With almost half of the world’s population active on different social media platforms, social networking sites naturally become the most sought-after place to project one’s products/services and pitch for oneself. Today, businesses, from almost all industries, are working hard to engage more with users in order to enhance their visibility.
Social Media Managers are coming up with novel ideas to increase likes and shares, but are they the only KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) when it comes to assessing engagement? A close scrutiny will show that there are many different metrics that one can have a look at, in order to gauge the actual effect and performance of a post.
This blog lists out the 7 most relevant (some lesser known) KPIs that no one should overlook.
Let us get down to the brass tacks:
1. Comments or Replies
In the fast-paced world we live in, not many have the time to comment on your posts. However, if your post is able to get comments from users, rest assured that they are doing well. If, by any chance, you are not able to gather comments, try to make the posts emotional so that people connect to them. Otherwise, you can upload the posts in an interrogative form; people love to accept challenges wherein they have better chances of success.
2. Overall Reach
Ultimately, your intention with regard to your posts is to reach out to the maximum number of people. Hence, the best metric that will tell you the true story about your visibility is the number of people who viewed your updates. Though Twitter does not have a reach metric for organic posts, Facebook displays “People Reached” at the bottom of the page. You can further boost your posts by either increasing the budget of your campaigns or by broadening the audience base.
3. Active Followers
Your followers are nothing but your potential marketing professionals. The higher the number of likes or followers on your social media page, the greater will be your visibility. Statistics suggest that 74% of consumers share videos from brands they follow on social media. Interestingly, the probability of an inspirational post being shared is the highest.
4. Likes, Shares, & Retweets
Likes, shares or retweets are one of the easiest and most immediate ways to assess the engagement of posts. Getting more likes, shares, or retweets can be guaranteed if one posts content that is emotionally appealing. Often a controversial stance or statement may make a post go viral. A decent frequency of posts must be maintained to keep users connected.
5. Impressions
In simple terms, impression is the number of times a content piece is seen by users. So a user may see a sponsored ad of your content and later, they may see it again when their friend likes that post. The reach in this case would be one; however, impressions will increase to two as the user will see the post twice. To be honest, this metric is a bit difficult to comprehend. However, the greater the number of impressions, the better will be the branding.
6. Brand Mention/Tags
Brand mentions or tags let you know how many users are talking about you. You can also find out how users are viewing you based on their comments and feedback. Tags further help you make changes to your products/services after you consider the user experience. This always keeps you on your toes, which naturally makes you a better competitor.
7. Traffic Demographics
Understanding the details of your traffic is pivotal. By knowing the exact age group, gender, country etc., you will be in a better position to predict the future course of your products/services and know how to pitch them better. In addition to this, they help you assess whether you are on track or not. On Facebook, you can get this metric for free and, thus, plan out your future action.
To sum it up, the story goes far beyond likes and shares when it comes to KPIs. Being more informed leads to better decisions, and better decisions eventually yield better results. Focusing on different KPIs helps you create a niche for yourself in the overly competitive world out there.