11 Ways to Track the ROI of a Video Content Marketing Campaign

In the dynamic sphere of video content marketing, measuring success is crucial. We’ve gathered insights from eleven industry experts, including Digital Marketing Managers and SEO Consultants, to unveil their best strategies. From the importance of using unique, trackable links to combining analytics tools for granular tracking, discover the specific tips and techniques these professionals recommend for tracking the ROI of your video campaigns.

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Use Unique, Trackable Links

One straightforward and effective tip for tracking the ROI of a video content marketing campaign is to use unique, trackable links in your video descriptions or within the video itself. For instance, if you’re promoting a product, you could include a special link that leads viewers to a landing page specifically designed for that campaign.

Here’s how you can do it:

Create a unique URL: Use a URL shortening service like Bitly, or create a unique UTM code to add to your landing page link. This makes the link easy to track and manage.

Add the link to your video: Place this unique link in the video description, and if possible, include it as a clickable annotation or a call-to-action button within the video.

Monitor the link’s performance: Use the URL shortener’s analytics tools or your website’s analytics platform (like Google Analytics) to track how many people click on the link. This will give you a clear picture of how much traffic the video is driving to your site.

For example, if you’re running a video campaign to promote a new product, you might create a link like “www.yoursite.com/new-product” and use that in your video. By checking how many visitors come to your site through this link, you can directly measure the video’s impact on generating interest and, ultimately, sales. This simple method helps you see the direct connection between your video content and the return on investment (ROI).

Umair Hussain, Digital Marketing Manager, Cloudways(DigitalOcean)

Leverage UTM Parameters for Insights

One specific tip for tracking the ROI of a video content marketing campaign is to leverage UTM parameters in your video links. Imagine you’re hosting a virtual garden party, and each guest has a unique invitation. 

UTM parameters work the same way, tagging each video link with specific codes that identify where your traffic is coming from. This allows you to see which videos are driving the most engagement and conversions. For instance, we once ran a campaign for a quirky, artisanal soap brand. 

By using UTM parameters, we discovered that a behind-the-scenes video of the soap-making process was a huge hit, leading to a 30% increase in sales. It’s like having a treasure map that shows you exactly where the gold is buried.

Lukasz Zelezny, SEO Consultant, SEO ANT LTD

Integrate Automation Tools with Analytics

To track the ROI of a video content marketing campaign, I recommend leveraging marketing automation tools integrated with Google Analytics and UTM parameters. A specific example comes from a campaign for a B2B client, where we used detailed UTM tagging for each video link. This allowed us to track the source of the traffic and subsequent user actions on the website, such as sign-ups or purchases. By integrating this data with Google Analytics, we clearly mapped the journey from video view to conversion and observed a $10,000+ increase in monthly revenue.

In addition, incorporating tools like Hotjar for deeper insights can be invaluable. For instance, during a campaign for a software client, we analyzed heatmaps to understand viewer interactions with the video. This revealed that a call-to-action placed at the 30-second mark of the video increased user engagement by 25%. Adjusting our strategy based on these insights helped optimize viewer engagement and improve conversion rates.

We also set up specific goals in Google Analytics to track key actions, such as demo requests or form submissions. In another campaign where we aimed to generate qualified sales calls, we set clear goals and tracked conversions closely. As a result, we achieved scheduling over 40 qualified sales calls per month, directly attributable to our video content. This robust tracking and optimization approach ensures a precise understanding of ROI and maximizes the effectiveness of video marketing campaigns.

Magee Clegg, CEO, Cleartail Marketing

Measure Views and Shares

Track video views and shares. One simple yet effective way to track the ROI of a video marketing campaign is by measuring the number of views and shares your videos receive. Set a target number of views and shares based on your marketing goals. Then, track how many people actually view and share each video you publish. 

You can track views on platforms like YouTube and social media. Shares can be tracked via social media analytics. If your videos receive the target number of views and shares, then your video campaign is likely generating a good ROI. 

However, if views and shares remain low, you may need to reconsider your video content, distribution strategy, or marketing goals. Simply tracking these basic video performance metrics can provide valuable insight into whether or not your video campaign is achieving the results you desire.

Sreejita Saha, Content and Digital Marketing Manager, Mitt Arv

Monitor Engagement with Tracking URLs

Use unique tracking URLs for each video to monitor engagement and conversions directly. This method provides clear data on how each piece of content performs, allowing for precise calculation of ROI. 

It’s like having a digital breadcrumb trail that shows exactly which videos are driving traffic and sales. This way, you can fine-tune your strategy based on real-time results.

