Proving the value of social beyond vanity metrics

Don’t tell me, another algorithm update? Welcome to the ever-changing world of social media. One minute, we’re trying to master Reels; the next, we’re figuring out if Threads is here to stay. And X? We’re not the only ones shaking off the habit of calling it Twitter.

Amidst the chaos, one thing remains constant across social platforms: our fixation on pretty little vanity metrics. We often get lost in the pursuit of follower counts, likes, views, and shares. While these shiny numbers can make your profile look impressive, they don’t necessarily contribute to your business growth.

It’s high time we pivot our focus to metrics that genuinely prove our social media efforts are more than digital noise, impressing even the toughest stakeholders and securing buy-in from every level of the business. Why? To up those social budgets and grow our social teams!

It’s taken a decade for businesses to truly recognise the power of social media. Ten years ago, the idea of investing in content creation or social-first strategies was barely on the radar of most marketing leaders. But then remember that thing called the pandemic? It transformed how brands communicate online. Suddenly, social media became a primary channel for real-time engagement–a powerful loyalty builder and key business differentiator.

Fast forward, and today we’re constantly tasked with proving social’s value to justify larger social budgets (our IG grid is not just a pretty face, promise). This challenge only grows with 56% of social marketers reporting that their leaders still don’t fully grasp their roles.

So, how do we not only drive real business value through social but also prove our impact to even the most skeptical stakeholders? Let’s dive in.

Firstly, let’s understand the difference between vanity and value metrics. Vanity metrics include numbers like soaring follower counts, post likes, share and video views. They might look impressive but don’t necessarily correlate with business growth, especially if they lack driving meaningful engagement. They’re easy to track and great for a quick dopamine hit, but they don’t always show how your social strategy impacts the bottom line.

Value-driven metrics, on the other hand, give you solid proof of your social media’s impact. To truly measure the effectiveness of your social strategy, it’s time to go beyond surface-level stats and focus on metrics that show real business value. So, how do you do that?

To win over your leadership team and demonstrate the true value of social media, you need to speak their language. While likes, shares, and engagement are nice, they won’t always make the cut. Instead, frame your social media results in terms of:

• Acquisition: How your social strategies attract new customers
• Growth: The ways your efforts contribute to expanding your audience and market reach
• Retention: How you leverage social to keep customers coming back for more

First on the agenda: acquisition. Leadership cares about acquiring new customers, clients, and talent. They may instantly think of tactics like lead generation, discounts, and targeted ads but might miss the real impact of engaging video content, tapping into cultural conversations, and creating buzzworthy posts that attract your ideal audience and foster loyalty.

An effective content strategy that resonates with your audience is crucial for building a pipeline of prospective buyers who take action and engage with your brand.

And Hootsuite’s research backs this up: followers are tomorrow’s buyers. Engaging content captures the attention of those ready to purchase, with 58% of people stating that the brands they follow on social media influence their buying decisions.

Metrics to measure:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Set up a UTM framework to track web traffic and conversions in Google Analytics. This helps you pinpoint which content types and platforms are most effective at driving sales, allowing you to optimise your strategy accordingly. High engagement is great, but if users aren’t taking action, it’s time to investigate the “why”.
• Engagement Rate: Engagement rate measures the percentage of your audience interacting with your content. A small but mighty engaged community is way more powerful than a massive, passive one. And now, with new FTC regulations, it’s illegal for influencers and brands to buy fake followers, labouring on the point of quality engagement. Quality > quantity.
• Conversion Rate: This is your holy grail of metrics, revealing how many social visitors become leads, customers, or subscribers. Whether it’s downloading an eBook, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase, this metric proves your content isn’t just pretty—it drives real results.
• Dark Social: This sneaky little term refers to interactions happening off traditional tracking channels—think direct messages, emails, and private group chats. Though hard to measure, dark social can be a powerhouse for brand awareness, as it often reflects genuine conversations about your brand. Learn more in Alexia’s blog here.

Putting this into practice: Instead of just saying, “Our social posts about our course saw a 25% higher click-through rate,” add this: “We’re bringing in new sales leads that would normally go to our competitors.”

Business growth and social go hand in hand and our leadership team will love to hear it. This section is all about leveraging social media data to inform your product, services sales decisions.

Social media is a goldmine of opinions and insights about what people like, want, and dislike—use it as a powerful marketing tool to advise your leadership on how consumers might react to a product or service before it even launches. Identify your audience’s pain points and address them proactively.

This approach is particularly valuable when engaging with your most loyal customers and followers. Interactive features like polls and social media listening tools can provide real-time feedback and deepen your understanding of your audience.

By analysing social conversation data and mentions of your products, you can gauge public sentiment effectively. Track various topics and monitor sentiment across social platforms to stay on top of any spikes in conversation. This allows you to know when to engage and ensures that your contributions are relevant to your brand.

Additionally, keep tabs on mentions of your business and set up alerts for when people are discussing your brand or your competitors. This proactive monitoring helps you stay in the loop and respond effectively, giving you a competitive edge in the market.

Putting this into practice: Instead of just saying, “sentiment and mention volumes are up for our app feature”, add: “If we promote this in our next social campaign, we can increase average deal size by 10% in this quarter and drive more in-app purchases.

You’ve put in the work to build a loyal following—now, let’s keep them! Social media is the frontline where customers expect not just interaction, but exceptional service. According to Social Media Today, 67% of people turn to social for customer service, and 46% expect a response within the first hour. This isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s an absolute necessity for keeping customers happy and retaining them.

How can you ensure customer satisfaction on social media? The answer lies in listening to your audience and building strong relationships.

Proactive monitoring: Monitor brand mentions closely and set up alerts for any spikes in negative activity on social media. This proactive approach enables you to develop a comprehensive crisis management strategy, ensuring you’re prepared to respond quickly and effectively when needed. For instance, highlight how your social media efforts have retained customers through rapid responses on platforms like Twitter. These quick replies not only dramatically reduce support ticket volumes but also transform unhappy customers into loyal advocates for your brand.

Putting this into practice: Instead of just saying, “Our social service strategy is driving more positive sentiment among new customers”, add: “We’ve turned detractors into advocates and improved customer retention by 5% this month”

To help you track against your metrics and report with purpose, you should also do the following:

Set clear goals: Define what success looks like for your business. Is it sales, boosted brand awareness, or attracting top talent? Align your social strategy with these goals and measure success accordingly. Map out KPIs you’ll track religiously—for example, monitor social engagement weekly and business sentiment monthly and year-on-year.

Tell a story with your data: Don’t just throw numbers at your boss or stakeholders. Craft a compelling narrative that shows how your social campaigns deliver real results. Use engaging visuals like charts and infographics.

Showcase the ripple effect: Social media is more than just direct sales. Illustrate its impact on other areas of your business—like how quick responses on Twitter slash support ticket volumes or how your strong online presence attracts top talent.

A/B testing: Regularly test different strategies, messages, and visuals to see what resonates best with your audience. Use the results to refine your approach and maximise engagement.

So, the next time someone questions the value of your social efforts, you’ll have more than just impressive numbers to show them — you’ll have compelling evidence that your strategy is making a tangible impact. By engaging openly with leadership and building social media skills across siloed departments, you position yourself to strengthen your team and secure necessary budgets.

With the right metrics and a captivating narrative, you can confidently showcase the true value of your social media initiatives and silence any naysayers who think it’s all about likes.

In the end, social media is not just a channel; it’s a catalyst for growth and innovation that can grow your entire business.