If you’ve been putting your time into creating the best possible content, how can you tell if that effort is working for you? The answer is that you have to measure your success rate.
When you are creating content like website pages and blogs, it can seem a bit subjective. The truth is that content success is measurable.
A content marketing report is a bit like a report card from a school. It lays out what is working and what isn’t. It tells you what you did right and what isn’t as successful. It also shows you what could use a little tweaking to be even more productive.
If you are wondering how to report on content marketing results, let us help.
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How to Write a Content Marketing Report?
You could take several different approaches to creating this report. You must write a content marketing report that suits your specific needs. For instance, a B2B brand might look for something different than a B2C company.
Developing your report starts with determining what metrics are the most beneficial for your brand.
Lay out your goals
First, decide what you want to get from your report. Are you looking to:
- Understand customer behavior
- Develop content that reaches your target audience
- Run data-based marketing campaigns
These are all practical goals. A content marketing report could help you:
- Develop future content
- Improve communication with your target audience
- Increase revenue and generate business growth
- Attract new customers
- Leverage loyal customers
- Build brand awareness
- Increase engagement
- Improve SEO
If you have the right metrics, a marketing report will make it easier for your company to meet all of these goals.
Identify the most valuable metrics
Now, look closely at the metrics you monitor. What information do they provide? For instance, shares on social media indicate engagement. Comments on your blog show how many people read it attentively.
Other metrics that matter include:
- Conversion rates – Site visits that produce sales
- Vesting rates – How many people sign up for trials and then keep the service?
- Inbound links – How many external websites or blogs link to your site?
- Ad clicks – The return on your ad investment
- Unique visitors to your website – The outcome of your marketing campaigns
- Pages per visit – How many people stay on the website?
- Bounce rate – How many people leave without going to another page?
- Email opens – How much traffic do you get from your email campaigns?
These are all valuable metrics to follow, but some may not apply to your brand. For example, if you don’t use email advertising, you don’t need to track email clicks or conversions.
Tools to track metrics
You also need to use the right tools to analyze your metrics. Some of the standard tools include:
- Google Analytics tracks website traffic.
- Social media accounts often have analytical tools for pages and ads.
- Hootsuite tracks all of your social media accounts at once.
- Metrics Watch tracks both social media accounts and Google website analytics in one place.
While some of these tools are free, others have subscription fees (like Metrics Watch).
Content Marketing Template
After you establish goals and secure your metrics for analysis, the next step is to organize your report. A template is your best option. Rock Content offers several content marketing templates, so you can get one that works for your brand.
Enter the requested information on the front page and check your email inbox. You can choose one of several download options, such as:
- Strategy Results Presentation Model
- Content Marketing Tracking Worksheet
The first one, the Strategy Results Presentation Model, helps you set up your content marketing report in slide format for easy use.
Start by making a copy of the template:
- Go to the top menu and click on “File.”
- Select “Make a copy” and “Entire presentation.”
This gives you a copy of the template in an easily accessible place. The report is monthly, so you can make an additional copy for your records each month.
What is included in a content marketing report?
The template from Rock Content gives you a general idea of what you should track to get the most from your marketing. The report includes:
- Goals
- Highlights for the month
- Sales funnel
- Traffic generation
- Keywords
- Lead generation
- MQLs and opportunity generation
- Next steps
The template walks you through creating your report, starting with setting your business goals. You’ll enter each goal, key performance indicator (KPI), and objective.
Follow the template page by page and input your information. It is set up to perform any relevant calculations for you.
The template will allow you to create a report that shows your growth from month to month. That way, you can choose areas to improve while seeing what works and what needs more effort.
Other resources from Rock Content
Rock Content offers additional resources that will help you meet your goals. For example, you get a free trial of WriterAccess, the premier content writing service. Also, there’s a spreadsheet for tracking your content marketing assets. You will have the opportunity to chat with a Rock Content marketing manager as well.
These tools and the content marketing template are all you need to ensure you get the best return on your efforts.
A content marketing report is essential for assessing your marketing campaigns and finding the right conversion path. You’ll see if you are on the right social media pages, how well you rank in organic searches, and what else you should consider.
You can use it to follow trends in digital marketing and use them to your advantage. For instance, did you know that short-form video offers the best return on your investment?
Effective marketing calls for a collaborative effort. It takes a combination of quality content, metrics, and monitoring to find the best options for your brand. It starts with helpful, informative, and well-written content, though. WriterAccess has thousands of vetted and trained writers waiting to assist you.
Find out more by signing up for a free trial at WriterAccess today.