Joe Davies, CEO, FATJOE

Conduct A/B Testing on Video Variants

I’ve had extensive experience in harnessing the power of video content marketing for SaaS and e-commerce businesses. Tracking the ROI of these campaigns is critical to ensure they’re not just creative but also profitable. Here is one distinct strategy we’ve employed to measure and optimize the ROI from our video marketing efforts, ensuring each campaign delivers quantifiable value.

We employ A/B testing with different video variants to measure engagement and conversion efficacy. By creating slightly varied versions of the same video—with different calls-to-action, lengths, or even narrative structures—we can serve these to different segments of our audience and analyze which version performs better in terms of keeping the audience engaged and driving them to take action. This approach not only improves our video content’s effectiveness but also fine-tunes our understanding of what resonates best with our target audience.

Marc Bishop, Director, Wytlabs

Set Goals and Track with UTMs

Tracking the ROI of a video content marketing campaign hinges on setting clear, measurable goals, such as conversion rates or lead generation. One effective technique is using UTM parameters in your video links. 

This allows for precise tracking of traffic sources and user behavior. For instance, tracking a campaign revealed a 50% increase in lead generation from videos featuring client testimonials, proving their impact on audience trust and conversions.

Yoyao Hsueh, Founder, Topical Maps

Embed UTM-Coded Links for Analysis

Using UTM parameters in video links is a precise method to track ROI for video content marketing campaigns. This technique allows for detailed analysis of traffic sources and user engagement. 

For example, embedding a unique UTM-coded link in the video description can directly measure clicks, conversions, and overall impact, providing clear insights into which videos drive the most value and guiding future content strategies.

Daniel Lynch, President and Owner, Empathy First Media

Employ Holdout Testing for Impact

We found that tracking ROI for video content largely depends on where the ads are being shown. For bottom-of-the-funnel channels (Meta Ads, Google Ads, etc.), it’s pretty straightforward using their click-based tracking.

But when it comes to non-web-based or top-of-the-funnel efforts, particularly for CTV, tracking ROI gets difficult.

The best thing we have found to effectively track the impact and ROI of our video content has been to do holdout testing between similar markets. By exposing only a portion of the markets to the video ads and looking at the performance of all markets prior to, during, and after the campaign, we are able to get a pretty clear picture of the impact that our campaigns have.

The key metrics we look at are net growth in the markets and weekly sales.

CalDon Preece, Senior Digital Marketing Analyst, VidAngel

Capture Viewer Interactions with Events

To track the ROI of a video content marketing campaign effectively, I often use a combination of Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. One specific technique I’ve found valuable is setting up event tracking in Google Tag Manager to capture how viewers interact with the video—such as play, pause, and completion rates. By doing this, I can see exactly how users engage with the video content and what actions they take post-viewing.

For instance, in a project with GorgeFarmers.com, we tagged video interactions as events and linked them to specific goals in Google Analytics. This allowed us to track key metrics like the number of users who watched the video to the end and then navigated to the product page. The insights revealed that videos showcasing local farmers’ stories had a higher viewer completion rate and led to a 20% increase in product page visits, compared to other types of video content.

Additionally, we utilized VidIQ for YouTube campaigns to analyze engagement metrics, such as watch time and subscriber growth. For one campaign, we discovered that videos with a CTA at the 15-second mark led to a 30% higher click-through rate compared to CTAs placed at the end. These data points helped us optimize our video strategy by adjusting the placement of CTAs and thereby improved our overall campaign ROI, achieving a 50% increase in conversions through strategic video adjustments.

Christian D. Van Norden, Video Editor and Web Designer, Christian Daniel Designs

Combine Analytics Tools for Granular Tracking

To track the ROI of a video content marketing campaign, I lean on a combination of in-depth analytics tools and specific performance metrics. One effective technique is using UTM parameters for all video links. This allows me to trace the traffic back to its source and understand the viewer’s journey on the site.

For instance, while working with a SaaS company, I applied UTM tags to videos in a rebranding campaign. This enabled us to track where users came from and what actions they took following the video. Using Google Analytics, we set specific goals such as sign-ups and demo requests directly linked to the video content.

Furthermore, I find tools like Mixpanel particularly useful for granular tracking. In one campaign, by analyzing engagement metrics, we discovered that videos with a call-to-action placed at the 30-second mark had a 28% higher conversion rate than those with a CTA at the end. This insight helped us optimize our video strategy further.

Lastly, I also utilize heatmap and session recording tools like Hotjar to observe how users interact with the videos. In a campaign for an e-commerce client, these tools helped us identify that viewers who watched more than 75% of the video were twice as likely to make a purchase. By combining these tracking methods, we achieved a 3.5x ROI, providing clear evidence of the campaign’s effectiveness.

Haiko de Poel, Owner, Mass Impact

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