You probably already know the answer to this question. People always always ALWAYS ask about ROI (Return on Investment) with social media. And of course, ROI isn’t the point of social media, at least not in the traditional dollars-and-cents way. There are other things you can measure, though, that may help prove the value of social media. If you want to know more, read on.

The ROI of Social Media

It’s difficult in most cases to attribute social media to return on investment. You can measure things like downloads, reach, and engagement. But sales, which most brands really want, don’t always come directly or immediately. Conversations are important, and can begin with social media. And sometimes people need to be exposed to an idea seven or ten times before making a buying decision. If you’d like to read more about Return on Investment, you might like Why Friendships Are Absolutely the Best ROI of Social Media.

It’s Possible to Track Social Media

Larger brands (and some smaller ones, too) track their social media posts using Urchin Tracking Modules (UTM) tracking. You may have seen these long codes while traveling around the internet. Sprout Social has more information about UTM Tracking here: UTM Tracking and URL Shortening for Social Media Managers. You may want to track click through rates (CTRs) or reach, or any number of other metrics. But again, most business owners want sales. Some metrics can help, especially if your business has an easily definable sales path. Often, I hear people say they don’t know where they heard about a business.

Who’s Listening?

Brand awareness is at the top of most social media marketers’ lists of what’s important. But who’s listening when you post about your brand? That depends upon who you are, when you post, and a few other things. Not everyone who wants to find you will find you. But certainly there are ways to help people find you more easily. You might like Ready to Be Found? These days, it’s your attention that is what’s critical. Brands of all sizes want you to pay attention to them.

If a Tree Falls in the Forest…

And if you post on social media and no one sees it, is it worthwhile to post at all? That depends. Of course, the little bots that roam around on Google will see your posts. Even if nobody comments on your post, being optimistic is helpful. Surely someone will eventually see what you’ve written eventually, right?