Jill Kurtz, Owner, Kurtz Digital Strategy

“Doing” social media is not enough. We need to know what we want to achieve and whether we are getting there. That’s where social media measurement comes into play. Be sure your marketing strategy includes social media measurements that matter.

Know Your Social Media Marketing Goal

First, you need to know your business goal. If you’re not working towards achieving a specific outcome, you’re not marketing. You’re just using up resources of time, and often, money.

The very first step in getting business value from social media marketing is understanding exactly what you want to achieve. More website traffic? Generate leads? Brand awareness? Etc.Measurement begins with setting a specific goal.

Pay Attention to the Data

Every social platform and most social media tools give you data. You need to take time to look at the information against your goals. Aggregating data isn’t enough. You need to analyze and extract insight from that data.

Understand Value Beyond Direct Purchases

Be sure you are setting realistic expectations from social media. Not every post will lead to a direct purchase or a phone call, and that’s okay.Data shows that people are more positively inclined to brands that they follow on social media. You are building a relationship. That connection has long term value.

Not only are consumers more likely to buy from brands they follow, they statistically spend more too. Perceptions are enhanced when people they know interact with your content.

Measure by Listening, Too

When it comes to a social media content strategy, many brands are quick to think about what they want to tell people. Too often, they ignore what people have to say about the brand.

Listening online means paying attention to the conversations that are relevant to you, even if you did not start or directly engage in the content. There is valuable measurement in understanding sentiment and interests, even if the conversations are not on your channels.