There are plenty of social media marketing tools and strategies that make it easy to monitor and assess the effectiveness of a social media campaign…are you actively using them yet? If not, how will you know if you have successfully connected with the right audience? How will you be able to tweak your social media campaigns in ways that deliver improved results? We have the answer to those questions – you won’t know and you won’t improve.
Start monitoring these 6 social media engagement metrics!
Far too many Fort Worth companies are using social media in their digital marketing campaigns, but not checking the metrics to see if their strategies are working; Don’t make the same mistake! Rather than blindly continuing your engagement efforts, use the following six social media engagement metrics Fort Worth companies should monitor.
Social Media Metric #1: Audience Growth
In social media, the rate of growth matters more than the size of your audience. You could have millions of followers, but if your number does not increase, you have a problem. You can easily keep track of your audience growth by checking the number of followers you have at the beginning of every month. If the number decreases or grows only by a small percentage, you know you have to change your activities to re-engage your audience. Use a spreadsheet or an online social media measurement tool to keep tabs on how your audience changes and learn from the story they tell.
Social Media Metric #2: New Followers
An effective social media strategy will attract new followers, just as your company should attract new customers. No matter how much you emphasize customer retention, you will lose customers, just as you will lose followers. The steady influx of new leads, prospects, and customers will keep your business alive, so knowing how many new people have shown an interest in your brand will help predict your future. Keep in mind that the number of new followers will usually differ from the change in followers. Still, you can manually track this metric, or you can have a service do it for you.
Social Media Metric #3: Following Versus Followed
A simple ratio that compares how many people you follow on social media to the number of people who follow you. When you get a low number, that means that your strategy continues to engage the online population. A high number suggests that your social presence has lost its appeal. As social media engagement metrics go, this one can help you compare your interest level and activity with that of your market.
Social Media Metric #4: Likes, Favorites, & +1s
Every social media channel has a way for audiences to respond, but we can call them all “Likes” for simplicity. The number of Likes you get does not constitute this metric. Rather, the measurement calls for a ratio of the average number of Likes you get per post. If you get a low number from this social media measurement, you know that your content has not stoked much interest. If you get a number much higher than one, you know that you consistently provide information that other people value. Naturally, you want this ratio as large as possible, as a reflection of your engagement level, so a number close to one might not satisfy you because that would mean you only get one response per post. Like the other statistics, you can tally this metric manually, or you can choose to automate the task with an online tool.
Social Media Metric #5: Shares
Whether you call them shares, retweets, re-pins, or something else, this measure goes beyond the other social media metrics to evaluate how the excitement you generate. When people Like your content, you have intrigued them. When your audience shares your content, you have struck a nerve and your message and your brand will get valuable exposure. Naturally, you want to add fantastic value to the social world, so make sure your content can generate excitement.
Social Media Metric #6: Comments
Likes, shares, and comments indicate increasing levels of engagement. When people take the time to mention your post or leave a comment, you have said something meaningful to them. Comments start a conversation that can involve the entire community, so make sure you respond to every comment left for you and your company. Like the other metrics, you can manually tabulate your comments-per-post ratio and to get a feel of how deeply your messages have resonated.
Checking your Social Media Metrics but not seeing improvement?
Thrive would love to help you get results for your business through social media. Whether you already have thousands of followers or are ready to create your first profile, contact us today!
