Contents
Introduction
Ever been fishing? Nah, me neither… but it does count if The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway was one of my favorite reads back in the day? As I learned a lot from it!
It tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Determined to break his bad luck, he sets out alone into the Gulf Stream, where he hooks an enormous marlin. After a long and exhausting struggle lasting several days, Santiago finally catches the fish, tying it to the side of his boat. However, as he sails back home, sharks begin attacking the marlin, and despite Santiago’s efforts to fend them off, they devour the fish, leaving only its skeleton. Exhausted but undefeated, Santiago returns home with the remains, earning the respect of his village, though he is left pondering his strength and mortality. The story is a powerful reflection on perseverance, struggle, and dignity in facing life’s challenges.
Now, why am I telling you this story? So you can learn to navigate the waters more effectively and start seeing results, even from your early efforts. This blog covers essential tips and KPIs for content distribution, guiding you to reel in invaluable insights. While the big win may take time, small wins are there along the way. And in the end, it’s the journey that teaches you how to navigate the waters better next time.
So, let’s go fishing!
First, you need the right gear, then you have to find the perfect spot, and, of course, plenty of patience. But here’s the catch — even if you’ve got all that, without knowing how to use the equipment or where to fish, you’re just wasting time.
No catches, no small wins. And let’s be real, nobody wants that, right?
Well, content marketing is a lot like fishing. Especially B2B content marketing. Your bait (the content)—needs to attract the right kind of fish, which, in this case, is your target audience. Without a clear goal or strategy, though, you’re just casting your line into a vast ocean, hoping something bites. (do not let yourself be lost for 84 days)
The problem is, that’s exactly what many B2B companies are doing. They’re churning out generic content that might look good on the surface but doesn’t really resonate with their ideal customers. Instead of focusing on their audience’s specific pain points or needs, they’re casting too wide a net. The result? They’re missing out on valuable leads, wasting time and resources on content that doesn’t convert.
Effective content marketing, like fishing, requires the right tools, strategy, and knowledge. You need to understand your audience’s challenges, create content that speaks directly to them, and distribute it in places where they’re most likely to engage. Only then can you reel in those quality leads that actually move the needle for your business.
Set SMART B2B content marketing goals
For your B2B content marketing to be effective, it’s essential to establish clear SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Now, let’s break down what SMART means:
- Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, answering the questions of what you want to achieve. For instance, instead of saying, “We want to improve our content,” specify, “We’ll publish 24 blog posts over the next six months.”
- Measurable: Your goals should have criteria to track progress. This could involve setting numerical targets, such as, “We’ll create three LinkedIn posts weekly.” This allows you to easily assess how well you’re doing.
- Achievable: While it’s good to aim high, your goals should be realistic and attainable. Consider your team’s resources and capabilities when setting these goals. For example, committing to a goal like, “We’ll transform each blog post into a short yt video by selecting the most compelling sections and drafting a script,” should align with your team’s skills and time constraints. So ask yourself: Can we do it? With good quality? As quality is always over quantity.
- Relevant: Your goals should align with your overall business objectives and be relevant to your target audience. Ensure that what you’re aiming for contributes to the broader goals of your organization, such as increasing brand awareness or generating leads.
- Time-bound: Establish a timeline for your goals to create a sense of urgency and accountability. For example, “We’ll publish 24 blog posts over the next six months” gives you a clear timeframe to work within.
By using the SMART framework, you can set goals that are focused and actionable. And, plan first! This approach emphasizes outputs rather than outcomes, allowing you to concentrate on the aspects of content creation you can control. Ultimately, this clarity helps guide your efforts and improves your chances of success.
How to set B2B content marketing KPIs
To measure the success of your B2B content marketing efforts, it’s essential to set meaningful KPIs. Why that matters? Read our blog to learn more. These indicators help track your outcomes and make sure you’re on the right path. To set realistic KPIs, it’s useful to reference the average growth rates for each platform you’re focusing on.
How to find growth rates for different platforms
You can easily find average growth rates with a quick online search. Try searching for terms like:
- “How fast does a podcast grow?”
- “Typical growth rate for a YouTube channel”
- “How long does it take to grow a blog?”
- “What’s the average time to build an Instagram following?”
- “How quickly can a newsletter subscriber list grow?”
- “What’s the expected growth rate for TikTok accounts?”
These searches will give you benchmarks so you can set achievable goals and understand what kind of progress you can realistically expect. Keep in mind that each platform has its own set of key metrics, and it’s important to focus on those that matter most for your specific content strategy.
Key KPIs for Popular Platforms
Here’s a breakdown of the most relevant KPIs for different channels, based on experience and what consistently delivers results:
Blogs: Time Spent on Page
What It Measures: The average duration users spend on your blog.
Why It Matters: Longer time on page indicates that readers find your content engaging and valuable.
How to Calculate: Total time spent on page ÷ total page views.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Gives insights into content quality and relevance.
Cons: Doesn’t provide context for why readers might leave the page early (e.g., distractions or irrelevant content).
Newsletters: Open Rates
What It Measures: The percentage of email recipients who open your newsletter.
Why It Matters: A higher open rate means your subject lines and send times are effective, and your content sparks interest.
How to Calculate: (Number of emails opened ÷ number of emails sent) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: A straightforward way to track email engagement.
Cons: Open rates alone don’t indicate whether subscribers engage with the content inside.
LinkedIn: Engagement Rate
What It Measures: The percentage of engagements (likes, comments, shares) compared to total impressions.
Why It Matters: Reflects how well your posts are resonating with your audience and generating meaningful interaction.
How to Calculate: (Total engagements ÷ total impressions) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Offers a quick overview of content effectiveness.
