| Date | Pieces | Net hours | Leads | Cost | Benefit | Net | ROI |
|---|
| Scenario | Pieces | Gross hours | Cost | Leads | Conv. | Value | Attrib. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced workflow | 18 | 54.00 | USD 1,881.60 | 240 | 3.50% | USD 220.00 | 40% |
- Gross hours = Pieces × (Creation + Editing + Review)
- Net hours = max(Gross hours − Saved hours, 0)
- Labor cost = Net hours × In-house hourly cost
- Base cost = Labor + Outsourcing + Tools + Promotion + Fixed
- Total cost = Base cost × (1 + Overhead%)
- Expected customers = Leads × Conversion%
- Attributed revenue = Expected customers × Value × Attribution%
- Saved time value (optional) = Saved hours × Rate × Utilization%
- Total benefit = (Revenue + Saved value) × (1 − Risk%)
- ROI% = (Benefit − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100
- Choose a timeframe that matches your reporting cadence.
- Enter realistic hours per piece, including reviews and revisions.
- Fill in costs: labor, outsourcing, tools, and promotion.
- Use tracked leads where possible, not vanity metrics.
- Set conversion, customer value, and a cautious attribution percentage.
- If saved time becomes usable work, enable saved time value.
- Calculate, add runs to the table, then export CSV/PDF.
Time Investment That You Can Audit
This calculator converts every content piece into measurable hours, separating creation, editing, and review time. Multiply those hours by your fully loaded hourly cost to reveal labor spend that often hides inside calendars. Track gross hours and net hours after saved hours from batching or templates. If net hours rise while leads stay flat, your workflow is drifting. If net hours fall with steady outcomes, efficiency is improving without sacrificing output.
Cost Structure Beyond Labor
Total cost includes outsourcing, tools, promotion, and any fixed expenses, then applies an overhead percentage to reflect coordination and operational load. Overhead is not a penalty; it is a visibility layer for managers, approvals, and context switching. Comparing cost per piece across scenarios helps standardize content types. Use promotion cost as a lever: modest distribution often improves lead volume faster than increasing production volume, especially when the message already fits market demand.
Revenue Attribution That Stays Honest
Outcomes usually arrive through multiple channels, so the calculator asks for an attribution percentage. Apply a conservative share that content can defend with tracking links, assisted conversion reports, or survey data. Expected customers equal leads multiplied by conversion rate, and revenue equals expected customers multiplied by value per customer. When attribution is reduced, ROI will drop quickly, which is useful. It forces you to justify credit and avoid overreporting impact.
Value of Saved Time and Quality Risk
Saved hours can become real benefit when they are redeployed into billable work, sales calls, or higher value planning. The saved time value uses a rate and a utilization percentage so only practical reuse is counted. Quality risk adjustment reduces benefits when rushed output harms retention or brand trust. Use risk for aggressive outsourcing, untested formats, or weak research. A small risk percentage can protect decision making from optimistic assumptions.
Scenario Comparison for Better Decisions
Add multiple runs to the saved table to compare in house work versus freelancers, higher promotion budgets, or fewer but stronger pieces. Prioritize scenarios that reduce payback months and lower break even leads. If break even leads exceed your typical pipeline, improve conversion, value per customer, or distribution before scaling production. Use benefit per hour as a time management KPI. When benefit per hour rises, your calendar is buying outcomes, not busywork with less stress each week.
FAQs
1) What numbers should I use for in-house hourly cost?
Use a fully loaded rate: salary, benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and a share of management time. If unsure, start with salary divided by productive hours, then add 20–35% to cover employment costs and coordination.
2) How do I choose an attribution percentage?
Start conservative. Use tracked links, assisted-conversion reports, or surveys to justify content’s share of outcomes. If multiple channels contribute, allocate partial credit, review monthly, and avoid increasing attribution unless evidence improves.
3) When should I include saved time value?
Include it only when saved hours are redeployed into measurable work, such as client delivery, sales outreach, or paid consulting. Set utilization below 100% to reflect reality, because some saved time becomes slack or admin.
4) What if I do not track leads yet?
Estimate using signups, inquiries, demo requests, or email replies linked to content. Keep the estimate low, run scenarios, and prioritize adding tracking. Even rough lead counts are more actionable than views or likes.
5) How should I interpret payback and break-even leads?
Payback months estimates how quickly benefits cover costs within your timeframe. Break-even leads shows the lead volume needed to cover spend. If either is too high, improve conversion, customer value, or distribution efficiency.
6) Why use the quality risk adjustment?
It protects planning from optimistic assumptions. Apply risk when outsourcing is new, formats are untested, or quality is inconsistent. The adjustment reduces benefits, helping you choose workflows that preserve trust, retention, and long-term growth.