The thought leadership metrics that actually matter
If your thought leadership content doesn't have KPIs tied to clear business objectives, you’re not doing content marketing. You’re doing an art project that will disappoint everybody.
I've seen this movie play out many times: companies invest heavily in thought leadership without a clear understanding of how to measure its impact. They track vanity metrics like likes and shares, or have a vague idea that they want to “increase their CEO’s follower count,” then wonder why executives are questioning the ROI six months later.
Let me share what I've learned after helping dozens of companies build and measure successful thought leadership programs.
The metrics that actually matter:
Thought leadership measurement fits into three categories:
1. Are people seeing you as an expert?
These metrics help you understand if your content is reaching people and changing how they think about your brand:
Profile views: Often more valuable than engagement metrics, especially for B2B. Keep in mind: high-level decision-makers are more likely to "lurk" your content on LinkedIn than like or comment on it. No one ever leaves a comment that says, “I can’t wait to do this enterprise deal with you!” That would be weird.
Connection requests from ICP: How many members of your ideal customer profile are taking the proactive step of following or connecting with you on LinkedIn? Here’s a recent example from a client:
2. Are you generating real interest?
These metrics track how your thought leadership drives actual business interest:
Inbound inquiries: People reaching out directly after consuming your content. More and more deals should be starting in your LinkedIn inbox.
Meeting and demo requests. These need to be trending up. And they need to be the RIGHT meeting and demo requests — not people kicking the tires and wasting your time.
Event invitations: Speaking opportunities that showcase your expertise.
Media coverage: Journalists reaching out for quotes or interviews.
Talent applications: Quality candidates citing your thought leadership.
3. Is it actually driving revenue?
These bottom-line metrics connect thought leadership to revenue:
Pipeline: Deals where thought leadership played a role in advancing conversations.
Deal velocity: Shorter sales cycles with prospects engaged with your content.
Client retention: Existing clients citing thought leadership as reason for continued partnership.
Premium pricing: Ability to command higher rates due to perceived expertise.
Partnership opportunities: New business relationships stemming from visibility.
How we build your measurement framework.
When I kick off with clients, we establish a four-part measurement framework:
Step 1: What's actually moving the needle for your business?
We start by looking at your overall business goals, independent of content. Are you:
Looking to close a funding round?
Driving leads for a SaaS product?
Needing to accelerate deal flow?
Developing new partnerships?
What actually matters right now for your business?
Step 2: You can't prioritize everything (so pick what matters).
We rank these goals numerically. This forces hard decisions about what truly matters and prevents the "everything is important" syndrome that kills effective measurement.
Step 3: Who exactly are we trying to reach?
Who exactly do you need to reach to meet these goals?
A specific type of investor?
VP-level folks who will adopt your product?
Corporate champions who will influence deals?
The more specific, the better.
Step 4: How does content actually help you hit those goals?
Finally, we identify exactly how thought leadership will help reach these goals, and what metrics we'll use to judge success:
Leads generated for a biz dev team through LinkedIn?
The number of Top 100 VCs that contact you about investment?
The amount of engagement from potential partners?
TechNexus doubled their inbound leads.
When I worked with TechNexus Venture Collaborative, a Chicago-based VC firm, we implemented this measurement framework with impressive results:
Lead generation: 100% increase in inbound leads attributed to marketing content
Meeting efficiency: 50% more meetings set up as a result of thought leadership
These weren't vanity metrics — they directly tied to business goals of increasing deal flow and partnerships with corporate ventures.
Attribution: it’s easier than it used to be.
The trickiest part of measuring thought leadership ROI is attribution. How do you know if a deal closed because of your content?
Here's my approach:
Ask directly — but you’ll probably hear it from clients: Train your sales team to ask prospects, "How did you hear about us?" or "What content of ours have you seen?" When you go to trade shows, though, you should be hearing from peers how good your LinkedIn game has been lately.
Track digital touchpoints: Use attribution software to connect content consumption to pipeline. This gets easier when using things like LinkedIn thought leadership ads.
Map the decision journey: Identify all touchpoints from first awareness to closed deal, noting where thought leadership played a role.
Look for patterns: Analyze closed deals to find common content consumption patterns that predict success.
Get better over time.
Measurement isn't a one-time activity. We regularly:
Review performance data: Monthly analysis of what's working and what isn't.
Adjust strategy: Pivot away from underperforming topics or formats.
Test new approaches: A/B testing different content types and distribution channels.
Refine KPIs: As business goals evolve, so should your metrics.
Know what success looks like before you start.
The best thought leadership programs build measurement into the strategy from day one. Before we create a single piece of content, we know:
Who needs to see it.
What action we want them to take.
How we'll track that action.
What success looks like.
This clarity makes the entire thought leadership process more focused and effective.
Ready to build content that actually drives results?
After years spent in newsrooms at Boston Globe Media and USA TODAY Sports, I've spent the last nine years helping companies translate expertise into content that moves the needle.
I've helped executives at Deloitte articulate complex cloud security solutions, worked with Recovery.com to become one of Wisconsin's fastest-growing companies, and helped Inclusively secure a speaking spot at the World Economic Forum.
My background in journalism means I ask the right questions to uncover your unique insights — then translate them into content with measurable business impact.
Whether you need to generate leads, accelerate deals, improve investor relations, or attract top talent, I can help you build a thought leadership program with clear metrics and real results.
Contact me for a conversation about how we can apply this framework to your specific business goals. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a straightforward discussion about what might work for you.
