How to Measure Branding ROI

Brands are acting more like people, and people are acting more like brands. Just like in personal relationships, trust is everything — whether it’s with a friend or a business. If people don’t trust your brand, they won’t engage, advocate, or buy from you.

Branding is an investment. It takes time to define and build one. As a Marketing Advisor & Brand Strategist, I take a brand-first approach to the work I do, whether it’s with for nonprofits, individuals, startups or otherwise.

I often get asked about the ROI of branding. Marketers and founders want to know: How do you measure the success of a brand-first approach?

Recently while speaking at SocialNext, a conference about how to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy, I shared insights during my talk, The Brand-First Approach: Marketing for the Future.

Measuring brand success isn't just about tracking revenue — it’s about understanding how your brand resonates with people and builds long-term value.

If you're looking to take a brand-first approach, here are a few key areas to measure to ensure your brand is growing and thriving over time.

1. Brand Awareness and Sentiment

Building brand equity starts with awareness and sentiment. It’s important to know how people perceive your brand and whether they’re talking about it in a positive way. Trust is built through recognition and reputation, and the right metrics will help you gauge how well your brand is doing in these areas.

Key metrics to track:

• Share of Voice (SOV): Measures how much your brand is being talked about compared to competitors.

• Brand Recall: Tracks how easily your audience remembers your brand when thinking about your industry.

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures customer loyalty and how likely people are to recommend your brand.

Tools to use: Platforms like Mentions, Brandwatch, and Google Trends allow businesses to monitor brand sentiment and visibility on a larger scale, helping to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Why it matters: If your brand awareness is low, people may not even consider you when making purchasing decisions. Strong brand awareness ensures your business stays top of mind, while positive sentiment fosters deeper trust and engagement over time.

2. Engagement and Community Growth

A strong brand isn't just about visibility—it’s about creating meaningful connections with your audience. Are people interacting with your brand? Are they engaged enough to contribute content, advocate for your brand, and become long-term fans?

Engagement and community growth metrics show how well your brand is resonating beyond just awareness.

Key metrics to track:

• Social Media Engagement Rates: Likes, comments, shares, and interactions across platforms.

• User-Generated Content (UGC): Are customers creating and sharing content about your brand?

• Loyalty Program Participation: Signups and activity within brand loyalty initiatives.

Tools to use: Social media analytics tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and CRM platforms can help track engagement trends over time.

Why it matters: An engaged community is more likely to advocate for your brand and generate organic reach. Investing in community-building fosters long-term relationships that go beyond one-time transactions.

3. Revenue Impact and Long-Term Growth

At the end of the day, your brand must drive sustainable growth. Strong branding isn’t just about looking good—it’s about delivering real business results over time. The key is to measure how your brand efforts are influencing revenue, customer retention, and organic growth.

Key metrics to track:

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Measures the total revenue a customer is expected to bring to your business over their lifetime.

• Retention Rates: Indicates how many customers continue doing business with you over time.

• Organic Growth: Tracks revenue generated from non-paid sources such as referrals and repeat purchases.

Tools to use: CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and data platforms like Google Analytics can help businesses track and analyze these metrics effectively.

Why it matters: Long-term revenue growth depends on strong branding that keeps customers coming back and encourages referrals. If CLV is increasing and retention rates are high, it’s a sign your brand is delivering real value.

Why a Brand-First Approach Works

Investing in brand-building over short-term performance marketing is a strategy that pays off. Research consistently shows that brand marketing outperforms performance marketing 80% of the time in terms of sales and ROI, according to studies from Analytic Partners. Businesses that balance short-term tactics with long-term branding efforts see compounding returns and greater market stability.

In fact, companies that continued investing in brand marketing during economic downturns often emerged stronger, having expanded their market share while competitors cut back. There’s several examples of these I cover in my talks.

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The Takeaway: Measuring and Strengthening Your Brand

Tracking these key areas — brand awareness, engagement, and revenue impact — gives you a clearer picture of how your brand-first approach is working. It’s not just about short-term sales; it’s about building long-term trust, credibility, and loyalty that drive sustainable growth.

If you’re looking to strengthen your brand’s impact, start by asking yourself:

• Is my audience aware of and positively engaging with my brand?

• Are we building meaningful relationships and a loyal community?

• Is our brand contributing to long-term business growth and retention?

Answering these questions and using the right tools to track your progress will help you future-proof your brand and ensure it stays relevant in an ever-changing market.

Let’s collaborate.

If you’re looking for support, let’s talk.

You can also book me for Speaking including Workshops & Keynotes or Marketing Advising.