{"id":29584,"date":"2023-01-12T11:59:10","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T11:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/12\/why-you-struggle-to-prove-content-roi\/"},"modified":"2023-01-12T11:59:10","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T11:59:10","slug":"why-you-struggle-to-prove-content-roi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/12\/why-you-struggle-to-prove-content-roi\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Struggle To Prove Content ROI"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"Measuring content ROI is a near impossible task.<\/p>\n

Too often, that statement ends the conversation about proving the value of content marketing. But the difficulty in tying content directly to the bottom line doesn\u2019t mean content marketing isn\u2019t a contributor to a business\u2019 success.<\/p>\n

The failure to understand that too often leads to the demise or weakening of content marketing support.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is the ROI of content marketing so problematic? Because the premise too often is that content marketing should feed directly to the bottom line. Many see the \u201creturn\u201d in ROI as synonymous with \u201csales revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sound familiar? If that\u2019s the challenge you face at your brand, let\u2019s explore a few options to overcome it.<\/p>\n

Traditional #ROI may be difficult to prove\u2013 but it\u2019s still worth it to explain #ContentMarketing value in business terms, says @AnnGynn via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Think about why you\u2019re measuring content\u2019s value<\/h2>\n

A couple of years ago, Ahrefs CMO Tim Soulo shared a tweet thread<\/a> listing the benefits the company knows it gets from its content marketing. Yet Ahrefs never intertwines return on investment and content marketing. Here\u2019s how he explained why they don\u2019t:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t track how many leads we get from our articles organically, let alone what is the CPA of running paid traffic to our articles. Measuring those things would be just the tip of the iceberg,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd let\u2019s say we measured those numbers and they turned out terrible \u2026? We wouldn\u2019t halt our\u00a0content marketing operations<\/a>\u00a0anyway! We KNOW that it works for us, no matter what those \u2018isolated\u2019 numbers say.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great lesson in measurement. Think about what will change based on the numbers. If the answer is nothing, consider measuring something else.<\/p>\n

But most executives expect\u00a0numbers<\/a>. And content marketing leaders need to provide them.<\/p>\n

Explain content marketing (and marketing content)<\/h2>\n

Even people who work in marketing get confused about the\u00a0difference between content marketing\u00a0and other content used in marketing. No wonder executives operating outside marketing wouldn\u2019t know the distinction.<\/p>\n

Before you try one of the options below, consider hosting a conversation to explain the difference<\/a> between content used in marketing and content marketing to key stakeholders.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s content used in marketing?<\/h3>\n

Content used in marketing usually focuses on the sale. Think product pages, sales promotions, customer service instructions, ads, and other content designed to lead to a transaction \u2013 a sale.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s content marketing?<\/h3>\n

As CMI defines it, content marketing is:<\/p>\n

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A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience \u2013 and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Think blogs, newsletters, guides, video and audio shows, and other content designed to inform, educate, or entertain. Sales aren\u2019t the immediate goal (though, of course, they can and should be part of the \u201cprofitable customer action\u201d that\u2019s the ultimate goal.)<\/p>\n

Content marketing\u00a0aims to build an audience. Some of the people this content attracts will convert to customers. But those conversions represent only part of the value content marketing offers.<\/p>\n

The audience represents an asset with quantifiable value, says Robert Rose, CMI\u2019s chief strategy advisor. (Robert explains how to model the value of the audience asset in\u00a0this article<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Start with (what else?) specific goals<\/h2>\n

Though you can prepare your execs to think beyond traditional ROI assessment, you need to show how you\u2019ll measure your content marketing\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

Start by\u00a0setting appropriate goals<\/a>\u00a0for your content marketing program. It\u2019s not enough to say, \u201cincrease brand awareness\u201d or \u201ceducate audiences.\u201d Be specific: identify the goal, the target audience, the metric used to measure progress, the number you strive to achieve, and the timeframe in which you plan to complete it.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of a goal that covers each of those elements:<\/p>\n

Our content marketing goal is to\u00a0increase brand awareness online<\/strong>\u00a0among\u00a0women between the ages of 25 and 45<\/strong>. We intend to achieve a\u00a010% increase<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0unique visits to our blog<\/strong>\u00a0from this group in\u00a0each quarter of 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong>\u00a0Make sure your content marketing goals align with your brand\u2019s business goals. The example above only makes sense if the brand\u2019s business goal is to increase sales within that target audience.<\/p>\n

The more you speak the language of business, measurement, and success, the more likely business leaders will understand these essential points: Content marketing isn\u2019t easily evaluated by traditional ROI. But it\u2019s not far from a fuzzy nice-to-have \u2013 it\u2019s vital to the business.<\/p>\n

Make sure you use business terms to describe the value of #ContentMarketing, says @AnnGynn via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Redefine your content marketing strategy<\/h2>\n

CMI\u2019s annual research\u00a0shows the same top three goals for content marketing year after year: brand awareness, building credibility\/trust, and educating audiences.<\/p>\n

In our most recent study<\/a>, at least 72% of marketers cited those goals.<\/p>\n

In the same survey, sales-related goals ranked further down the list. Here\u2019s how they factored for B2B marketers:<\/p>\n