4 Steps To Boost Your Content Marketing ROI In 2014

According to the 2014 BrightEdge Search Marketers’ Survey, 78 percent of the marketers surveyed contended that connecting their content marketing efforts with ROI is much more important in 2014.

Even though linking content efforts to the bottom line is very important, most marketers simply struggle to measure the outcomes of their content strategy.

At a time of information overload and limited consumer attention, how do online marketers synchronize their content efforts with return on investment (ROI)?

Working backwards to set your goals

There’s no way to measure and improve return on investment without defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). To understand the true value and returns of your content marketing efforts, start by defining the desired end result of these efforts. For example, if your desired end result is to generate X number of leads, your key performance indicator on whether your content efforts are paying off is if the number of leads generated is in fact progressive. The KPIs you set should be indicators of progress through the sales funnel and towards a specific end goal. Defining performance indicators by starting with an end goal will show you the strengths and weaknesses of your content marketing strategy and what needs to be done to improve the bottom line.

Zeroing in on one primary objective

At any given time, brands set several objectives for their content marketing strategy. But trying to meet all these objectives at once is not feasible if you are to accurately measure and analyze the outcomes of your content marketing strategy. Focusing on one primary goal and optimizing your content efforts to achieve this goal offers a better promise for improved ROI. Common objectives for content marketing include increasing brand awareness, lead generation, sales and brand loyalty. Each of these milestones require a unique strategy to attain the desired goal. Selecting one objective to be attained within a given time period will bring greater perspective to your content marketing strategy.

Integrating other parts of the marketing matrix

A silo-based approach to content marketing is a key reason why brands have a hard time measuring ROI for content. Content marketing is more than just the creation and distribution of content. Integrating the process with other important aspects of the marketing matrix will encourage positive ROI data.  Some of the most important elements that need to be integrated into a content strategy are branding, social media, sales and SEO.  Linking your SEO strategy with your content strategy helps to communicate the value and increase visibility of your product/service to the consumer. Just this integration between SEO and content is the first step towards attaining Key Performance Indicators (KIPs) such as brand awareness, lead acquisition and relevant traffic. Bringing the sales team into the content strategy can also help to create and distribute content that will move prospects into buyers. With so many marketing channels and players, it can be easy to lose track of the bottom line. However, integration brings all the pieces together, giving you a clear picture of the outcomes of your content efforts.

Infuse curation into your content strategy

Content creation and distribution requires money and talent to pull off. For example, creating an infographic can cost an upward of $500 when done by a professional infographic creator; whether you choose to outsource or have an in-house blogger, this will cost money as well. Creating original blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, guest posts, ebooks or videos is essential to your content strategy. However, leveraging content curation can help to lower the cost of content marketing while still achieving your goals and KPIs. Curated content can help to attract traffic to your own website and create brand awareness. Even before dedicating a content budget, sharing curated content can be a great platform for testing your content ideas and understanding buyer personas.

Content Marketing ROI: A Conclusion

When it comes to improving content marketing ROI, the biggest pain point for marketers is keeping up with the initial content strategy. Undoubtedly, content marketing does not generate leads and produce a positive ROI immediately; it could take up to six months of content creation and distribution to see any significant bang for bucks. As such, it is best to adopt a long-term view of content marketing and the anticipated bottom line.

Do you have a content marketing strategy?