ROI for content marketing is right under your nose

by. Matt Neznanski

Though it’s happened quickly, content marketing has grown into a powerful force in reaching and influencing a customer base that is mobile, empowered, and bombarded by brand messaging at every turn. But now that it’s become a well-established and active part in marketing strategies, it also needs to start answering the question posed by every budget manager: What’s the return on investment?

Content marketing’s long-term, customer-focused approach makes ROI a little tougher to pin down. And while the technology that enables content delivery have a learning curve, they’re built with user metrics baked in. Here are three methods of tracking ROI that build on each other, from simple to complex.

1. Engagement metrics

Track basic content metrics from the site that hosts your content: total visits, unique visits, time-on-site, bounce rate, and cost-per-visitor. Make sure to pull reports from social channels as well to measure clicks, shares, and mentions.

Don’t expect these numbers to have a 1:1 relationship with your bottom line, but they can show positive engagement and create customer service feedback that has value. Regular monitoring of these indicators will also help you be more efficient in creating and posting content.

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