Visual Content Creation Tools

I think we’re measuring the wrong stuff… and it’s quietly killing momentum. 2026 has to be the year we fix it. Impressions. Clicks. MQLs. “Engagement.” The real game is happening in DMs, Slack threads, forwarded newsletters, and meetings. Here are 6 metrics I’d focus on in 2026 GTM (and why they matter). 1) Conversations → conversions What it is: Of the conversations your content starts, how many turn into a real next step (intro, meeting, opp). Why it matters: Content doesn’t “generate leads.” It generates conversations. Pipeline comes from what you do next. How to track: Tag every inbound convo (DM/email/reply) and mark the outcome: no fit / nurture / meeting / opp. 2) REAL ICPs engaging with content What it is: Not “engagement.” Engagement from the right people (titles, seniority, company tier, intent). Why it matters: 1 CFO at a target account > 1,000 random likes. How to track: Maintain an ICP list (titles + account tiers) and measure: % of engagers who match ICP of target accounts engaged per week repeat ICP engagers (X touches in 30 days) 3) Brand mentions inside ICP-relevant conversations What it is: How often your brand comes up when your ICP is discussing the problem you solve (not when you post). Why it matters: This is the difference between “content that performs” and a brand that gets recommended. How to track: Collect signals: customer calls (“we heard about you from…”), community moderators, partner chatter, dark social screenshots, and sales intel. Even a simple monthly “mention log” works. 4) Conversation velocity What it is: The speed from publish → first qualified conversation, and from convo → meeting. Why it matters: Velocity is the earliest indicator your messaging is landing. If it’s slow, you’re not sharp enough yet. How to track: time-to-first-ICP-convo after a post/report time-to-meeting after first touch “conversation depth” score (comment → DM → problem share → meeting ask) 5) Brand + category position What it is: Are you being associated with a clear “lane” (category/point of view) or just “a vendor who posts”? Why it matters: In 2026, positioning is distribution. If people can’t summarize your POV in one sentence, you’re invisible. How to track: Quarterly “message recall” check: ask prospects/customers: “What do we do?” “What do we believe?” “What are we known for?” 6) Dark social + word-of-mouth What it is: The off-platform sharing that actually drives deals: forwards, screenshots, Slack drops, “my friend sent me this.” Why it matters: A huge percentage of B2B buying happens in private. If your GTM can’t see dark social, you’re flying blind. How to track: “How did you find us?” (mandatory field) inbound screenshots / Slack mentions private replies after posts If your 2026 GTM dashboard doesn’t include conversations, ICP quality, dark social, and category position, it’s going to keep optimizing for attention… while someone else captures intent.

If someone asked you to prove that your blog content was actually resonating with readers, what would you show them? Page views? That just means the page loaded. Engagement rate? That's a session-level metric, not a page-level one. We pour time into creating content, but the default metrics in most marketing analytics platforms can't answer the most basic question: did anyone actually read it? That's why I built content consumption tracking. It combines two signals: dwell time (were they there long enough to read it?) and scroll depth (did they make it to the end?). If both conditions are met, the content was consumed. What I love most is how it breaks down into four behavior types: Consumers (they read it), Skimmers (scrolled fast but didn't read), Tab Collectors (stayed but never finished, you know who you are), and Bouncers (neither stayed nor scrolled). My guide includes full steps to implement this on your website, including a WordPress plugin and a GTM approach for any other platform. If you've ever wondered whether your content is actually working, this one's for you! #ContentMarketing #GA4 #Analytics

The One Metric I Trust Most on LinkedIn Over three years on LinkedIn, I’ve tracked every community metric I could: week to week, month to month, year over year. I’ve analyzed trends, looked for forward vs. lagging indicators, and tried to understand what truly drives growth. At first, I focused on top-line metrics - like impressions. Then engagements. But the best predictor of long-term success - the one metric I now trust most - is something few people even check: Members Reached (formerly Unique Impressions). If you go into your post analytics, LinkedIn shows you not just impressions but how many unique people saw your content. And I’ve found that growth in this number is the strongest signal that I’m on the right path. Why? Engagements fluctuate. A viral post, a trending topic, or a high-emotion moment can skew the numbers. Many people who value my content don’t engage. Senior professionals, in particular, often prefer to observe rather than publicly interact. Some folks just, increasingly, value anonymity and will discuss seeing my posts but never engage. Members Reached can’t be hidden. Unlike engagements, which depend on visible likes or comments, this metric quietly tracks how many real people are seeing what you share. Metrics should never drive your content - you should create what matters to you. But if you’re looking for a true measure of reach and impact, start paying attention to Members Reached. For me, it’s been the clearest predictor of whether the community will grow - or not - down the road.

