As digital marketers, we are constantly trying to figure out what metrics matter when it comes to getting the most out of our social media efforts. Sure, we can measure likes, shares, and comments, but which social media metrics should we really be focusing on?
Well, the answer isn’t so straightforward. To get the most out of social media, you need to look beyond just measuring vanity metrics such as likes or followers. Instead, you should focus on understanding how social contributes to your overall business goals.
Reach and Impressions
For businesses looking to reach a larger audience, social media’s reach and impression metrics should be front and center. These social media metrics measure the number of people who see your message, even if they don’t interact with it. By using these metrics to your advantage, you can track how many people your social media content is reaching.
The more people see your social content, the larger audience you’ll have to sell to or influence.
Engagement
If you are a content-focused brand, then social media engagement metrics will be a better measure of success. This includes social media clicks, replies, shares, and likes. Focus on understanding which pieces of content are resonating with your followers and why they are engaging in order to drive more traffic and sales. Engagement metrics give you valuable insight into what your audience wants to see from you. Not to mention, regularly engaging with your audience is crucial for building those loyal customer relationships.
Share of Voice
Next, don’t underestimate your social media share of voice. This social media metric measures the volume and sentiment of a brand’s reach compared to its competitors. It’s a great way to see how you measure up against competing brands in terms of visibility and engagement levels. Keeping an eye on your share of voice can help you stay competitive in the social media game.
Referrals and Conversions
Finally, two social media metrics that can’t be overlooked are referrals and conversions. Referrals track how your customers found you. For example, when people are sharing your social media posts with their friends or family or linking back to your website from social networks. If you want to succeed on social, tracking referrals and conversions should be a priority. It gives you visibility into the effectiveness of social media efforts across channels, allowing you to see which content is most successful in acquiring new customers or leads. Knowing where your highest-quality followers are coming from will help ensure that you’re reaching the right audience and optimizing your social presence for maximum reach and conversions.
Along the same lines, conversions measure how successful social content and campaigns are at generating sales. By tracking social media conversions, you’ll be able to quantify how social media is contributing to your bottom line. Keeping an eye on referrals and conversions will help ensure that your social media strategy is delivering real-world results.
At the end of the day, social media metrics shouldn’t just be viewed as numbers on a screen but rather used as valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to social media content and campaigns. Understand how each social media metric fits into your business goals and work towards optimizing them for success! With the right metrics in place, you’ll be able to maximize your potential and get the best results for your business.
