Social Media Measurement: Use Metrics The Right Way

Thanks to social media analytics, businesses don’t need to play the guessing game on the effectiveness of their posts. Analytics give an in depth look into just about every metric possible. When used correctly, social media measurements will guide the content, timing, and placement of your social media posts to produce statistically proven, guaranteed impressions. As a result of constant different moving parts and multiple platforms to pay attention to, it’s easy to make mistakes in the measurements. Take our advice and avoid the following mistakes to use social media measurements the right way.

1. Not Compiling Analytics Data

If you’re taking advantage of social media than you should be present on more than one platform. Naturally, different platforms yield different outcomes in metrics. Not compiling the analytics from the various platforms is a big mistake in measuring the results. With the results in one spot, you receive an exact visualization of how each social page’s progress compares to the other. Your different pages compliment each other to reach a collective goal, therefore comparing the metrics together and identifying progress and weak areas makes better use of your metrics.

2. Reckless Posting

Be sure to recognize when is the best time to post. Analytics systems are smart enough to detect the best traffic time likely for your target audience to see your post and engage with it. Keep in mind these are proven results from prior posts and reflect the behavior of your target audience. Posting content without consideration of these metrics is reckless and simply a waste of time. You should always be posting compelling content, and if it’s posted without intention, your audience will likely fail to receive the message.

3. Misunderstanding The Significance of The Results

A common misuse of social media measurements is failing to properly interpret the given results. A large part of this could be where your focus lies. In regards to both numbers and platforms, your focus should directly relate to your current marketing objectives.

Numbers

Of course, metrics yield a ton of numbers, but what matters is the numbers you focus on. Refer back to your business’ current marketing objectives to direct your attention to the right numbers. Don’t let an increased number of engagements fool you if your objective is to increase ROI and that percentage either dipped or plateaued. Surely, all numbers and improvements must be considered, but don’t forget what you set out to accomplish.

Platforms

Another thing to take into consideration is what platform you spend the most time and energy on. For instance, Facebook is the most popular social media platform, but that doesn’t deem it the most suitable site for your particular audience. Take a look back at the numbers. Is your heavy focus on a particular platform based off numbers and facts or because you think you should post there? If the numbers never support your efforts, don’t waste your energy. Instead, gear your efforts toward a platform more suitable for your business and target audience. Remember different platforms serve different uses, and no social media platform is created equal.

It’s not smart just to look for random number value increases and name it success. Social media is no exception to strategic marketing, and narrowing your focus to meet your objectives is a guaranteed path to success.

4. Failing To Detect The Best Content

The answers are all in the metrics. Take note of what type of content yields positive results from your audience and post more of that content. For example, if you’re a fashion store and your highest impressions result from posts about trendy outfit ideas, then regularly incorporate those into your social media plan. Don’t forget that social media is a tool to help achieve objectives, and in order to have any success with social media you need to make your audience pay attention. Once you capture that attention, you allow growth for other opportunities to speak to your audience through that channel.

If you avoid these mistakes when measuring your social media use, you’ll achieve more in your engagement attempts. Again, strategic use of social media is the only useful way for businesses, so using the metrics is critical. With clearly defined objectives and keen observations of the metrics, you can take full advantage of this powerful marketing tool. Oftentimes, learning social media metrics and taking time to constantly analyze and consider new outcomes isn’t feasible for a busy company. Don’t let your social media fall short. Contact the Kraus marketing team and put your social media in the hands of experts.