Key Social Media Metrics Your Business Should Be Reviewing And Why

In order to ensure the time spent on your social media efforts is a wise investment in your business, it’s necessary to regularly monitor some key and easily accessible metrics. If your organization does not have a structured approach to reviewing and analyzing how its social media marketing efforts are faring, the best first step is to evaluate the items outlined below on a weekly basis.

Once the review begins to allow you to identify trends and changes to your social media approach, the review of the information could be performed less frequently. Ultimately, reviewing this data and understanding what it is telling your organization is crucial to ensuring your organization is producing engaging social media marketing.

Image is licensed under CC Attribution

Several of the key social media metrics include the following.

• Number of Followers or Likes. This metric is one that is very visible and easy to track. It can also provide a wealth of information. For instance, if you run a new series of posts and either gain or lose a number of followers, your organization has received good feedback on the impact of its marketing efforts. Obviously if your business page on a social media platform is new, you may be in the process of building a social media audience. If this is the case, evaluate the amount of growth you are seeing. If you’re regularly adding new followers, that’s good. If you’re early growth levels off, it can be a good idea to look for ways to jump start it again and build momentum. On many platforms, if you lack a critical mass, your organization may not be getting the needed exposure to see much return on its investment in its social media marketing.
• Comments on or sharing of content. Often, social media followers are passive and just consume content. However, if a particular story or topic resonates with the individual, he or she may comment or share the message with his or her friends and connections. This metric is a key way to know if your content truly resonates with followers. In the case of comments, it’s also a great opportunity to engage with followers by responding to comments or joining the ongoing conversation.
• Direct messages. When a follower reaches out directly, your organization has a chance to further connect with and gain insight from someone who has an opinion, comment, or question for your organization. These type of messages let you know your marketing efforts are reaching the audience. Depending on the feedback, you may find an opportunity to further enhance your organization’s marketing efforts. If you’re finding good engagement on the media, but not many private messages, consider looking for ways to encourage that type of interaction.

Local marketing experts encourage organizations to stay up-to-date on platform changes, be creative, and always track how your brand is being perceived on social media platforms.

Chris Marentis, considered an expert in the field of local business online marketing, uses his company, Surefire Social, to leverage the internet to generate leads and boost local business.