How qualitative feedback helps measure thought leadership success

Although quantitative metrics can help us measure thought leadership results, they only tell half the story. To bring the data to life and gain deeper insights, we need human stories too.

For the past decade, marketing has placed huge emphasis on quantitative metrics. Many of these metrics are easy to capture, and some certainly have a place among thought measurement tools.

But numbers alone can’t tell the full story. To fill in the gaps, we need qualitative feedback and anecdotal evidence. It might not be tidily clear-cut as numbers on a graph, but it gives colour and context that enrich and explain them.

As Robert Oppenheimer said, “The best way to send information is to wrap it up in a person.”

Why you need qualitative feedback for measuring thought leadership

This is especially true in thought leadership, where often the campaign is aimed at a closely-targeted senior audience. Metrics are most useful when they’re put into context, and only anecdotal human feedback can tell you why someone wasn’t interested in your content, what resonated with them most, or whether your thought leadership has helped to build lasting customer relationships.

Combining qualitative insights and anecdotal feedback with quantitative metrics gives us deeper insights into the true value of the project – so we can learn what works, what doesn’t and how best to shape our future thought leadership measurement strategies.

How to get qualitative feedback

Contact a selection of your target customers and internal stakeholders and find out what they have to say about your thought leadership. You can either do this in person (which gives you the chance to discuss and develop the conversation), or with a survey (which might encourage more candid answers). Make your questions specific, include open questions, and make sure you record the responses.

With your target customers, you could ask questions like:

• Did it give you any fresh insights?
• Did it make you think differently about our product, service or organisation?
• What, if anything, have you done differently as a result of seeing our content?
• What further areas would you like us to explore?

And with your internal stakeholders:

• Did the campaign open up a C-suite conversation you wouldn’t otherwise have had?
• How many meetings came from a content piece?
• Did those meetings lead to any requests for proposals?
• Has the campaign directly influenced a sale, or sparked interest from a new kind of client?

A real-world example

Here’s just one example from our own experience. Last year, the FT developed a thought leadership campaign for a major global client. We saw superb quantitative results on brand uplift and media mentions.

But it was only by talking to the client that we discovered the campaign helped them form valuable relationships with many new C-suite customers – which was a strategic priority for them.

Similarly, the client’s sales director told us they’d used our initial survey findings in customer presentations – which had led to new meetings with key target customers.

That’s the kind of information you simply can’t get from quantitative metrics. With these human stories and anecdotes, you can learn how your thought leadership really landed and understand the difference it made.

Getting the balance right for thought leadership

Of course, neither qualitative or quantitative on their own can give us the whole picture. For instance, a single anecdote may be powerful but it might not reflect a wider trend, while a gain in social media followers might coincide with a decrease in engagement.

That’s why data and human experience need to work together. Getting the balance right is critical but when you do, the rewards are great.

It’s true that qualitative feedback is a little harder to measure than quantitative metrics. It’s not as clear-cut; it’s subjective, intangible, and it can take more time and effort to obtain. But it’s no less important – and if you can get hold of it, it’s gold dust.