Which Content Format Actually Gives You the Best ROI? The Content Value Calculator You'll Want to Save!

I made you a Content Value Calculator to figure out EXACTLY how valuable different types of content will be for your business

If you’re like most business owners, you're probably over-producing social media content, hoping

"The next one is going to hit!

"I'm getting closer to going viral, I can feel it!"

"If only I had 10,000 or 100,000 followers, then everything would be easier!"

Ever notice that social media functions a lot like a slot machine?

You make new content with the hopes that the right people see it.

That your next post could change everything.

And once you get a little taste - a reel gets more views than usual, a story drives clicks...

You want to get that result again. So you keep posting, and posting, and posting, even when the data tells you it's not yielding the ROI that you want.

If you're playing this exhausting game of algorithm roulette, please know: there are better ways to market your business without developing a full-blown addiction to the dopamine you get from social media.

I know it can be hard to know which content is going to give you the most juice for the squeeze, so I created a simple scoring formula to measure the actual value of different types of content.

Save this - it'll help you make smarter decisions about where to spend your time!!

How I Measure Content Value: The Six Key Factors

I scored each content format based on six factors that really matter to business growth:

Lifespan: How long the content stays relevant and people can discover it. Does the content live for a long time, or does an algorithm kill it after 48 hours?

Traffic: How much the content reaches beyond your existing audience. Are you the only person sending traffic to this content, or are other people also sending eyeballs to it?

Value: How rich and meaningful the content is. Does it give you the chance to go deep and be nuanced and thorough, or are you forced to cram big ideas into bite-sized chunks?

Authority: How much trust and credibility the content builds. Do you get the added benefit of embedded trust?

Can Repurpose: How easy it is to turn the content into other formats. Can you repurpose what you say, clip it, or easily put it onto another platform?

Easy to Create: How easy or efficient it is to create or deliver the content. Are you spending hours a month generating ideas, creating content, editing? Or is it easier to actually get the content out of you and in front of people?

Each factor is scored from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Then, I added the scores to get a total value for each content format.

The Scoring Matrix: How Popular Content Formats Stack Up

Breaking Down Each Content Format

Instagram and TikTok Content

• Lifespan: Very short. Algorithm shows the content for 24-48 hours unless viral.

• Traffic: Relies on algorithm. Unlikely that other people are pushing your content (though new "repost" feature might impact this!)

• Value: Limited by format and quick consumption.

• Authority: Low; audiences tend to scroll fast.

• Repurposability: Mostly single-use clips.

• Ease: Easy to create but demands constant output.

Newsletter

• Lifespan: Lives in inbox but can get buried quickly.

• Traffic: Mostly your current subscribers. Need other content to grow your list.

• Value: Can be meaningful and personal.

• Authority: Builds trust over time.

• Repurposability: Good for blog posts and social snippets.

• Ease: Moderate effort.

Hosting Your Own Podcast

• Lifespan: Episodes live forever.

• Traffic: Slow to grow; mostly your own audience, which you build one by one.

• Value: Allows deep conversations.

• Authority: High if you surpass 20+ episodes.

• Repurposability: Great for multiple formats.

• Ease: High effort: planning, recording, editing, marketing is a time suck.

In-Person Talks

• Lifespan: Very short unless recorded.

• Traffic: Limited only to the people who attend.

• Value: High engagement and credibility.

• Authority: Strong personal boost.

• Repurposability: Hard without recordings.

• Ease: High effort; prep and travel required.

Podcast Guest Interview

• Lifespan: Content lives forever on major platforms.

• Traffic: Leverages someone else’s audience instantly. All future guests also send THEIR traffic to the show, which makes your episode discoverable forever.

• Value: Long-form content builds trust.

• Authority: Strong credibility from host association.

• Repurposability: Easy to turn into clips, quotes, blogs.

• Ease: Low effort. You just show up and share.

What This Means for You!

Despite the hype around social media, it scores lowest in true ROI. Content fades fast and demands endless effort to maintain.

Hosting your own podcast has great depth but takes time and work to build reach.

In-person talks are impactful but fleeting and local.

Guest podcast interviews offer the best balance: massive reach, lasting authority, deep content, and low effort!!

If you're serious about doing podcast interviews the right way, I'd love to invite you to join the waitlist for our podcast tour program.

Hell Yes Guest is kicking off a cohort in September. We'll help you craft the perfect messaging package, position yourself as the go-to leader in your space, even if your audience is small, and turn cold audiences into meaningful leads and ROI.

Get all the details and join the waitlist here! Spots are extremely limited because we work 1:1 with every person in the program.

Talk soon!

Kelly