January 2017: Social Media Metrics and ROI; Was it Worth It?

Social Media Metrics and ROI more than met my expectations for improving my PR and marketing abilities. I had a fundamental understanding of the importance of tracking metrics in marketing and PR campaigns, but I thought the process would be substantially more difficult. Let me clarify. That does not mean everything was easy.

It is so easy, even a ______ can do it.

If you chose “Caveman” for your answer, you are wrong, and that is okay. I often found myself scratching my head, attempting to measure results for embedded sources that offer different challenges for setting goals and tracking conversions. I searched through a multitude of sources online to find ways to track embedded SoundCloud plays versus native plays on my website, and I found an almost complete answer in a blog post by Simo Ahava. I say almost because Google has made updates since Simo wrote his post. That’s not his fault. Simo went in depth into Google’s Tag Manager, explaining custom code and the code’s functionality. It took a while to grasp, but I finally got it. It is a worthwhile read.

What is the benefit of this metrics stuff?

So—let’s say you write a marketing proposal for Company A, and it gets approved. The owner provides you a budget, and he expects results. He may not be tech savvy, but he understands dollars and cents. How are you going to show him results? That’s right—metrics.

Won’t the results speak for themselves?

The results don’t always speak for themselves. Perhaps Company A released a flawed product, and sales went down as a result of you not knowing how to listen to what is being said on social media or review the metrics. It might damage the company’s reputation, and it will likely cost you your job.

Some risks can be avoided?

Instead, by incorporating metrics and listening, you determine there is a problem, notify the owner, and he expands your budget to handle customer feedback, engagement and suggestions. While sales may go down, the damage can be mitigated, and the company can survive what could be a PR disaster.

It was worth the work.

While I may not be an expert at making custom code for measuring analytics, I can effectively use the metrics to help establish and refine goals, measure the progress of my strategies, and make adjustments as necessary. Yes, it (the reward of gaining the knowledge and practical application of learning to effectively use metrics) was worth it, and I plan to keep refining my skills in this discipline.

What do you think?

Let me know how you use metrics and Google Analytics in your business? What resources have you found helpful?

Cheers!

RezVidal.com

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