Metrics matter, but not all metrics matter.
When it comes to content marketing, pinpointing and tracking the right metrics can really help inform your strategy. They can also offer a window into your audience’s minds and hearts.
But, how do you know what to look at?
Which metrics matter most?
What should you prioritize and in what order?
Let’s break it down.
First thing’s first: Stop trying to apply ROI to marketing.
You read that correctly – tracking the ROI of your content marketing DOES NOT actually work.
Investing in marketing is NOT the same as investing in a traditional asset that can return income, and so it can’t possibly be measured in the same way.
There’s no real way to pinpoint that a single marketing email or one podcast episode, which cost $X to create, brought in $X in income for the same period.
Why? Because it’s rare to have such a transparent cause-and-effect within the realm of marketing. It’s just not how it usually works.
Content marketing is influenced by SO many factors. It’s not a singular, short-term game. According to 6sense Research, 84% of buying decisions are made before the customer reaches out to the business. That means your content marketing is doing the invisible, and often slow, work of building trust and connections over a number of channels and a much longer period of time.
Remember: MORE isn’t always BETTER.
…Especially when it comes to data.
There are metrics for almost EVERYTHING nowadays, and trying to decipher and understand them all can be incredibly confusing. And, overwhelming.
To get clarity, focus on the metrics that matter most to YOUR business – your goals, your channels, who you’re trying to reach, what you’re offering, and so much more.
Not sure which ones those are? Use these two questions to guide you:
- Does this metric support my goals? If a metric doesn’t do much to support a specific business or marketing goal you’ve set, there’s no reason to track it.
- Can I take action AGAINST this metric? Metrics are only worthy if they provide an insight that’ll inform your next move.
Make KPIs your best friend.
Not sure which metrics will support your goals or which actions you want to take? That’s because you’re missing out on KPIs or Key Performance Indicators.
These three letters pack a big punch when it comes to tracking your content marketing success. Whereas your goal is the big picture you’re trying to achieve, your KPI is the very specific marker (or indicator) you need to achieve that’ll tell you you’re getting closer to your goal. Here’s an example: You may have a goal to increase sales. So one of your KPIs could be to increase email sign ups.
The more specific your KPIs, the more clarity you’ll have on the metrics to measure.
Don’t forget about what you CAN’T measure.
Some things can’t be compressed into a single data point. Think connection, relationships, heart, impact, the essence of community, inspiration, creative prowess, vision… and, my personal favorite: FUN.
Every single post, email, blog, video or piece of content you publish has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people and change the way they move in business and life. That can’t really be seen in an analytics report or a metrics dashboard, but it’s real and powerful.
These immeasurable things CAN be seen and assessed – in comments, conversations, shares, reviews, testimonials, supportive messages and so much more.
And so, as you’re tracking your metrics and KPIs, make sure you also set aside some time to look at the “immeasurables”, too – you’ll definitely find some gold.
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