For starters, we don’t track book sales. That’s not the goal. The goal is authority, visibility, and the opportunities that flow from both. Thus, the metrics we care about are the ones that measure exactly that.
The Primary Metrics: Pitches and Bookings
The clearest signal that our outreach strategy is working is simple: are we getting the yes?
Every month, we track:
- Total Pitches Sent — how many opportunities we reached out to (podcast hosts, journalists, conference organizers, publications, etc.)
- Response Rate — what percentage of pitches received a reply
- Booking Rate — what percentage of responses turned into confirmed appearances, features, or speaking engagements
- Outreach-to-Booking Ratio — over time, this tells us which pitch types, target categories, and angles are working best for your specific book and brand
These numbers are reviewed together on our monthly call. If the response rate is low, we revisit the pitch angle. If we’re getting lots of responses but low bookings, we look at the conversation stage. The data tells us where to adjust.
Secondary Metrics: Platform Growth
Alongside outreach results, we track the growth of your underlying platform — because authority compounds, and these numbers show us whether it’s compounding in the right direction.
- Email List Growth — new subscribers per month and engagement rate (opens, clicks, replies)
- Social Media Growth — follower growth on LinkedIn and Facebook, but more importantly: reach, engagement, and inbound connection requests from people in your target audience
- Website Traffic — especially traffic to your About page, Speaking page, and Contact page, which indicate people are actively vetting you
- Inbound Inquiries — are people starting to reach out to YOU for interviews, collaborations, or speaking gigs without us pitching? That is the long-term goal.
What Success Looks Like at Different Stages
Thought leadership builds over time, so success looks different at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months:
Months 1-3: Foundation and First Wins
Brand and messaging locked in. Consistent social presence established. First batch of pitches sent. Early responses coming in. Maybe your first 1–2 podcast appearances or media mentions.
Months 4-6: Building Momentum
A steady flow of pitches and responses. Bookings coming in more regularly. Email list growing. Social content generating engagement and inbound conversations. Industry peers starting to notice.
Months 7-12: Compound Effect
Your name is getting mentioned in rooms you haven’t entered yet. Journalists are reaching out to you as a source. Speaking invitations are arriving rather than just being solicited. Your book is being recommended by other experts. This is thought leadership working.
“The goal isn’t a big launch or spike in sales. It’s a reputation with longevity that keeps building — long after our work together is done.”
What We Don’t Measure
Just to be honest: We don’t measure Amazon rankings, book review counts, or overall sales figures. Those are real metrics — but they’re not the ones that tell us whether your authority in your field is growing. An author can have 300 Amazon reviews and no speaking invitations. That’s not the right outcome we’re building toward.
Want to be booked as a thought leader?
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