Members have been asking us for deeper insights into how their content resonates. Today, we’re excited to share two new metrics in LinkedIn Analytics designed to do just that. Saves: See how often your post is saved. A strong signal that your content is valuable and worth revisiting. Sends on LinkedIn: See how often your post is shared via direct message on LinkedIn. A clear sign that your content is sparking personal conversations and being endorsed privately. Here’s what it means for you: - If Saves are high: people want to revisit your content. - If Sends are high: your ideas are traveling in private networks. - If both are high: you’re on your path to building real influence. You’ll find these under the Social Engagement section when you click “View analytics” on your posts. This is another step towards giving members actionable insights that go beyond vanity metrics, so you can sharpen your approach and measure meaningful outcomes. We can’t wait to see how you’ll use Saves and Sends to understand your audience better and reach them more effectively!

❌ Forget Reach. ✔️ Think Engagement.   I no longer take much notice of impression counts on my LinkedIn™ posts. Instead, I focus on engagement – the number of people who have reacted to, commented on or reposted my posts.   Why?   Because the number of feeds my posts are dropped into gives me little useful information.   But the engagement rate does. It tells me what percentage of those who saw my posts responded in some way, took some kind of action.   And that’s where the gold is!   🔷 Those numbers – and the people behind them – tell me who is interested in the information I’m sharing. 🔷 Those people might make good additions to my network if they’re not already part of it. 🔷 They might make ideal ‘associates’ as I heard Mark Williams describe it in an interview with Tony Restell last week. (An example of an associate is my relationship with Gina Balarin (CPM FAMI FCIM), the CEO’s Voice. We share the similar target customers but provide different services. Supporting each other widens both our circles of influence.) 🔷 They might be potential clients. 🔷 They could even become colleagues and close friends.   In the past 3 months engagement on my content has risen significantly. (The formula for this is the total number of reactions, reposts and comments on a post divided by the number of impressions.)   The increase over the previous 90 days is 32.2%. Meanwhile impressions are up a miserly 1.6% (no surprise there).   The content formats achieving the highest engagement are LinkedIn events and video posts.     But what unequivocally does best are posts involving others. Posts ABOUT others always do well. Posts TAGGING others in the text do well if those others respond.   Here’s an example of the impact that external interaction on content can have: our recent LinkedIn live with the Queen of Livestreaming, Gillian Whitney generated a 49.1% engagement rate. Why? Because after the event Gillian responded personally to every single comment. There are now well over 200 comments.  (Don’t forget events stay in our Activity section so remain visible long after other posts might have disappeared.)   Engagement rate is now our most important metric and one we’ll be keeping a close eye on for its potential to provide an ongoing source of interested and responsive additions to our network. Because this is where the gold is!   🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷   Looking to upgrade your LinkedIn knowledge? Check out linkability[.]biz for dozens of hours of content on how to leverage LinkedIn to achieve your professional goals.   Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 🔔 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷 Think I know my stuff? 🔷 ENDORSE 🔷   📌📌📌 Tip of the day – keeping your own set of post metrics (a simple spreadsheet is all you need) allows you to compare individual posts more closely than you can from your profile analytics.  

