ROI Analysis Amps up Content Marketing

ROI Analysis Amps up Content Marketing

July 8, 2015 by Holly Rollins

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Many companies are investing in content marketing to improve their marketing and lead generation efforts. Determining the Return on Investment (ROI) for content marketing has been a logical question for all. Consider some of the options below to help make a decision about whether content marketing is a good investment for your brand.

There are innumerable things to consider when evaluating content marketing as part of your business strategy. Also, it’s important to remember a few facts to avoid frustration. According to the Content Marketing Institute, the average client:

1. Breaks even in nine months on costs spent for content marketing;

2. Sees a 200 percent increase in ROI over 36 months;

3. Enjoys a 10 times increase in organic traffic because of the web site’s increase in content.

A simple way to check out your potential ROI in content marketing is Spyfu. This site measures the value of the traffic coming to your site, and tells you whether or not you’re appealing to the right people. This tool can even assess your competitor’s keywords. Spyfu also offers a series of charts that track organic views, monthly views, and even the value of that traffic in dollars.

In addition, many content marketing professionals have processes, analytics and tools to gauge your ROI so you can focus on your business.

Ways to Increase ROI

While tracking your return is a good practice, producing content that resonates with an audience and markets it correctly is the most important. According to the book Managing Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose, there are four main components of content marketing: content format, promotional efforts, content message and distribution channel.

1. Content format: you are creating things people are going to scan-read. If you are going to write in an essay-style, USE PARAGRAPH BREAKS. Use spacing. An entire page of text is daunting. People like to be able to skim text — it helps them decide whether they want to read more. Lists are great, as are articles with clearly defined sections.

2. Promotional efforts: enter social media. You need to be sharing content your audience hungers for. Consider sending it to pertinent bloggers as well, but make sure not to spam them. Reaching out to them once with your initial pitch and once with a follow-up is standard etiquette.

3. Content message: make it relatable. Make it valuable. Make it worth their time.

4. Distribution channel: send your content to trade magazines and regional media. Do your homework and look for the types of content they publish (or should be publishing) and email to the appropriate editors, or better yet, use a PR firm or consultant who is skilled at working with the media. The media is much more responsive to professionals who know how to relay the right pitch and they are much more responsive to PR professionals with whom they have a relationship.

Content marketing isn’t an overnight process, but you have the potential for tremendous success when you measure your ROI.