Episode 34: The Lifetime Value of Content: How to Think Beyond ROAS
Tim and Robbie break down the true lifetime value of a single piece of content—using a real-world client example to show how one article drove results across SEO, email, social media, and paid advertising. The duo discuss the importance of thinking holistically about content performance, why clean attribution may be a red flag, and how marketers can embrace "messy" data to reveal deeper business impact. From leveraging emotional storytelling to building internal collaboration, this episode is packed with strategic insights on how to stretch the value of your content and get more from what you've already created.
“If your attribution is too clean, you’re probably not doing great marketing.”
Objectives
In this episode, you will be able to:
Understand how a single piece of content can drive value across SEO, email, social, and paid channels
Identify the limitations of relying solely on ROAS and last-click attribution
Learn how cross-functional collaboration among marketing teams amplifies content ROI
Discover how to repurpose and recycle top-performing content for long-term gains
Educate internal stakeholders and clients on the broader impact of content beyond direct conversions
Transcript
Robbie Fitzwater [00:00:00]:
Okay, so Tim, what do horse blinders and bad marketing have in common?
Tim Lowry:
Oh, man. Enlighten me—how do we bring these two things together?
Robbie Fitzwater:
I have no idea. Both of them have no clue what's going on—just like me and this joke. But yeah, it's true! Today we're going to dive into what's really going on and how to take the blinders off to become a better marketer.
Hello, everybody. This is Tim and Robbie with the Content Community Commerce podcast. We talk about topics at the convergence of content, community, and commerce. And today, we're diving into a topic that falls into both of our wheelhouses.
We talk about this indirectly all the time: What’s the return on content? What’s the actual value of the content we produce, distribute, and use—and how do we put a dollar value on that? More importantly, how do we think about content as marketers?
Tim Lowry [00:01:00]:
Yeah, it's something we’ve each worked through with businesses—trying to present the value of content. But recently, we had a shared client where it really clicked. It's always fun when the blinders come off and you realize how content contributes across all areas of marketing.
It’s one of those moments where you think, “We need to do more of this.” But often, marketers miss that opportunity—especially because many vendor partners or even internal teams are focused on claiming their piece of the pie. They’re in silos, each saying, “This is what we did,” and ignoring the fact that all these channels have to work together.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. This particular example came from our annual meeting with a fairly local client—close enough to drive to. You've worked with them for years; we’ve worked with them for a bit less. They also have a development partner and an ads partner who are just great to collaborate with.
Every year we come together, and everyone shows up with their performance metrics. It’s like…
Tim Lowry:
Gorillas beating their chests. “Look at me!”
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly! But what really matters is the bigger picture. Each channel relies on the others to perform at a high level. Like we’ve said before—good marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
And here’s my hot take: if your attribution model looks too clean, your marketing probably isn’t all that effective. A little messiness is a sign that your strategy is working across multiple touchpoints.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, there should be a bit of overlap—things blending together.
Robbie Fitzwater [00:03:00]:
We need to embrace the messy. Gone are the days of beautiful, clean attribution like we had in 2019 or 2020. Now, messy means our channels are interdependent. If you're trying to run things in isolation, you're missing the mark.
Tim Lowry:
Alright, so let’s get into what this looks like. We can use that one example—a piece of content we created for the client—and unpack how it impacts multiple channels.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yeah, it’s fascinating. We hadn’t even fully unpacked it until recently. It was something your team created a few years ago.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, it started out as part of our organic strategy. We were building out a content calendar and looking at keyword volume, audience match, and opportunities. We landed on a roundup-style article and reached out to several of the organizations featured in it.
They loved it and started sharing it on social. That drove initial traffic. And then people got really passionate—especially because the topic was schools. Folks got defensive and proud about their schools, which brought even more engagement.
That engagement fed into great organic traction. The post locked in high-ranking spots, and it’s been generating revenue for years. Back in the “clean attribution” days, I would’ve high-fived my team and said, “Look at all this revenue!”
But that would’ve ignored the broader impact.
Robbie Fitzwater [00:05:00]:
Yeah, your team created fantastic content. Most of it is structured, but this one had that warm, fuzzy emotional appeal—it was about equestrian colleges. Super relevant, super meaningful. And if we’d only looked at it from an SEO perspective, we would’ve missed out.
We’ve used that article in email multiple times a year. As you’ve updated it, we’ve recycled it into our send calendar.
This is the equivalent of playing the hits—this is Bruce Springsteen playing “Born to Run.” No deep cuts here—just the crowd-pleaser.
