If you ask most marketers (content or otherwise) they’d probably argue that performance campaigns are the easiest to track and measure. This is, of course, based on the fact that it’s easy to put a price on a subscription or a purchase.
If a user spends $x on a product, and you’ve managed to bring them in at $x-1, then you’ve done your job as a marketer. This is just as true for content marketing as it is for display, social, or any other channel.
The waters become murkier when brands step into the content marketing sphere. There’s only so much you can track if, for example, you sell your product solely at a brick-and-mortar store.
But just because it’s difficult to put metrics behind your brand storytelling, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Meaningful measurement of your paid content distribution is as simple as making a decision – defining what your key performance indicator (KPI) is. Once you decide on a KPI, and start optimizing toward an efficient cost of that KPI, your growth and learning possibilities are endless.
The “Acquisition” in “Cost Per Acquisition” doesn’t have to be solely about bottom-of-the-funnel goals. Having an upper-funnel goal that’s tied to actual dollar values will help you keep laser focused when building out your long-term content strategy.
Over time, this kind of tracking will be able to give you real, actionable insight into how your storytelling efforts are resonating. Here are a few ideas to measure the impact of your storytelling:
Cost Per Video View
Video content is growing and evolving at an incredible rate. You may only get partial views on outside channels, but when it comes to promoting your own domain, why go for a partial video view when you can optimize toward multiple video views?
Studies show that an engaged user who is watching video, is more likely to continue to watch when presented with the opportunity. Give the user the option to consume more video content after they’ve watched the one you promoted, and you’re likely to see some great results.
Cost Per Page View
If your goal is awareness, then why not optimize for the user consuming as much of your content as possible? Make sure to recommend relevant content to the user in a place that’s visible within or immediately below your content to ensure maximum engagement.
Cost Per Social Engagement
Tracking something like a Facebook share or a tweet can be invaluable to creating sticky content. Even when promoting on channels outside of Social, where the user may be less likely to share or tweet, understanding the kind of content and ad copy that compels a user to share your content will help you learn how to cater to a wide variety of audiences while driving users to your social channels.
Actions Within Your Brand Site
Even if you don’t have a clear purchase goal, there may be other goals you can track and measure. Do you have a brick and mortar store? Then optimize toward engagement with the store finder. Are you promoting a consumer packaged good? Then try leading to a showcase of your product range.
Trackable goals are an important key to a scalable, successful content strategy. Once you start setting them up within your organization, you’ll be surprised at how much you will learn about your product and your user.
Are you ready to shout your brand’s story from the rooftops? And to learn who heard you? Contact us today to start your content discovery campaign.