By tracking these metrics, membership organisations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their content marketing effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to enhance member recruitment, engagement, and retention.
Read the comprehensive details below, or skip straight to the Content marketing cheat sheet
Here’s a comprehensive list of content marketing metrics a membership organisation could measure, broken down into categories similar to the email metrics example:
Content Marketing Metrics – Reach and Delivery
Metrics that focus on the extent and effectiveness of content distribution and visibility. They help determine how far and wide your content is reaching.
1. Content Impressions
Definition: The number of times your content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked.
Purpose: Measures how often your content is seen.
Benchmark: Varies by platform and industry, but higher impressions indicate broader reach.
2. Unique Impressions
- Definition: The number of distinct individuals who have seen your content.
- Purpose: Provides a clearer picture of your audience reach.
- Benchmark: Aim for a large proportion of your target audience. Aim for 20-50% of your target audience
3. Marketing Reach
- Definition: The total number of unique users who have seen your content.
- Purpose: Assesses the size of your audience.
- Benchmark: Larger reach indicates better content distribution. Aim for 20-50% of followers
4. Traffic Sources
- Definition: The origin of your content traffic (e.g., organic, referral, social).
- Purpose: Identifies where your audience is coming from.
- Benchmark: Balanced distribution among various sources is ideal. Aim for no source to be above 50%
5. Referral Traffic
- Definition: Visitors who come to your content through links from other sites.
- Purpose: Shows how well your content is performing on external platforms.
- Benchmark: Higher referral traffic indicates effective external content promotion. Aim for 10-20% of total traffic
Engagement Metrics for Content Marketing
Metrics that measure how well your audience interacts with your content. These provide insights into the level of interest and engagement your content generates.
6. Engagement Rate
- Definition: The percentage of users who interact with your content (likes, shares, comments).
- Purpose: Evaluates the effectiveness of your content in generating interest.
- Benchmark: Varies by platform; aim for industry-standard rates or higher. 1-5%, varies by platform
7. Average Time on Page
- Definition: The average amount of time users spend on a specific content page.
- Purpose: Indicates how engaging and relevant your content is.
- Benchmark: Longer times suggest more engaging content. Over 2 minutes
8. Pages per Session
- Definition: The average number of pages viewed during a session on your website.
- Purpose: Measures the depth of user engagement with your content.
- Benchmark: Higher pages per session indicate deeper user engagement. 2-3 pages per session
9. Bounce Rate
- Definition: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
- Purpose: Indicates the relevancy and effectiveness of your landing pages.
- Benchmark: Lower bounce rates are preferable, typically below 50%.
10. Scroll Depth
- Definition: The percentage of the webpage that users scroll through.
- Purpose: Measures how much of your content is consumed.
- Benchmark: Higher scroll depth suggests more engaging content. Aim for over 50%
11. Social Shares
- Definition: The number of times your content is shared on social media platforms.
- Purpose: Indicates the virality and social engagement of your content.
- Benchmark: Higher shares indicate broader social reach. Aim for 1-5% of total impressions
Conversion Metrics for Content Marketing
Metrics that track the effectiveness of your content in driving desired actions, such as sign-ups or purchases. These help assess how well your content converts interest into tangible outcomes.
12. Conversion Rate
- Definition: The percentage of users who complete a desired action (e.g., signing up for membership).
- Purpose: Measures the effectiveness of your content in driving actions.
- Benchmark: Varies by goal; aim for continuous improvement (Average 2-5%)
13. Lead Generation Rate
- Definition: The percentage of content viewers who become leads.
- Purpose: Assesses how well your content converts viewers into potential members.
- Benchmark: Higher rates indicate more effective lead generation. Aim for 5-10%
14. Cost per Lead (CPL)
- Definition: The cost incurred to acquire each lead through your content marketing efforts.
- Purpose: Measures the efficiency of your content marketing spend.
- Benchmark: Lower CPL is preferable.
15. Return on Investment (ROI)
- Definition: The revenue generated from your content marketing relative to its cost.
- Purpose: Measures the profitability of your content marketing.
- Benchmark: Positive ROI is essential; aim for industry standards or higher. Aim for at least 2:1 ratio
16. Member Acquisition Rate
- Definition: The percentage of content viewers who become members.
- Purpose: Evaluates the effectiveness of your content in acquiring new members.
- Benchmark: Higher rates indicate more effective member acquisition. Aim for 2-5% of total viewers.
Member Retention Metrics
Metrics that track how well your content retains and engages existing members. They help understand the longevity and continued interest of your audience.
17. Churn Rate
- Definition: The percentage of members who unsubscribe or leave over a specific period.
- Purpose: Measures membership retention.
- Benchmark: Lower churn rates are better; strive for industry benchmarks or lower. Target below 5% per month
18. Member Engagement Score
- Definition: A composite score based on various engagement metrics (e.g., login frequency, content interaction).
- Purpose: Measures the overall engagement of your members.
- Benchmark: Higher scores indicate better member engagement.
19. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Definition: A measure of how likely members are to recommend your organisation.
- Purpose: Gauges member satisfaction and loyalty.
- Benchmark: Positive NPS is desirable; aim for higher scores. +30 or higher
20. Member Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Definition: The total revenue expected from a member over their entire membership period.
