37.5% Social Media Management Tools
- 36.3% Blogging Platforms
Ready to learn more? Subscribe to Tactics magazine to get the scoop on marketing trends, strategies and more.
Featured in Tactics magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 2, March/April 2015
