Worth less isn’t worthless

Some audiences are worth less, but all have value. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 6.7.24 WEEKLY NEWS 6.7.24   FEATURED [Interactive Content: How Quizzes, Games, and Polls Make for Engaging Results]( By Ann Gynn Host a poll. Do a quiz. Create a game. Interactive content comes in many forms, but not enough marketers take advantage of it. Discover the possibilities, tools, and big results. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE STORIES FROM THIS WEEK: [How To Measure the Value of Your Audience (in Real Money)]( by Robert Rose You’ve heard how important audience building is again and again. It’s one of the arguments for a content-driven marketing approach, after all. But could you describe the value of your audience in dollars? And do you know which audience members are more valuable than others? Robert Rose can — and this article shows you how. [How TSA Pulls Off Funny Social Content About Serious Business]( by Ann Gynn The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is serious business, but its social media team doesn’t see why they can’t have fun with that. Go behind the scenes to see how they attract millions who probably expected boring posts. [Why Brands May Be Saying Less But Not Doing Less for Pride Month]( by Content Marketing Institute Team What’s going on with content and marketing celebrating Pride Month? Some brands have cut back on publicizing their support of the LGBTQ+ communities; others have cut back on their celebration of Pride. What’s a marketer to think and do? [ICYMI: Government Agencies Get Real, Funny, and Human on Social Media [Examples]]( by Dawn Papandrea Bureaucratic content usually causes people to keep scrolling. But these local, state, and federal agencies have found an antidote, creatively connecting with their constituents by humanizing their content.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE What’s an audience worth? Audience building is one of the hottest topics in marketing today. That’s why you hear so many software vendors claim their product will help you build, engage, measure, and convert “owned audiences.” I prefer the term “addressable audiences,” as it indicates that the people in this group have given you permission to deliver content directly to them (without relying on a social media algorithm or media outlet). You’ll hear many people say that audience building is the goal of content marketing. If building an addressable audience is the goal, how do you measure it? You can count the number of people in it, but that tells you nothing about the value of the audience. What is an audience member worth to the business in dollars and cents? Is an audience member worth the same as a lead or opportunity? Probably not. Are they worth more the longer they stay engaged? Probably. But how do we calculate that increased investment value? To answer these questions, you first have to define “audience.” Any dictionary provides a simple definition of audience: An audience is a group of people who gather to view or listen to performances or consume or admire content — a book, art, or other media. But what does it mean in marketing? Here’s a simple definition: Audience refers to the collection of people who want to consume the content you create. But assigning a financial value to each person in your audience who wants to consume your content is anything but simple. But doing so will help you justify the expense of content initiatives. Let’s be honest: If you measure content marketing only as a replacement for advertising, you’ll find that the content-driven approach costs more. However, the multiple lines of value content provides across the business justifies the added investment. Here’s the thing, though: The business isn’t investing in content. It’s investing in what the content produces — a subscribed audience. So, how do you show the business the value that investment created? You start by answering some basic questions. What defines a subscriber? What makes that subscriber valuable? A subscriber is someone who desires future content from you and has told you where to deliver it (that’s what makes them addressable). You know they want to consume your content because they asked to receive it. Broadcast television audiences, social media followers, and even people who downloaded your white papers aren’t addressable audiences. You might have someone’s email address (from the white paper download, for example). But you can’t assume they’ve given you that information so they don’t miss your future content — you can only be sure they want that one piece. A social media follower, on the other hand, might want future content from you. After all, they’ve followed you to have a reasonable chance of seeing what else you post. But you can’t deliver it directly to them, and you’ll have no idea whether the social platform shows it to them. Still, it would be silly to think that only addressable audiences have value. There’s value in reaching people with your content, even if they don’t ask to receive it in their inbox or mailbox. Said another way, there’s value in creating content fans even if they don’t sign up to receive your content directly. Let’s look at how to segment all these audiences and assign a value to each. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I explain how to segment all these audiences and assign a value to each. Need more help? Drop me a line. [I’d love to help.](mailto:robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=CMI%20content%20feedback%20%E2%80%94%20Audience%20valuation&elqTrackId=BEA2729E4980F6A7D49ED2927D9C7C27) Remember, it’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  A WORD FROM ONE OF OUR SPONSORS Virtual Event: Content & Beyond Is Quickly Approaching Content and web teams share the same goal of captivating audiences through meaningful storytelling. Attend Content & Beyond on June 27 to learn how to integrate your marketing teams! [Register now »]( MORE FROM CMI Issa Rae to Headline Content Marketing World 2024 We’re thrilled to welcome Issa Rae to the Content Marketing World 2024 keynote stage, where she’ll share how her passion for storytelling and entrepreneurial spirit sparked a remarkable journey from YouTube pioneer to celebrated writer, actor, and producer. [Learn more about Issa Rae here]( then register to see her at CMWorld in San Diego on October 21-23.  Next Week’s Webinar: Factoring GenAI Into Your Content Strategy With generative AI’s potential to streamline operations and drive innovation, marketing teams are racing to learn more about GenAI and LLM models. Join us Wednesday, June 12, at 2 p.m. ET to explore high-level, practical applications of generative marketing. You’ll leave this free webinar with new knowledge of off-the-shelf machine learning tools and inspiring, future-oriented examples of generative marketing. [Register for free »](  Was this email forwarded to you? 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