Analytics aren’t just numbers; they’re your roadmap to publishing growth. Data isn’t power, it’s potential. For publishers, the real value lies in transforming raw metrics into repeatable growth strategies that drive audience retention, revenue, and #SEO performance. Too often, publishers collect vast amounts of data but fail to extract meaningful takeaways. The key is understanding what content resonates, how audiences engage, and where opportunities for growth exist. Collecting data is easy; extracting insights is not. Without clarity, metrics like pageviews and bounce rates become distractions. For example, a 40% drop in returning visitors isn’t just a traffic issue—it’s a retention red flag. By using the right tools and refining strategies based on real data, you can turn numbers into growth. Here are actionable strategies to turn data into action: 1. Know Your Audience Beyond Pageviews Pageviews alone don’t tell the full story. Instead, track return visitors, time on page, and scroll depth to measure true engagement. Tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Parse.ly provide deeper insights. Cohort analysis can reveal trends, millennials may prefer video, while Gen X engages more with newsletters. For example, if mobile traffic spikes by 20% after 8 PM, push breaking news via mobile notifications to capture that audience in real-time. 2. Optimise Content Performance with Behavioural Data Understanding why some content performs well helps you replicate success. Use @Google Search Console and Semrush to analyse search visibility and Hotjar Digital Marketing Company to track user interactions. For example, if "AI in media" gets 3x more shares than "content trends," double down on AI-related content. Additionally, A/B test headlines (e.g., “5 Growth Hacks” vs. “Proven Tactics”) to see what improves click-through rates. 3. Track Conversions, Not Just Traffic Traffic alone doesn’t guarantee success—conversions do. Set up goals in GA4 to measure newsletter sign-ups, paid subscriptions, or product purchases. Identify which referral sources drive the highest conversion rates, and adjust your strategy accordingly. For example, premium subscribers from "how-to guides" tend to have a 15% higher lifetime value than general news readers, meaning content type matters when driving long-term revenue. To scale what works, automate reporting with Power BI Visualization or Looker Studio to save 10+ hours per month. Analytics only matter when they drive actions. The biggest mistake any publishers can make is to treat data as a report card instead of a playbook. Start by auditing one content category this week, setting up a conversion goal in GA4, and A/B testing a headline. Data doesn’t lie, but it won’t work unless you do something. What analytics tools are you using to grow your publishing efforts? Share your go-to platforms in the comment below. #DigitalPublishing #SEO #ContentStrategy #AudienceGrowth #DataAnalytics

Likes and comments on LinkedIn matter—but they don’t tell the whole story. Here are the “less obvious” success metrics you should be tracking too: 🔹 1. Profile Views Per Post → A spike in profile views = people checking out who you are. → Are they in your target audience? If they're from random industries, your content might be too broad or irrelevant to your niche. 🔹 2. DMs & Connection Requests → Are people reaching out after your posts? That’s a sign your content is working. → But again, are they potential clients, partners, or industry peers? If most inbound messages are unrelated to your goals, you may need to refine your positioning. 🔹 3. Outbound Connection Acceptance Rate → If less than 40% of your connection requests are accepted (granted you're reaching out to your ICP), your profile might need work. → A high acceptance rate means your profile and content are aligned with your ideal audience. 🔹 4. Website Clicks & Email Sign-Ups → Are your posts leading people to your site or newsletter? → If not, you may need to rethink your content strategy. Some content grabs attention, some builds trust, and some drives action. If you're only creating engagement-focused posts, you're staying visible, but not turning that visibility into results. 🔹 5. Post Longevity → How long is your post staying in people’s feeds? → Posts that get engagement 48+ hours later signal strong content resonance. Pay attention and dissect what made them successful. 📌 Takeaway: Engagement matters, but it’s not just about likes and comments. The best posts spark interest, profile visits, DMs, and conversions. Are you tracking any of these?

We tracked 5,000+ qualified leads generated through founder content last quarter. The highest performing post hit 240K impressions and drove 37% conversion. Most founders completely misunderstand content attribution. Self-reported data tells the true story. When we analyze the customer journey for founder-led content, we see three distinct patterns: 1. Repeated exposure drives consideration → Our analysis of 120+ executives shows prospects consume 6-8 pieces of content before initiating contact. Content builds familiarity, creating a 47% average monthly audience growth that directly feeds pipeline. 2. Content engagement correlates with deal velocity → Prospects who engage with founder content move through sales cycles 32% faster than cold outbound. They arrive pre-educated and aligned with company values, eliminating entire qualification stages. 3. LinkedIn conversions require social-native thinking → Posts that achieve 6-8% engagement (3x industry average) present information differently. No blog links. No webinar pitches. Pure value delivered directly in-feed with strategic personal content that builds authentic connection. The best attribution method is simply asking new leads how they found you. In our experience curating content for 120+ executives, 73% report discovering the company through the founder's personal content. One FinTech client generated $150K+ in attributed deals within 6 months after launching their founder content strategy. Their sales team now proactively shares founder content before calls, using it as pre-meeting preparation for prospects. For B2B companies, founder-led content functions as both demand generation and sales enablement simultaneously. The data proves it. Measure your content's true impact by combining platform metrics with pipeline tracking. Anything less gives you an incomplete picture of ROI.

