Metrics & ROI Can Hurt Your Social Media Marketing

Metrics and ROI - These are just some of the terms we’ve become all too familiar with in social media marketing. Almost all the emails from third parties that I receive are about drastically increasing ROI, by “following these simple steps” as if social media success is standard across all industries.

Social media marketing from my perspective has become bittersweet, when I look at the industry of marketing professionals. We’re at a point where almost all industries have recognized social media as the new form of communication, as a marketing tactic or tool rather than a new fad.

However with this new tool and the ease of measurement, we’re beginning to lose sight of the true power of social media.

The true power of social media doesn’t necessarily rely on ROI. ROI, however your company may define it, is simply a bi-product of being involved and engaged in social media.

The true power of social media is the fact that it gives businesses a personality, a human aspect. Companies can now interact with consumers in a way like never before. We can communicate as equals, we can build social communities and share common interests. It allows businesses to truly stay connected to their customers at all times.

For businesses to truly flourish using social media, we need to rely less on the metrics.

Don’t get me wrong - Metrics in social media are vitally important for benchmarking, setting goals and measuring the content that your audience finds more interesting. If you post on Instagram about how you brought your dog to work one day and that post doubles in engagement – continue to mix in content and post about your dog being in your place of business.

It really is that simple.

Discover the content that your audience finds interesting or enjoyable. Here’s a hint – it’s probably not going to be product-related, and that’s O.K.

Unlike what some professionals may want you to believe when it comes to content, there’s no “cookie-cutter” approach. Speak directly to your audience.

Use social media for its truest purpose – to be social, and concentrate on that. You’ll find that your metrics and ROI will drastically increase the less you concentrate on the numbers.