How can you choose the right content benchmarking metrics for your business goals?

Whether you’re just starting or want to improve your current content marketing efforts, benchmarking your strategy will give you insight into what’s working and needs to work. Here’s a list of benchmarks that I use: 1. Total number of page or post views 2. Average time spent on the website 3. Blended conversion rates 4. Cost per lead 5. Total number of site visits 6. Average bounce rate 7. And, of course, the engagement metrics To stay competitive, every business needs to integrate content into its strategy, but not every business can have the same level of success with content marketing.

Definition of KPIs is highly dependent on the goal - Content channel might focus on virality (impressions/likes/share) - An advertisement might focus on CTR - Online Outlets on Instagram might focus on orders made through a particular post So it is crucial to understand the long term objective and then select the KPI for that particular requirement

Craft SMART goals for content marketing aligned with broader business objectives. Choose KPIs like website traffic, social engagement, and lead generation to measure success. Regularly track metrics using tools, allowing for strategic adjustments based on performance insights. The ongoing process of refinement ensures the continual optimization of your content strategy, contributing to sustained and evolving success.

Defining goals and KPIs is a foundational step in benchmarking content performance. However, it's crucial that these KPIs are not set in isolation. For them to be truly effective, teams must have a deep understanding of the business strategy and the short and long-term goals of the company. This ensures that the KPIs are not just numbers to hit, but meaningful markers of progress that support the broader vision. Without this strategic alignment, KPIs risk becoming disconnected from the company's core objectives, reducing their impact and potential to drive meaningful business outcomes.

I prefer using the SMART or the OKRs frameworks to define the goals. The key here is to be realistic, relatable to your overall goal (drive awareness or conversions), and as specific as possible so that you can judge your success.

To elevate your content benchmarking approach, consider looking beyond conventional metrics ( which also will be considered and monitored ) but I suggest exploring more nuanced indicators that align with your brand's unique voice and objectives. For Example, if storytelling is your approach, measure the depth of user engagement through comments that indicate emotional resonance or story sharing. If thought leadership is your aim, track the number of times your content is referenced by industry peers or cited in publications. For a community-focused brand, measure the growth and engagement levels within your online communities or follower base .

Choosing relevant metrics is super important but can also be overwhelming. If you're a new business, trying to measure EVERYTHING might not be the best idea. IDEALLY, your systems will be set up to track important metrics but that doesn't mean you need to use them ALL AT ONCE. If you're in the early days of tracking set a simple strategy and choose simple metrics to analyse (click-throughs, engagement). Set a time to review your methods and update as you become more sophisticated as a team and business.

While metrics are important, setting your KPIs straight is relevant too! As KPIs are directly impacful to your business goals it is crucial to plan everything in prior. For instance, if your goal is to attain conversions you can’t be running awareness ads on digital media.

Choosing metrics after setting content marketing KPIs is crucial. For website traffic, focus on unique visitors, page views, bounce rate, and time spent on page. In lead generation, track conversion rates, form submissions, and new leads acquired. Social media metrics like likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates guide strategy. Analyze conversion rates per channel and content type. For SEO, monitor keyword rankings, organic traffic, and backlinks. Customer retention metrics include churn rate, repeat purchase rate, and satisfaction scores. Regularly review these metrics for continuous content strategy refinement and alignment with broader business goals.

Align your content goals with your business goals. If you are a new brand aiming to build awareness, then impressions and reach are important. This translates into more views on videos and more views in general. If you are looking at driving conversion or registering consideration; clicking on offers for sales or e-books; respectively, can help measure metrics.

Once you've been able to segment the data you obtain, you should adapt your strategy accordingly. If your blog posts attract more traffic than your videos, but videos generate more conversions: - Plan blog posts that will help your growth; - Plan video content that will generate more trust and conversions Take advantage of the data you can extract from the tests you execute though your content.

When it comes to content, it's not enough to know what's working and what isn't working. You need know to know why. Otherwise there's no guarantee that's what's working can be scaled or will continue to work. And content failures may continue if the problem runs deeper than content (i.e., marketing messaging, sales, or brand). So look deeper.

Data can be interpreted in so many ways that it’s very crucial to show every stakeholder how you reached the conclusions you did. For most of us, that means not only adding descriptors to our reports but giving visual examples as well. Can we tell a story about this data? Can we show (not tell) how this data helps us reach our goals and KPIs? The more framework we can add to the numbers and correlations, the better our message will be received. And content creators can take this information and run with it.

After you analyze the results of your content marketing efforts, you then need to determine the next steps. This is my favorite part of content creation—when you have enough baseline data to begin optimizing your content for even more reach! Using Google Search Console keyword data, for example, you might revise content that is ranking well for a specific term so that it gets more impressions. You could change up headlines, subheads or metadata on copy that is getting a lot of impressions but not many click-throughs. You might discover a search term you hadn’t even intended to rank for and could then create additional copy for it. I set up a schedule for reviewing content, and let performance determine the frequency of updates.

The most effective content marketing metric is the engagement because it shows how the users perceived the content and get your message. It’s also important to compare your content and account performance with your competitors.

When selecting the right content benchmarking metrics for my business goals, I'll focus on metrics that closely align with my desired outcomes. Beyond the basics like traffic and engagement, I would consider metrics like content longevity, which measures how long my content continues to perform after publication. Additionally, I'd look at content influence on the customer journey, assessing how my content impacts conversions at different stages. I'd also track the share of voice in my industry to see how my content is helping to position my brand against competitors. Lastly, audience growth rate would be critical to understand how effectively my content is attracting new followers over time.

Balance Short-Term & Long-Term Goals Brands should consider both short as well as long-term goals. While immediate metrics like click through rates are important, also assess metrics that contribute to long-term success such as brand loyalty and customer retention. After all, “content” works on 360 degree model and doesn’t run on immediate results. Content marketing is a potential seed that brands tend to sow and it’s suggested to accept this ideology because the results are like fruits that will only grow and prosper after a time period.

Choosing the right content benchmarking metrics is like picking the right tools for a treasure hunt. First, clearly define your business goals. Are you hunting for more website traffic, higher engagement, or buried treasure in the form of conversions? For traffic, track unique visitors and page views. If engagement is your goal, monitor time on page, bounce rate, and social shares. For conversions, keep an eye on click-through rates and conversion rates. Remember, it’s not about hoarding a chest full of random metrics; it’s about selecting the ones that will lead you to your goal. Choose wisely, and your content strategy will be as spot-on as a well-read map!

When selecting content benchmarking metrics, it's crucial to align with your business goals. Focus on metrics that reflect engagement and conversion rates rather than just vanity metrics. Consider factors like customer journey touchpoints, user feedback, and conversion funnels to tailor your approach. It's not about the quantity of data but the quality of insights you extract to refine your content strategy. Happy benchmarking! ?? #MarketingInsights