Top 4 Strategies for Attributing Revenue to Content in Long B2B Sales Cycles

Introduction:

Attributing revenue to content in B2B marketing is no small feat, especially when dealing with long sales cycles and complex buyer journeys (6+ months and 60+ content touches). With multiple touchpoints and decision-makers involved, tracking which content assets contribute to moving the pipeline and closed deals can feel like piecing together a puzzle. However, with the right strategies, it’s possible to connect the dots between your content efforts and revenue outcomes. Here are some of the most effective strategies for attributing revenue to content marketing over extended B2B sales cycles.

1. Implement Multi-Touch Attribution Models

While single-touch attribution models like first-click or last-click attribution can be tempting for their simplicity, they often fail to capture the entire buyer journey (remember the 60+ touches). Multi-touch attribution models provide a more comprehensive view, assigning credit to every touchpoint that influenced a lead throughout the sales process.

• Why It Works: Multi-touch attribution recognizes the role each content asset plays in nurturing a lead, from initial awareness to decision-making. This helps CMOs see which content truly drives engagement and which might need tweaking.
• Pro Tip: Use models like linear attribution to give equal credit to all touchpoints or position-based attribution to emphasize the most critical stages of the buyer journey. Source: HubSpot's Guide to Attribution Models.

Let’s not pretend that multi-touch is all we need; it is just a piece of this puzzle. My two favorite used for multi-touch are:

1. Use for each stage of the funnel or your pipeline. Find the content most engages with before and after a stage conversion. Why? Because that is the content you find most important for conversion. The content you should be producing and sharing the most.
2. Once you have this content, find the channels where traffic and conversions are coming from. This affects your distribution strategy…or should.

Knowing these two things will dramatically affect your strategy and execution. Ultimately bumping up your sales and shortening your sales cycle.

Pro Tip: Remarket this content to the appropriate leads and traffic.

2. Map Content to Specific Stages of the Sales Funnel

To effectively attribute revenue, it’s crucial to map your content assets to the different stages of your sales funnel or pipeline. Identify which content types (blog posts, case studies, webinars, etc.) resonate best at each stage—from awareness and consideration to conversion.

• Why It Works: This approach enables you to track how each piece of content moves prospects closer to a sale. For example, a case study might be more impactful during the decision stage, while blog posts drive awareness.
• Pro Tip: Regularly audit your content to ensure that each stage of the funnel has strong assets, and use content performance data to identify gaps. Source: Content Marketing Institute on Content Mapping.

This is the simplest for of multi-touch you can get. And it will affect your strategy and outcome.

Pro Tip: Break down these stages into revenue values. What and why? A lead magnet that gets a prospect into your nurture sequences will eventually contribute to X number of customers. Yes, you may not initially know perfectly the rates or timeline. However, models will show the value of your content and your marketing efforts, which will take a lot of work to show. This is why SaturnOne’s integrates revenue reporting with attribution analysis. This shows your ROI.

3. Leverage Real-Time Analytics for Immediate Adjustments

Real-time analytics are a game-changer when it comes to attributing content to revenue. By accessing up-to-date data, CMOs can identify which content is driving engagement right now and adjust strategies on the fly to capitalize on emerging trends.

With the proper setup, which we at SaturnOne specialize in, you can show overall strategy and specific campaigns across channels. This is a game changer for showing ROI to stakeholders and measuring and adjusting campaign performance in real-time.

• Why It Works: In long sales cycles, a real-time view of performance allows you to optimize content while it’s still relevant, ensuring that your efforts align with current market dynamics.
• Pro Tip: Focus on metrics like time on page, content shares, and conversion rates to understand the effectiveness of each asset. Source: MarketingProfs on Real-Time Analytics.

4. Track Pipeline Influence by Content Asset

In B2B marketing, it’s not just about the final conversion—it’s about how content contributes to pipeline development. By tracking how individual content pieces influence opportunities at various stages of the pipeline, CMOs can better understand their impact.

• Why It Works: This helps you see how content is performing beyond simple lead generation, focusing on how it assists in closing deals.
• Pro Tip: Use CRM integrations to track which content is associated with deals that close, providing direct insight into content-driven revenue. Source: Gartner’s B2B Buyer Journey Report.

Conclusion:

Attributing revenue to content in long B2B sales cycles doesn’t have to be a guessing game. By implementing multi-touch attribution models, mapping content to sales stages, leveraging real-time analytics, and tracking pipeline influence, you can gain a clear view of which assets drive results. If you’re ready to simplify your content attribution process and see real-time insights, join our exclusive pilot program at SaturnOne.