Most marketers track how many people download a PDF, not how many actually finish it. This post pulls together benchmarks for opt-ins, completion, and “consumed vs skimmed” conversion to compare three scenarios: PDF only, audio first, and a simple PDF + audio bundle. The goal is not a forecast, but a grounded way to ask: if more leads actually finished my content, how much extra revenue might that unlock?
Opt-in benchmarks: PDF vs audio vs PDF + audio
A quick, interactive snapshot of how opt-in rates typically differ by lead magnet format, using mid-range B2B benchmarks.
These are directional benchmarks for cold-to-warm traffic, not guaranteed results. Tap the buttons to see low, mid, and upper-range cases for the same underlying offer.
Opt-in rate by format (conservative)
Lower-bound expectations for colder traffic or less proven offers.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Opt-in rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF only | 5% | Baseline performance for a traditional PDF on colder or more generic traffic. |
| Audio only | 5% | Similar performance when audio is offered without strong positioning or education. |
| PDF + audio | 7% | Small but meaningful lift when the bundle is presented as “PDF + listen-anywhere audio version”. |
Opt-in rate by format (typical)
Mid-range expectations for a decent offer with a reasonable fit to the audience.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Opt-in rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF only | 10% | Decent ebook with a clear value proposition and reasonable audience match. |
| Audio only | 10% | Audio framed as a convenient way to consume the same content, e.g. a podcast-style summary. |
| PDF + audio | 12% | Bundling “read it or listen” makes the offer feel more flexible and slightly more valuable, lifting sign-ups. |
Opt-in rate by format (optimistic)
Upper-range expectations when offer, audience, and positioning are all well aligned.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Opt-in rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF only | 22% | High-performing, tightly targeted PDF with strong perceived value to a warm or well-qualified audience. |
| Audio only | 25% | Audio positioned as an easy, podcast-style way to consume the same asset, which can slightly outperform PDF alone. |
| PDF + audio | 28% | Outperforms either alone when the bundle is tailored, clearly positioned, and supported by strong traffic quality. |
Benchmarks draw on general B2B landing page and lead-gen studies (e.g. Unbounce / Instapage style reports), email opt-in benchmarks, and Auripath’s funnel modelling. Use them to calibrate expectations and design tests, not as a promise of results.
Completion benchmarks: who actually finishes your content?
Long PDFs are often skimmed. Short, podcast-style audio and “read or listen” bundles are much more likely to be consumed end-to-end.
These benchmarks are directional, based on studies of long-form reading, podcast / audio completion, and webinar watch-time. Think of them as planning ranges, not promises.
Why completion matters
Most funnel maths quietly assumes people read or listen to the thing they signed up for. In reality, only a slice of leads ever make it to your key argument, proof, and call to action. The ones who reach the end have:
- actually heard your full story and differentiation;
- invested more attention and are typically more qualified and motivated;
- a much higher likelihood of booking a call, starting a trial, or becoming a customer.
These charts show how many leads realistically reach that “fully consumed” state for PDFs, audio, and PDF+audio bundles.
Content completion rate by format (conservative)
Lower-bound expectations when attention is fragmented and the asset is long or dense.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Completion rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF document | 5% | For long, text-heavy PDFs, only a small minority of leads typically read all the way to the end. |
| Audio content | 20% | Podcast and audio benchmarks often show higher full-listen rates than long-form reading, even when attention is low. |
| PDF + audio | 30% | When people can either read or listen, more of them fully consume at least one version of the asset. |
Content completion rate by format (typical)
Mid-range expectations for a reasonably engaging asset with okay length and structure.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Completion rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF document | 10% | Roughly one in ten leads actually read a typical long-form PDF all the way through. |
| Audio content | 35% | Short, podcast-style audio is much more likely to be completed, especially when it’s easy to listen on the move. |
| PDF + audio | 45% | When people can choose their preferred format, almost half of engaged leads fully consume the asset via one channel or the other. |
Content completion rate by format (optimistic)
Upper-end expectations for shorter, high-signal content with strong narrative and formatting.
Numbers behind this scenario
| Format | Completion rate | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| PDF document | 15% | Shorter, more visual PDFs with clear structure can reach higher completion, especially on highly interested audiences. |
| Audio content | 50% | Engaging, well-produced audio that respects time and attention can see around half of listeners reach the end. |
| PDF + audio | 60% | When the same story is available as both a well-designed PDF and a concise audio version, a clear majority of engaged leads will fully consume at least one. |
Completion ranges are based on public research into long-form reading drop-off, podcast and audiobook listen-through rates, webinar and video watch-time, plus Auripath’s own synthesis. Use them to sanity-check your funnel assumptions rather than as a guarantee.
How much more do fully-consumed leads convert?
Not all leads are equal. A lead who actually finishes your ebook or audio is often worth several “skim and forget” sign-ups. This infographic shows reasonable ranges for how much more likely fully-consumed content is to create customers.
Consumed vs skimmed: what this chart represents
These multipliers compare two groups of leads:
- Skimmed: opened or lightly browsed but did not reach your core argument and call to action;
- Consumed: reached the main value and CTA (e.g. finished the audio, read to the end, or nearly all of it).
Studies on content engagement and pipeline creation consistently show that deeper engagement correlates with much higher conversion rates. In practice, it is common to see fully-engaged leads convert at roughly 1.5–3.0× the rate of skimmers.
Conversion uplift for fully-consumed content
Use these multipliers on top of your baseline lead-to-customer rate to model how much extra revenue comes from leads who actually reach the end of your content.
How to plug this into your funnel maths
- Start with your current lead-to-customer rate (e.g. 5%).
- Estimate what share of leads fully consume your asset vs skim (e.g. 10% vs 90%).
- Apply a multiplier from this chart to the consumed group (e.g. 2.0× for “Default”).
- Combine the two groups to get an effective, blended conversion rate.
Auripath’s role is to move more people into that “consumed” bucket by turning static PDFs into short, bingeable audio ebooks and bundles.
Multipliers are based on public studies linking deeper content engagement to higher opportunity and deal rates, plus Auripath’s internal modelling of “consumed vs skimmed” scenarios. Use them as directional ranges rather than hard guarantees.
If you strip the charts back to their essentials, the pattern is clear: PDFs are good at grabbing emails, but bad at getting people to the end. Short audio and simple PDF + audio bundles do not magically fix weak offers, but they do make it far more likely that the right people actually hear your full message and are ready to buy.
