When I start working with a new client, one of the first questions I hear is how we'll measure the ROI of whatever we're about to do.
It's a fair question. If you're putting time and money into something, you want to know what you're getting back.
In content marketing, plenty of tactics tie straight back to a lead, a conversion, or revenue. Brand is where it gets murky, and that's where the ROI question only tells part of the story.
Not everything that matters in marketing can be measured. The clearest example I have is my own, so here's how videos and a podcast turned into more clients from coworking conferences, and why I'd never have found that in a report.
How Videos and a Podcast Led to More Clients From Conferences
I've been going to coworking conferences pretty consistently for seven or eight years. They've always been a great place to network, make friends, and learn something along the way.
Over the last 18 months to two years, something shifted. I've been meeting more people at conferences who go on to become clients.
When I look at what changed over that stretch, two things stand out.
The first is video. I've been recording more of them, sharing what I know, and showing up on more channels. I don't love doing it (I was on take seven of a single sentence while recording this one), but I've kept at it as consistently as I can.
The second is 2 Marketers and a Coworking Podcast, which Kevin Whelan and I started in March 2025. It's picked up a modest following since.
Here's how I think those two things connect to the clients I'm meeting at conferences:
- Visibility: The videos and the podcast put me in front of more people in the industry, more often.
- Organizers took notice: When conference hosts need speakers or panelists to round out their programs, people who share their opinions publicly stay top of mind.
- Speaking slots: Since Kevin and I started the podcast, I've seen a big jump in invitations to speak.
- Credibility in the room: Being involved in a more formal role makes it easier to start conversations I might not have had otherwise.
- New clients: Those conversations are where more of my client relationships now begin.
That's my read on it, anyway. If you see it differently, I'd love to hear why.
I Can't Tie Any of Those Clients to a Specific Video or Episode
What I can't do is point to a client and say they hired me because of a particular video or episode. There are too many steps between the two.
What I can say is that the uptick in conference clients lines up with the two years I've spent putting myself out there. I can't put a number on it, but I know from experience that it's true.
Judged on Attributable ROI Alone, I Would Have Stopped Doing It
Recording, editing, and publishing all of this takes time, and I've put money into the things that make it possible.
If I weighed the podcast against that time and money and asked which client it brought in, I'd have no answer. By that logic, I would have stopped doing it.
That would have been the wrong call.
Marketing and brand are made up of a lot of touch points. You can trace some of them to a conversion. There's no telling how many other times someone came across your brand before that point, and none of those show up when you credit the sale to a single channel.
Track What You Can, but Don't Cut Something Just Because You Can't
If you run a coworking space, you probably have the same split. Some of your marketing ties neatly to tours and inquiries. Some of it, like member spotlights, a founder video, or showing up at local events, builds familiarity that never appears in a dashboard.
You should always be thinking about ROI, and the numbers you can see are worth acting on. I'd just think twice before cutting something because you can't assign a number to it.
If you want to talk through what's worth measuring in your marketing (and what's worth doing regardless), book a quick chat. I'd be happy to kick around some ideas.
