Social Media Marketing: Defining Success

DIY Sprocket Solutions

People want results –it’s natural. For those pouring money and resources into a social media marketing and content marketing campaign, they want to see the fruits of that labor. How do you measure success in an avenue that’s not exactly clearly paved? What may count as successful for one business on social media may not be considered successful to another. So, how do you define success?

The first step is to assess what is important to your business. What is the goal of your marketing campaign? Is it followers, new customers, engagement, great reviews, product sales or something else? If your answer is simply “yes”, you need to reassess. Social media marketing is not the end all to every dilemma you’re having in relation to your business. It can produce some great results, and it certainly shouldn’t be ignored in this day and age, but you have to have realistic expectations of what you want it to accomplish for you. Figure out your goals and then focus on achieving them.

For a company that was never on social media previously, consider that you have a customer who found you on Facebook walk into your store one day. They were looking for a specific type of paint company, they searched for one, and your page popped up. Now here they are. I would define that as success. In another instance a reader may be following your blog and begin to consider you to be an expert in your specific field. When they need advice or insight into the industry, they consult with your content –I would define that as a success as well.

Social media marketing and content marketing gets a little hazy. Sure, we can track analytics and tell which posts are getting most attention and what platforms are driving the most traffic to your website, but measuring success gets blurred. Deciding what is important to your brand and then achieving results in those areas is a great way to determine if your social media marketing strategy is working for you. Obviously regular posting, relevant and fresh content, and interaction with your followers are all a must. It’s what you do above and beyond the necessary that solidifies your standing.

I don’t think that you have to have the highest number of followers or most conversions to deem yourself successful on social media. I think you simply need to have a strong presence and then work to fulfill the goals that you put forward for your brand. What are your thoughts on defining success through social media marketing? What counts as successful? When have you failed? What should you be measuring? Let us know your thoughts, comment below!

Breanne BannonBreanne Bannon

Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.

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