We usually send it right before a promotion or sale to warm up the audience. On average, this article has been emailed 10 times, generating about $8,000 each time. That’s $80K in revenue—just from one piece of content.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, and that’s amazing. On the organic side, we’d had our blinders on. We saw the traffic and revenue attributed to that post, but we didn’t think beyond that.
But there’s so much more. Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs estimate the value of that traffic—say, $3,000–$4,000 a month if you had to acquire it via ads. And those wouldn’t even be transactional keywords, so paid wouldn’t capture them effectively.
But this audience is passionate. If you align with them and stoke that passion, they will convert—via email, social, and more.
Robbie Fitzwater [00:07:00]:
Exactly. On the ad side, people focus so much on transactions. Same with email. But if all your messaging is just promotions and sales, you’re basically a used car lot. It gets old fast.
We always say: we’ll never outscale Amazon or the big giants, but we can out-human them. Content like this gives us a meaningful reason to communicate. Without it, we wouldn’t have that emotional entry point.
And your team created that. Without great content, we wouldn't have had anything worth sharing.
Tim Lowry:
Right, and now this one article is impacting paid, organic, email, and social. It was created with SEO in mind, but it turned into a revenue-driving machine. Not just direct revenue—there’s also brand building, audience engagement, and remarketing potential.
This isn’t just content—it’s an asset.
Robbie Fitzwater:
And it shows why collaboration is key. None of these channels should work in isolation. The synergy is where the real magic happens.
Tim Lowry [00:10:00]:
Yep. But here's the catch—when it's reporting time, most marketers just show their results. And that looks fine on paper, but if you showed how those results connect with other efforts? Way more powerful.
Whether you're an internal marketer or an agency, you’ll look better and drive more value if you align with your partners and break out of your silos.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. Internal teams have often become “vendor wranglers.” They manage multiple partners and projects. But if you can get those partners talking to each other, that’s where things really take off.
Show them the SEO roadmap. Share the content calendar. Then the email and paid teams can build around it and maximize impact.
At the end of the day, if everyone collaborates, the client gets better results—and everyone looks good.
Tim Lowry:
Yes! And if the SEO team knows about your email flows, they might suggest new content that bridges the gaps. The paid team might identify articles worth boosting. It’s all about creating momentum across every touchpoint.
Robbie Fitzwater:
And that’s the big idea—marketers need to stop thinking in terms of one-off wins and start thinking holistically. Attribution will never be perfect. But if we keep chasing only ROAS, we’re missing the full picture.
Tim Lowry [00:14:00]:
Exactly. And we’ve all seen this: you pull one domino out of the marketing flow, and everything falls flat. A great campaign is like a domino run—it needs all the parts working together. Pull out the content piece, or the email, or the social, and the whole thing breaks.
Instead, when we fill in the gaps with human, relational content, everything works better. You get momentum. And momentum converts.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yes! Relationships are not one-directional. If it’s just “sell, sell, sell,” people tune out. That doesn’t help anyone.
Tim Lowry:
Let’s take a moment to reflect on One Direction. When you're one-directional... eventually people forget about you.
Robbie Fitzwater:
What just happened?
Tim Lowry:
Can we cut this part?
Robbie Fitzwater:
I’m so sorry for not knowing enough about One Direction. Pop culture is not my thing. Are they Irish? K-pop? I have no idea.
Tim Lowry:
It’s what the kids were talking about.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. And now they’ve moved on—just like your audience will, if you're not delivering meaningful, relationship-driven content.
Tim Lowry:
That’s why good marketing is more important than ever. And marketers who understand strategy—that’s what will set them apart.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Alright, let’s wrap it up. If we were to boil this down to three takeaways, what would they be?
Tim Lowry:
First, the OG Robbie: Use the whole buffalo. Repurpose everything. You already did the hard work—get the full value.
Robbie Fitzwater:
If Taylor Swift can do it, you can too.
Tim Lowry:
Second, good marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Work with your internal teams and vendors. Share plans, calendars, strategies. It’s a team effort.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. Think beyond your channel. Help other partners help you succeed.
Tim Lowry:
And third, educate. Whether it’s the finance team, your boss, or your client—help them understand that ROAS isn’t everything. Show the connections and how content drives results across the board.
Robbie Fitzwater:
You’re not marketing to a standing army. You’re marketing to a moving parade. Keep bringing value, and keep showing up.
Tim Lowry:
That’s it! Dive into your blog archives. See what you can reuse—start today.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Play the hits.
Tim Lowry:
You’re done.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Thank you. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. Five stars—or at least three and a half.
