5 Key Metrics Every CMO Should Track for Better Content ROI

Introduction:
In the complex world of B2B marketing, tracking the impact of your content marketing efforts is no easy task. With extended sales cycles, multiple touchpoints, and varied buyer journeys, it’s crucial to go beyond basic metrics like page views and social shares. To truly understand how content contributes to your bottom line, CMOs need to focus on the right data. Here are five key metrics that can provide a clearer picture of content ROI and help you make data-driven decisions that drive growth.

None-Metric Things to Analyze

While metrics are important, some metrics I consider vanity metrics should be avoided, such as web traffic and social virality (which itself often contributes nothing and is just a distraction).

Attribution is super important for content marketing. I mean more than just this ad to this landing page generated X leads at Y conversion rate. Organic content and keywords that drive traffic and keywords need monitoring. Yes, we have such attribution tools to find 2nd level content and keywords that drive traffic to a conversion landing page. Organic search and other organic traffic-driving conversions are gold. See How to Find the Organic Keywords Driving Lead Conversions. Why? Because they are more than engagement metrics, they inform what is real-world value to customers and leads and should drive your content strategy – without guessing. They contribute financially but are often overlooked.

Now to it. None of this is usually easy, but it is worth the effort.

1. Revenue Attribution by Content Type

Understanding which content formats drive the most revenue is essential. By tracking revenue attribution for blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, or case studies, you can identify where to focus your efforts. This metric helps you determine which content types move prospects through the sales funnel, allowing you to allocate resources to high-impact assets.

• Why it Matters: Knowing what content generates the most revenue helps prioritize future content creation and marketing spend.
• Pro Tip: Use multi-touch attribution models to fully understand how different content types contribute to conversions throughout the sales cycle. Source: HubSpot's Guide to Revenue Attribution.

2. Pipeline Influence and Conversion Rates

How many opportunities did a specific content piece influence? Tracking the pipeline influence of content is crucial for understanding its true impact. This metric measures how content assets contribute to moving leads down the sales funnel—from initial engagement to closing a deal.

• Why it Matters: It allows CMOs to see which content types are most effective at engaging decision-makers and influencing purchase decisions.
• Pro Tip: Focus on the conversion rates between each stage of the buyer’s journey to identify content gaps and improve your strategy. Source: Gartner's B2B Buyer Journey Report.

3. Engagement Time per Content Piece

Simply tracking page views doesn’t give you the full picture of engagement. Instead, measure how much time users spend with each piece of content. A high engagement time often indicates that the content is resonating with your audience and providing value.

• Why it Matters: Content with higher engagement times is more likely to build trust and authority, making it an important metric for understanding content effectiveness.
• Pro Tip: Combine engagement time data with scroll depth analytics to see if users are fully consuming your content or dropping off mid-way. Source: Content Marketing Institute’s Guide on Engagement Metrics.

4. Cost Per Lead (CPL) by Content Asset

Knowing how much you’re spending to generate leads from specific content assets is key to optimizing your content marketing budget. By calculating the CPL for different types of content, you can identify which content provides the best ROI and adjust your strategy accordingly.

• Why it Matters: It helps CMOs understand the financial efficiency of their content strategy, ensuring that the budget is directed toward assets that yield the best results.
• Pro Tip: Combine CPL data with lead quality metrics to ensure that you’re not just generating cheap leads, but valuable ones. Source: MarketingProfs' Guide on Measuring CPL.

5. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) of Content-Engaged Leads

For a longer-term view of content’s impact, track the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) of leads who have engaged with your content. This metric allows you to see how content-engaged customers perform over time compared to others, providing insights into which content types drive high-value customers.

• Why it Matters: CLV helps to determine whether content is attracting high-value customers who contribute more to your business over their lifetime.
• Pro Tip: Use cohort analysis to track the long-term value of customers acquired through specific content campaigns. Source: Harvard Business Review on CLV.

Conclusion:

Tracking the right metrics is essential for understanding and maximizing your content marketing ROI. By focusing on revenue attribution, pipeline influence, engagement time, cost per lead, and customer lifetime value, CMOs can gain a clearer view of what’s driving results. Ready to see how real-time insights can help you optimize these metrics? Join our exclusive pilot program at SaturnOne and get access to tailored dashboards and expert analysis that put your data to work.