You’ve had your social media profiles set up for a while. You run campaigns, are participating in chats, maybe you have even begun delving into paid social. But how do you what’s working and what isn’t?

Are you looking at analytics? Tracking metrics?

It’s easy to fall into rabbit holes of looking at numbers and making spreadsheets, but how do you know you’re looking at the RIGHT metrics?

What’s right for one person might not be at all relevant to another, that’s why it’s always so important to tie your metrics back to your original goals.

That said, I believe there are certain metrics that anyone can use that will help – these are just a few that I always keep tabs on.

1. FOLLOWER GROWTH

Your total count of fans, followers and likes show how many people are interested in your business, and want to see what you post. If you’re consistently growing your followers, that’s a great (but very early and small, as far as what counts goes) way to show that you’re doing something right.

People come back and to your page, tell others to follow you and fuel your growth when you’re consistently posting things that are interesting to those that like your pages.

2. LIKES AND SHARES 

When you know what your audience wants to know more about, that then informs your posts and makes it easy to set up an editorial calendar full of ideas for new content.

The more shares a post gets, the more you know you’ve created something that resonates on a personal level with your audience.

Similarly, when certain posts are not getting any likes or shares, you know what your audience wants to see less of.

3. REFERRAL TRAFFIC

Ultimately, people will find out much more about your business on your website than on your social media pages.

How well are you able to get people to move from one site to your website?

You’ll want to track your referral traffic from social media to see where people are prior to visiting your website. If a certain site is underperforming, you might want to add a new call-to-action on that social site, or switch up the content you are sharing there.

4. ENGAGEMENT

To me, this is the most important – I believe that people buy from people they trust, and people they feel are like themselves. And the best way to get people to know you and your business is by engaging with them.

Are you monitoring mentions of your brand and joining those conversations? Are you also delving a bit deeper to see which keywords related to your product or service are most discussed, then also jumping in there?

If you’re not, now’s a great time to start. I also love to be able to simply reply to people talking about my brand. A little acknowledgement can go a long way.

5. SHARE OF VOICE

Mentions are great, but they don’t give you a full picture of current and potential opportunities. When you track share of voice, you can see how your mentions compare to those of your competitors.

Are you the thought leader in your particular industry, or is your competitor? Are they posting content that’s getting more engagement?

Tracking share of voice is a great way to see what truly resonates with your audience, and where they’re going most to get their information.

The more you can learn about your audience, their habits and what they’re interested in, the better you’ll be to create personalized content for them. Keep in mind, though, that this is just a start. There are more metrics to regularly check if you truly want to grow your business via social media.

You’ve had your social media profiles set up for a while. You run campaigns, are participating in chats, maybe you have even begun delving into paid social. But how do you what’s working and what isn’t? Are you looking at analytics? Tracking metrics? It’s easy to fall into rabbit holes of looking at numbers and making spreadsheets, but how do you know you’re looking at the RIGHT metrics? What’s right for one person might not be at all relevant to another, that’s why it’s always so important to tie your metrics back to your original goals. That said, I believe there are certain metrics that anyone can use that will help – these are just a few that I always keep tabs on. 1. Follower Growth Your total count of fans, followers and likes show how many people are interested in your business, and want to see what you post. If you’re consistently growing your followers, that’s a great (but very early and small, as far as what counts goes) way to show that you’re doing something right. People come back and to your page, tell others to follow you and fuel your growth when you’re consistently posting things that are interesting to those that like your pages. 2. Likes and Shares  When you know what your audience wants to know more about, that then informs your posts and makes it easy to set up an editorial calendar full of ideas for new content. The more shares a post gets, the more you know you’ve created something that resonates on a personal level with your audience. Similarly, when certain posts are not getting any likes or shares, you know what your audience wants to see less of. 3. Referral Traffic Ultimately, people will find out much more about your business on your website than on your social media pages. How well are you able to get people to move from one site to your website? You’ll want to track your referral traffic from social media to see where people are prior to visiting your website. If a certain site is underperforming, you might want to add a new call-to-action on that social site, or switch up the content you are sharing there. 4. Engagement To me, this is the most important – I believe that people buy from people they trust, and people they feel are like themselves. And the best way to get people to know you and your business is by engaging with them.  Are you monitoring mentions of your brand and joining those conversations? Are you also delving a bit deeper to see which keywords related to your product or service are most discussed, then also jumping in there? If you’re not, now’s a great time to start. I also love to be able to simply reply to people talking about my brand. A little acknowledgement can go a long way. 5. Share of voice Mentions are great, but they don’t give you a full picture of current and potential opportunities. When you track share of voice, you can see how your mentions compare to those of your competitors. Are you the thought leader in your particular industry, or is your competitor? Are they posting content that’s getting more engagement? Tracking share of voice is a great way to see what truly resonates with your audience, and where they’re going most to get their information. The more you can learn about your audience, their habits and what they’re interested in, the better you’ll be to create personalized content for them. Keep in mind, though, that this is just a start. There are more metrics to regularly check if you truly want to grow your business via social media.

Article written by Lucy Rendler-Kaplan