How do you know if social media training is helping you meet your business goals?

Something Helpful: Level up your SMART goals with OKRs. OKRs are game-changers. They bring clarity and accountability, helping you nail both your short-term tasks and long-term game plans, even if it's just you running the show. Something I Disagree With Don't fall for the 'set it and forget it' trap with objectives. The game changes fast. Keep recalibrating your goals to stay on point and maximize your training ROI. An Example Had a goal to pump up social media impressions by 25% in three months. Nailed it, but realized I missed the boat on meaningful engagement. Tweaked the strategy, added an OKR focused on brand sentiment, and hit a home run.

Something Helpful: Skip vanity metrics. Zero in on Customer Lifetime Value and Customer Acquisition Cost. That's where the real money's made. Something I Disagree With: Don't put all your trust in Google Analytics or Facebook Insights. Expand into multi-channel attribution to get the full story on your performance. An Example: Client was all about 'follower count.' Switched focus to tracking CLV and specific campaign conversions. Found a goldmine in just 10% of their follower base. Result? A 30% boost in ROI.

Something Helpful: Instead of just SWOT, add Gap Analysis to your benchmarking routine. It identifies growth areas you’re not tapping into. Something I Disagree With: Don't just look at your competitors for benchmarking. They might be off-track too. Predictive analytics offer a clearer roadmap. A Personal Example: I once focused solely on competitor benchmarks. Switched to Gap Analysis and predictive metrics, found an untapped revenue avenue, and upped my game.

Solicit Feedback Why It Matters Hey, talking at people? That's a monologue. But talking with them? That's a dialogue, and it's golden for finding out what your audience really wants. How to Nail It Open-Ended Questions: Drop a question at the end of your articles. "What are your thoughts?" or "How have you tackled this issue?" gets people chatting. Quick Polls: Use LinkedIn polls to get the pulse of your audience. Simple yet effective. Summarize & Share: Take the best comments or poll results and whip up a quick video or graphic. It's like saying, "Hey, I heard you." Your Next Moves Write a follow-up article or LinkedIn post acknowledging the feedback. Start a LinkedIn Group for deeper convos.

Experiment and Test Why It Matters Look, if you’re doing the same thing day in, day out, you're snoozing, not cruising. The online world changes at lightning speed, and you’ve got to keep up. How to Nail It A/B Testing: Mix it up with your headlines, images, or calls-to-action. Check which version makes people click or comment more. Timing is Everything: Post in the morning, noon, and night, then measure which slot gets you the most love. Switch the Format: One week it's an article, the next it's a video. Keep your audience guessing and engaged. Your Next Moves Use LinkedIn Analytics to figure out what worked best and double down on that. Incorporate your findings into your long-term game plan.

Here’s What Else to Consider Why It Matters This is your chance to give 'em something extra; think of it as the cherry on top of your content sundae. How to Nail It Share the Wealth: Got a killer book or tool that helped you? Share it. Name Drop: If experts agree with you, why not include their insights? Look Ahead: Mention upcoming trends or tech that’ll make people go "Hmm, didn't think of that." Your Next Moves Make a go-to resource list based on your article's topic. Tease a sequel or a spin-off video series that goes deeper into the topic.