You downloaded your LinkedIn analytics. Five tabs of data. Zero insights. Discovery tab shows 847,392 impressions. Engagement tab shows 4.2% engagement rate. Top Posts lists your 50 best performers. You have no idea what to do with any of it. Here's what content strategists actually do: They use AI to cross-reference all 5 tabs and find the patterns. The workflow that turns spreadsheets into actionable strategy: 1. Upload all 5 tabs to Claude at once Discovery: Overall performance and reach metrics Engagement: Impressions and interaction data Top Posts: URLs with publish dates and performance Followers: Daily new follower counts Demographics: Audience breakdown by role and industry Don't analyze them separately. The insights hide in the connections between tabs. 2. Match follower spikes to specific content Cross-reference Followers tab with Top Posts by date. "Which posts drove 200+ new followers the next day?" "Did that viral post actually attract our target audience?" You see which content types move the needle on growth. Not just which posts got likes. 3. Find your impression-to-follower conversion rate Compare Discovery impressions with Followers growth. High impressions, low follower growth = wrong audience. Moderate impressions, high follower growth = perfect targeting. Most people optimize for impressions. When they should optimize for conversion. 4. Spot your engagement rate outliers Ask AI: "Which posts punched above their impression count?" A post with 5,000 impressions and 400 engagements beats a post with 50,000 impressions and 1,000 engagements. The first one has 8% engagement. The second has 2%. LinkedIn's algorithm will amplify the first one next time. 5. Build the strategic playbook AI summarizes the patterns. You write the action plan. "Our case study posts drive 3x more followers per impression than thought leadership. Our carousel format gets shared more but video drives profile visits. New strategy: 2 case studies per week in carousel format, 1 video demo on Fridays." Most LinkedIn reports show vanity metrics. Smart reports show what content actually converts. Your 5-tab export shows which posts turned viewers into followers. AI finds the pattern while you're still sorting by engagement rate. Found this helpful? Follow Arturo Ferreira

If your C-suite thinks LinkedIn is “fluffy,” prove them wrong with three metrics: Total reach, targeted reach, and new reach. Here’s how we track this data for our clients and help prove the impact of posting on LinkedIn. Most execs and marketers I talk to are excited about building a LinkedIn presence. But inevitably, the question I get at the end of every discovery call is: “How do we track this stuff?” It feels like there’s little way to know if this is actually making an impact. And even harder to justify to your CFO. So, here’s exactly how we track LinkedIn impact with our clients, and help them prove the ROI: 1. Total impressions (total reach) Track this because reach matters, but remember it’s not your North Star. If you only optimize for impressions, you’ll drift toward mass-appeal content that pulls you away from your ICP. 2. ICP engagement share (targeted reach) We enrich every like and reaction to see who’s engaging. The key metric: what % of those engagers are actually in your ICP? A post that gets fewer likes but a higher share of your ICP is far more valuable than a viral post outside your audience. This metric combined with total impressions is the true north star (total ICPs reached). 3. New content engagers (new reach) Echo chambers kill growth. You don’t just want the same people liking every post. Tracking how many new names engage each month shows whether your content is breaking into fresh circles. These numbers tell a story. For example, if your impressions go up, but ICP engagement goes down, you’re not optimizing for the right audience. Or, if your ICP engagement share stays the same, but new content engagers go up, it means you’re reaching more people within your target audience overall. Aside from those three core metrics, we also track: → Net new followers (a stronger signal than total followers) → Consistency (# of posts per month) → Quality signals (follow clicks, profile visits) The goal isn’t to chase vanity numbers. It’s to prove that your content is reaching the right people, in growing numbers, over time. That’s the story execs want to see. And it’s the story your LinkedIn data should be telling. 👋 I’m on a mission to master content strategy for B2B execs. I publish my findings weekly. Follow + learn with me in public.