Measuring impact: four dimensions of influence and metrics to track success

[Jahangir655]

In our latest ebook, Influence and impact, we provide insight on how to influence your audience, using techniques from behavioural science, advertising, storytelling and the work of persuasion experts.

But the real test of influence is whether it leads to outcomes.

Most B2B marketers will be looking for evidence that influence will lead to a tangible commercial or brand return: increased sales and inbound enquiries, stronger long-term relationships with customers and other stakeholders such as investors or employees, and even enhanced pricing power and customer life-time value.

Measuring the impact of influence
The Thought Leadership Network report Proving our panama mobile phone numbers database value explains how the traditional metrics for content – the so-called engagement KPIs such as downloads, bounce rates and open rates – are poor ways to determine whether content has had any real influence. They tell you whether people have engaged with your content, but they reveal little about whether it has encouraged them to think or act differently.

Measuring influence, as opposed to engagement, is challenging. But it is possible. It typically requires a combination of quantitative research methods: brand surveys, social media sentiment analysis, media/PR metrics, and qualitative input such as anecdotes and examples from client-facing teams.

There are numerous metrics that you can use to track influence, and numerous indicators that can suggest content is having a positive impact by encouraging tangible outcomes. We recommend thinking about the components of influence and then determining the most suitable metrics to assess performance in each.