Cons: Doesn’t account for passive views or the impact of impressions without action.
YouTube: Subscriber Growth Over Time
What It Measures: The rate at which your YouTube channel gains new subscribers over a period.
Why It Matters: Consistent growth shows that your content is attracting a dedicated audience.
How to Calculate: Track the difference in subscriber numbers over a given timeframe.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Provides long-term insights into channel performance.
Cons: Doesn’t reflect short-term trends or video-specific performance.
Instagram: Engagement Per Follower
What It Measures: The average level of interaction from your followers on posts.
Why It Matters: High engagement means your followers are actively interested in your content.
How to Calculate: (Total engagements ÷ total followers) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Shows how engaged your existing audience is.
Cons: Doesn’t provide insights into reach or new audience growth.
TikTok: Engagement Rate
What It Measures: The cumulative interaction (likes, shares, comments, views) your TikToks receive.
Why It Matters: Offers a comprehensive look at how well your content resonates with viewers.
How to Calculate: (Total interactions ÷ total video views) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Provides an in-depth view of video success.
Cons: Harder to identify which interaction type drives performance the most.
𝕏 (formerly Twitter): Engagement Rate
What It Measures: The level of interaction (retweets, likes, replies) compared to total impressions on a tweet.
Why It Matters: Shows how well your tweets spark engagement and conversation.
How to Calculate: (Total engagements ÷ total impressions) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Easy to monitor real-time reactions.
Cons: Doesn’t measure the quality of interactions (e.g., positive or negative sentiment).
Podcasts: Number of Downloads
What It Measures: The total number of times your podcast episodes are downloaded.
Why It Matters: This gives you a clear sense of how many people are interested in your content.
How to Calculate: Track the number of downloads per episode.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Provides a direct metric of listener reach.
Cons: Doesn’t track actual listens or listener retention.
Facebook: Engagement Rate
What It Measures: The percentage of interactions (likes, shares, comments) relative to impressions.
Why It Matters: Engagement shows how actively your audience interacts with your content beyond just scrolling.
How to Calculate: (Total engagements ÷ total impressions) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Indicates the quality of audience interaction.
Cons: Similar to other platforms, it doesn’t reflect passive impressions.
Pinterest: Click-Through Rate (CTR)
What It Measures: The percentage of clicks your pins receive compared to the number of times they’re seen.
Why It Matters: A higher CTR shows that your visuals and descriptions are compelling enough to drive traffic.
How to Calculate: (Total pin clicks ÷ total impressions) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Reflects how well your content converts passive viewers into active site visitors.
Cons: Doesn’t track how users interact after clicking.
Email Campaigns: Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)
What It Measures: The percentage of email openers who clicked on a link within the email.
Why It Matters: It’s a key indicator of how well your content and call-to-action resonate with your audience.
How to Calculate: (Total clicks ÷ total opens) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Provides detailed insights into email performance.
Cons: Can be affected by email design and mobile responsiveness.
Webinars: Attendee Retention Rate
What It Measures: The percentage of webinar attendees who stay until the end.
Why It Matters: High retention indicates that your webinar content is engaging and valuable throughout.
How to Calculate: (Total attendees who stayed until the end ÷ total attendees) × 100%.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Gives clear feedback on content effectiveness.
Cons: Doesn’t account for distractions or reasons for early exits.
Medium: Claps Per Article
What It Measures: The number of “claps” an article receives on Medium.
Why It Matters: More claps indicate that readers enjoyed or found your content valuable.
How to Calculate: Track the total claps per article.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Easy-to-understand metric for reader engagement.
Cons: Doesn’t show the number of total views or time spent reading.
Reddit: Upvotes and Comment Activity
What It Measures: The number of upvotes and comments a post receives on Reddit.
Why It Matters: High upvotes and active discussions suggest your content resonates with the community.
How to Calculate: Track total upvotes and comments on each post.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Shows strong community interaction.
Cons: Doesn’t always reflect the sentiment of the comments or votes.
Why focus on these KPIs?
You might wonder why these particular metrics are more important than others. We’ve found that they offer a consistent, reliable measure of your content’s success. Unlike metrics that can be heavily influenced by one viral post or a sudden drop in views, these KPIs provide a steady picture of performance. Focusing on the right metrics helps you avoid the noise and makes it easier to track progress without getting overwhelmed by irrelevant data.
By zeroing in on these key performance indicators, you can keep your strategy focused, practical, and driven by data that actually matters.
What if you don’t meet your growth targets through the content?
Nothing. It happens to everyone. Remember the story for Santiago?
Even with your best intentions and hard work, social media platforms can sometimes throw you a curveball, and growth might stall.
Instead of stressing out, take a moment to reflect and ask yourself:
- Did I consistently publish the planned content?
- Was my content relevant and valuable to my audience? Can I change it and try again?
- Did I actively participate in conversations and connect with others in my network?
If you can answer “yes” to these questions, then you’re on the right track. Remember, building a strong online presence takes time and persistence. Results often don’t appear overnight, but trust that your consistent efforts are laying the groundwork for future success.
Growth in the digital space can be slow and unpredictable, but staying committed to your strategy will pay off in the long run. Focus on learning from each experience, adjusting your approach as needed, and maintaining a positive mindset. Your dedication will ultimately lead to progress and stronger connections within your community.
Key takeaway? Be the fisherman who learns from the sea and comes back home with a story worth telling!
Want more growth tips? Well that’s why we’ve created the Launch with AI program, tailored for founders and marketers in the early stages of growth. This program is your go-to guide for mastering product launches. Growth experts craft it with a proven track record of working with 500+ startups.
