Introduction Using social media to market an organisation has become more common and integral to a success of a brand, product, and company. Social media strategies are used by many organisations, but how do you know if they are successful and worth your time and money? A social media’s success can be tracked quantifiable using metrics (Gold). There are hundreds of social media and web metrics that can be used to determine if a social media campaign is successful, but a few are key and should be monitored at all times (Chitwood). The nine social media metrics presented below are important to the success of a business and should be measured throughout the planning, execution, and evaluation stages of your social media campaign. Reach The reach of a social media campaign is the amount of likes, follows, fans, subscribers, etc, your social media platforms gains from your social media campaign (). Your reach is a metric that may not be the most important number to collect, but it gives you a starting point to calculate many other metrics, such as, engagement, impressions, and shares (). Planning In the planning phase of your social media strategy you must first collect the current number of followers, fans, likes, and subscribers your organisation has. This will give you an idea of the current reach your organisation holds. In addition, your organisation should create a goal of how many new users you plan to reach. For example, if you have 1000 follower, how many more do you want to reach by the end of your campaign? Evaluation In the assessment phase of your social media campaign more data should be collected to ensure you have reached your goal and the social media campaign was successful. To calculate your reach tools, ... ... middle of paper ... ...iness Should Track." Social Media Examiner. N.p., 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Miller, Jason. "5 Simple Metrics to Track Your Social Media Efforts." Social Media Examiner. N.p., 28 May 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Smith, Mari. "How to Measure Your Facebook Engagement." Social Media Examiner 13 Apr. 2011: n. pag. Social Media Examiner. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. . Stobbs, Clayton. "Beyond Likes and Follows: Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Media Campaigns." Web log post. Eloqua. N.p., 27 June 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Vocell, Jeffrey. "5 Social Media Metrics You Should Be Monitoring." Web log post. Social Media Today. Social Media Today LLC, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Yuki, Tania. "Measuring What Matters in Social Media." Web log post. ComScore. N.p., 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
Social media marketing is a simple option to add to the current promotional tactics being used by an organization. It is no longer optional; social media is mandatory for nonprofit organizations (Stengel). Studies have shown that many people think social media techniques complement traditional media; even more believe that blogs and social media influence the news coverage in traditional media tactics (Wright and Hinson 2008). There are a number of professionals that believe embracing social media is the only way for public relations to continue in the digital age. For example, Robert J. Key explains, “Public relations in the digital age requires understanding how your key constituents are gathering and sharing information and then influencing them at key points; doing so requires strategies that embrace the digital age” (Wright and Hinson 2008). Larry Weber, a renowned professional in implementing global public relations campaigns, also agrees that the communications world is moving in a drastically digital direction and in order to communicate effectively, one must understand this transformation (Wright and Hinson 2008).
Stelzner, M. A. (2013). 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Retrieved 02 28, 2014, from Social Media Examiner.com: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2013/
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Reach: focus more on customers in social media by finding what interest them and try to initiate interaction with customers and increase the buzz about the brand.
Universal McCann. 2008. Power to the People Social Media Tracker: Wave 3. http://universalmccann.bitecp.com/wave_3.pdf. (accessed March 16, 2014)
The main objective of any marketing program is to increase awareness for the company offerings, which eventually drives sales. Social Media Marketing serves this purpose of spreading awareness about the company, brands, product offerings and also its brand personality. It humanizes a brand and helps to build relationship. A consumer or a possible customer can connect to a brand at a personal level, share his thoughts and opinions about the company and give real ...
Among the billions of social media users, there is a percentage dedicated to businesses who use social media as part of their marketing strategy. The sheer number of people who use services like Facebook and Instagram on a daily
Clemmitt, Marcia. "Social Media Explosion." CQ Researcher 25 Jan. 2013: 81-104. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Strickland, Jonathan. "What Are the Pros and Cons of Social Networking Sites?" HowStuffWorks. 10 July 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Social media is pertinent in use of communication throughout today’s organizations. There are many social media platforms that allow organizations to convey communication to potential consumers, stakeholders and the public. “It is essential for leaders to integrate these technologies and seek the best way to use social media and networks to the advantage of the business” (Billington, 2012, p.1). Business owners find that keeping up with current technology trends is essential in having a competitive advantage in the market place and having a strict set of standards and strategy is important in quickly adapting to social media trends.
Jeff Bullas. 2011. 20 Stunning Social Media Statistics Plus Infographic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/09/02/20-stunning-social-media-statistics/. [Accessed12 February 12]
Social media avenues are a new, upcoming, and popular way to advertise for businesses and for people to connect to each other. Alexis Ohanian once said that "Being effective at social media, whether for business or personal use, means capturing people who have short attention spans. They 're only a click away from a picture of a funny cat, so you have to make your thing more compelling than that cat. And that can be a high bar." (Ohanian) Powerful usage of social media can have a big impact.
The following tips will prove useful for business owners who use social media marketing on sites like Linkedln or Twitter for marketing their services and establishing some industry contacts.
Blanchard, O. (2011). Social media ROI: Managing and measuring social media efforts in your organization. Available from http://0-proquest.safaribooksonline.com.mylibrary.qu.edu.qa
Calloway, Jim, and Catherine S. Reach. Social Media Management Tools 28.4 (2011): 54. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 05 May 2014.