- Purpose: Measures the long-term value of your members.
- Benchmark: Higher LTV indicates more valuable members.
Content Performance Metrics
Metrics that assess the effectiveness of individual content pieces. These provide insights into which specific content performs best and how it contributes to overall goals.
21. Content Views
- Definition: The number of times a specific content piece is viewed.
- Purpose: Measures the popularity of your content.
- Benchmark: Higher views indicate more popular content.
22. Unique Content Views
- Definition: The number of distinct users who view a specific content piece.
- Purpose: Assesses the reach of individual content pieces.
- Benchmark: Higher unique views suggest wider content reach. Aim for 20-50% of total views to be unique.
23. Content Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Definition: The percentage of users who click on a link within your content.
- Purpose: Measures how compelling your content is in driving clicks.
- Benchmark: Higher CTR indicates more engaging content. Aim for 2-5%
24. Content Conversion Rate
- Definition: The percentage of users who take a desired action after consuming your content.
- Purpose: Measures the effectiveness of individual content pieces in driving conversions.
- Benchmark: Higher rates suggest more effective content. Target 2-5%.
25. Content Attribution
- Definition: The revenue or leads generated from specific content pieces.
- Purpose: Assesses the financial impact of individual content items.
- Formula: N/A (Tracked via CRM or analytics tools)
- Benchmark: Higher attribution indicates more valuable content.
Device and Client Metrics for Content Performance
Metrics that provide insights into how users access and consume your content across different devices and platforms. They help optimise content for various user preferences and technical environments.
26. Device Usage
- Definition: The percentage of users who access your content on different devices (e.g., mobile, desktop).
- Purpose: Helps optimise content for different devices.
- Benchmark: Ensure content is accessible and optimised for all major devices.
27. Browser Usage
- Definition: The percentage of users who access your content through different browsers.
- Purpose: Helps optimise content for various browsers.
- Benchmark: Ensure compatibility with all major browsers.
28. Operating System Usage
- Definition: The percentage of users who access your content using different operating systems.
- Purpose: Provides insights into user preferences and helps with technical optimisation.
- Benchmark: Ensure content is optimised for popular operating systems.
Content Marketing Metrics and Benchmarks at a glance
This table provides a comprehensive summary of the benchmarks and formulas for evaluating the performance of your content distribution, engagement, conversions, retention, content performance, and device usage metrics.
Certainly! Here’s the table with specific benchmarks as numbers or percentages where possible:
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | Varies by platform and industry; aim for continuous growth | N/A (Typically tracked via analytics tools) |
| Unique Impressions | Aim for 20-50% of your target audience | N/A (Typically tracked via analytics tools) |
| Reach | Larger reach indicates better distribution; aim for 20-50% of followers | N/A (Typically tracked via analytics tools) |
| Traffic Sources | Balanced distribution among sources is ideal; aim for no source to be above 50% | N/A (Tracked via analytics tools) |
| Referral Traffic | Higher referral traffic indicates effectiveness; aim for 10-20% of total traffic | N/A (Tracked via analytics tools) |
| Engagement Rate | 1-5%, varies by platform | (Total Engagements / Total Impressions) * 100 |
| Average Time on Page | Over 2 minutes | Total Time on Page / Total Page Views |
| Pages per Session | 2-3 pages per session | Total Page Views / Total Sessions |
| Bounce Rate | Below 50% | (Single Page Sessions / Total Sessions) * 100 |
| Scroll Depth | Over 50% | Average Scroll Depth / Page Height * 100 |
| Social Shares | 1-5% of total impressions | N/A (Tracked via social media analytics tools) |
| Conversion Rate | 2-5%, varies by goal | (Total Conversions / Total Visitors) * 100 |
| Lead Generation Rate | 5-10% | (Total Leads / Total Visitors) * 100 |
| Cost per Lead (CPL) | Varies by industry; aim for continuous improvement | Total Cost / Total Leads |
| Return on Investment (ROI) | Positive ROI; aim for at least 2:1 ratio | (Revenue – Cost) / Cost * 100 |
| Member Acquisition Rate | 2-5% of total viewers | (Total New Members / Total Visitors) * 100 |
| Churn Rate | Below 5% per month | (Total Churns / Total Members) * 100 |
| Member Engagement Score | Higher scores indicate better engagement | Composite score derived from weighted engagement metrics |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | +30 or higher | % Promoters (score 9-10) – % Detractors (score 0-6) |
| Member Lifetime Value (LTV) | Aim for continuous growth; varies by industry | Average Monthly Revenue per Member * Membership Duration |
| Content Views | Higher views indicate more popular content | N/A (Tracked via analytics tools) |
| Unique Content Views | Aim for 20-50% of total views to be unique | N/A (Tracked via analytics tools) |
| Content Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 2-5% | (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) * 100 |
| Content Conversion Rate | 2-5% | (Total Conversions / Total Content Views) * 100 |
| Device Usage | Ensure content is accessible and optimised for all major devices | (Users on Specific Device / Total Users) * 100 |
| Browser Usage | Ensure compatibility with all major browsers | (Users on Specific Browser / Total Users) * 100 |
| Operating System Usage | Ensure content is optimised for popular operating systems | (Users on Specific OS / Total Users) * 100 |
