Spending a load of money on something without knowing if it’s going to stick is always risky business, and getting such a plan past the key decision makers in finance and trustee boards can be an even harder task.

Maximising return on investment (ROI) on a content marketing initiative should therefore be the number one goal to generate additional leads and grow the customer base further.

ROI from a general marketing perspective concerns cost, utilisation and performance. Content marketing should be assessed in a similar way, but much more context can be added to deliver better results. The need for optimisation is clear.

IN-HOUSE VERSUS FREELANCE
The quantity of content being produced will define whether it is best to employ a permanent copywriter or go with a freelance service. Freelance contractors cost more per article, but lower volume will justify freelance vs. in-house especially with start-up businesses.

DON’T PAY FOR FALSE PROMISES
In order to maximise ROI, develop SEO strategies in-house and grow organically. It could save a small fortune and deliver similar results, if not better.

EFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETING METRICS
There is little point spending so much on content and not recording user conversion rates and lead generation statistics. A good set of metrics allows effective fine-tuning with an aim to attract more customers and improve user retention.