Measuring Success in Social Media

"You don't need to be on the bleeding edge," John Kenyon told attendees at “Measuring Success in Social Media,” "but you should be setting clear goals, measuring your progress, and using data to guide your social media strategy." When used correctly, social media extends the digital reach of your organization beyond your website and allows you to showcase what you do and emphasize why it matters.
 
Kenyon had five quick tips for Alliances looking to improve their social media strategy, including:
  1. Social media is about conversations. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to get real-time feedback on what your organization does that works, what doesn't, and how you can better serve your community. Don't think of twitter as just a megaphone for you to broadcast about your organization!
  2. Don't forget about your website. Relying solely on Facebook or Twitter is like building your house on rented land. Your website should be engaging, have a good balance of pictures to text, and provide consistent messaging and branding across all channels.
  3. Set Goals. What do you want social media to do for your organization? While it probably won't make you famous, it can help you advertise a webinar, drive people to your website, or humanize your organization. Do you want to increase retweets, the number of comments per post, or number of times shared? Finally, remember there are no real industry-wide benchmarks—your own metrics are more important.
  4. Do less by focusing on what works. Know what works by measuring your progress—using Google Analytics from your website or tools like Sprout Social—hone in on what is popular across your social media channels. Be sure to share this with your team regularly so that they, too, can help create great content.
  5. Foster a culture of content creation. Content for social media does not grow on trees! By fostering a culture of content creation across your organization, you can ensure fresh, timely, and valuable posts that will keep your audience engaged. While tough at first, it does get easier.