Content Marketing ROI for B2B SaaS: Track Calls Booked, Not Vanity Metrics

Track 5 metrics for B2B content ROI: (1) Profile conversion rate, (2) CTA click-through, (3) Email capture rate, (4) Call booking rate, (5) Close rate. Most founders track likes and impressions (vanity) instead of pipeline and revenue (what matters).

The formula: Profile visits × Conversion rate × Call booking rate × Close rate = Clients acquired

Everything else is noise.

Common scenario:

Your LinkedIn/X analytics show:

• 890 profile visits this month
• 12,500 impressions on your posts
• 450 likes
• 87 comments
• "Engagement is up 40%!"

But when you check your calendar: Zero sales calls booked.

The problem: You're optimizing the wrong metrics. Platform algorithms WANT you focused on engagement. More time on platform = more ad impressions = more revenue for them. But likes don't pay your payroll. Impressions don't close deals.

Here's what actually happened with those 890 profile visits:

The math: 890 profile visits → 0-1 calls

Now imagine if you tracked the RIGHT metrics and optimized each one:

Same traffic. 6-7x more pipeline.

Formula: (Link clicks / Profile visits) × 100

What it measures: How many people who land on your LinkedIn/X profile click through to your website or lead magnet.

Why it matters: Your profile is a landing page. If 100 people visit and nobody clicks, you have a conversion problem, not a traffic problem.

Benchmarks:

• Bad: 0.3-1% (most founders)
• Average: 2-5%
• Good: 10-15%
• Exceptional: 20-30%+

Example from client:

• Before optimization: 340 visits/week, 2% conversion = 7 clicks
• After optimization: 340 visits/week, 31% conversion = 105 clicks
• Result: 15x more pipeline from same traffic

Formula: (Landing page visits / Content impressions) × 100

What it measures: How many people who see your content click your call-to-action link.

Benchmarks:

• Bad: <0.5%
• Average: 1-2%
• Good: 3-5%
• Exceptional: 8-12%+

Formula: (Email signups / Landing page visits) × 100

Benchmarks:

• Bad: <15%
• Average: 20-30%
• Good: 35-45%
• Exceptional: 50-60%+

Lead magnet hierarchy (from weak to strong):

Formula: (Strategy calls booked / Email subscribers) × 100

Benchmarks:

• Bad: <5%
• Average: 8-12%
• Good: 15-20%
• Exceptional: 25-30%+

Formula: (Clients closed / Calls completed) × 100

Benchmarks:

• Bad: <20%
• Average: 25-35%
• Good: 40-50%
• Exceptional: 60%+

1. Stop tracking vanity metrics. Likes and impressions don't pay bills. Track profile conversion, CTA clicks, email capture, calls booked, and close rate.

2. Your profile is a landing page. If 100 people visit and nobody clicks, you have a conversion problem, not a traffic problem.

3. Email is your owned channel. Social algorithms can kill your reach overnight. Email lists can't be taken away.

4. Lead magnets matter. "Subscribe to newsletter" gets 10-15%. "The exact system we used to book 200 calls" gets 50-65%.

5. Track attribution. Which posts drove signups? Which emails drove calls? Optimize what works, kill what doesn't.