Tracking content ROI is essential for any marketer. It can sometimes be challenging or require a fresh perspective, but it’s possible and repeatable. One segment of content is owned media channels—live virtual events, on-demand webinars, and podcasts. So, how can marketers master metrics for this type of content? That’s the discussion on Scaling Up. Host Tim Maitland spoke with TC Riley, Senior Director of Information Services at MarketScale and data aficionado, on how to do it well.

“For those investing in these media channels, they are trying to build a community, not an audience. That means they are engaging, which may not be as tangible to track as plays or views. There is an owned media gray area of how to track this,” Riley said.

Measuring owned media isn’t unlike search engine marketing, content marketing, or other traditional inbound marketing strategies. Marketers have a set path for what is the ROI. That data is available in media channels; it’s just in different forms.

“For those investing in these media channels, they are trying to build a community, not an audience.” -Thomas Riley

Owned media can also continue to complement live events as they resume. “You can do both, live going live from the trade show to expand audience and engagement,” Riley said.

“How many plays is an oversimplification of what you’re doing. Owned media can be a lead machine with an information wall that allows you to capture information and know who is engaging with your content,” Riley explained.

When defining KPIs for owned media, Riley described three layers. First is the general metric, then what the more experienced marketer would look at, and finally, the creative person. “For general, it would be the number of plays. One step further is those registrations, and the creative KPI is the comments, looking at who is in the ecosystem you’re building.”