Your boss probably doesn’t think social works. When you spend on social platforms that don’t deliver credible metrics, you can’t prove her wrong.
Only 23% of CMOs say they can prove the impact of social marketing. That means your job as a social marketer isn’t just to build successful social programs, it’s to effectively report your success. To do that, you need the right kind of data: business metrics like brand impact and sales, or digital metrics like impressions and site traffic.
Follow the lead of MEC and SHIFT Communications, and only invest where you can measure:
Don’t spend on platforms where you can’t prove ROI. Ryan McKee, brand engagement director for Canadian outdoor retailer MEC, says he won’t fully invest on social sites that don’t offer him the data he needs to build an ROI model. For instance, he revealed last year that MEC puts little money into Snapchat because it’s “insights-bereft.”
Only work with influencers who provide data. Christopher Penn, until recently the VP of Marketing Technology for SHIFT Communications, chooses influencers who report KPIs. “I’m surprised at the number of influencers who are not willing to play ball on metrics. ...If they’re not willing to provide transparency on data, that’s a very clear warning sign you’ve got the wrong person.”
It's simple: Don't invest where you can't measure.