Social media is often seen as a source of vanity metrics. The number of likes, comments, shares, followers, and so on is usually what brands choose to track and boast about. However, not all these metrics are vanity ones; some actually contribute to business growth, albeit indirectly.
This fact often puzzles marketers since it may be challenging to understand the value of such social media metrics and prove that organic channels drive results.
The truth is, social media’s impact is difficult to quantify, although it is definitely there. As a customer journey agency, we know that organic social media ROI can be measured, but it requires us to know what to track and how to calculate it.
In this article, you will learn how to benefit from having an organic social media presence and find out what metrics can help demonstrate its value to the business.
How to Measure the Organic Social Media ROI of Your Content
First of all, let’s clarify what organic social media refers to. Basically, it is a social media presence that is not promoted by paid means. Therefore, when we talk about organic social media, we mean unpaid activities, engagement, reactions, comments, shares, and so on.
Now, having clarified the concept’s basis, let’s move on to the main subject of this article: measuring organic social media ROI. It is essential to understand that proving the value of organic social media requires looking at the bigger picture. It is more about building awareness and engagement than about direct sales.
Therefore, to measure organic social media ROI, one has to consider the following metrics:
- Awareness-related
- Engagement-related
- Traffic and lead generation
- Retention and community growth
Below, you will find more information on each of these metrics and how they can serve to prove that organic social media is valuable.
Set Your Goal
First of all, to measure organic social media ROI, you need to clarify your business goals. In other words, it is necessary to have a clear vision of why you want to use social media organically. Basically, the purpose of organic social media is to build awareness, foster engagement, encourage sales, increase traffic, promote lead retention, and so on.
Therefore, it is a good idea to create a list of goals that your business is willing to achieve with organic social media use. After you do that, you will be able to see which social media engagement and other metrics you need to track and analyze.
Track Awareness-Related Metrics
Organic social media channels are primarily about building awareness. Therefore, there are particular awareness-related metrics that can help you achieve your goals and prove the value of organic social media. First of all, this includes reaching the number of people who saw your content.
Apart from that, such awareness-related metrics as impressions, profile views, followers, and other similar indicators can be used to show that something is being accomplished in the sphere of organic social media. It is important to remember that awareness does not directly translate into sales, but it can help generate more opportunities for sales growth.
Engagement Is Key
We have already mentioned that engagement drives sales. Therefore, it is important to ensure that engagement is properly fostered within organic social media. Now, as for engagement-related social media metrics, they include likes, comments, shares, direct messages, conversations, saves, and more. All these activities are signs of active engagement, and they can be used to demonstrate that people find value in your content.
The more comments, shares, and other forms of communication people have with your brand’s content, the more it affects their buying decisions.
Track Traffic-Related Indicators
In addition to likes, comments, shares, and other engagement-driven activities, there are also traffic-related indicators that can demonstrate the value of organic social media. Website clicks, visits, newsletter subscriptions, demo requests, and inquiry forms are some examples of traffic-related social media metrics that can be used to show the impact of social media on business growth.
It is essential to track them to see if social media engagement translates into traffic and, eventually, sales.
Measure Retention and Community Growth
Finally, to measure organic social media ROI, you should track retention and community growth. As you may know, social media is not only about attracting new customers but also about retaining the existing ones. Therefore, it is important to see how your audience interacts with your content and how it influences the bottom line.
In this context, such metrics as repeat purchases, loyalty, community growth, and others are worthy of consideration. A strong product innovation strategy also plays a role here: when our offerings evolve with audience needs, retention metrics naturally improve. Basically, the stronger the sense of the social media audience, the better, since such an audience is more likely to be actively engaged and to recommend the brand to others, thus promoting sales growth.
Final Thoughts
Organic social media engagement is not vanity, but value that needs to be properly demonstrated. To do that, it is essential to take into account various metrics, including awareness-building, engagement-related, traffic-related, and retention-related indicators.
All these metrics can be grouped into three primary categories: awareness, engagement, and business impact, which can serve as an organic social media ROI measurement framework.
