There’s no doubt that having a digital presence and communicating with your audience via online platforms is becoming more and more important in a world that is shaped around all things digital, but it’s often hard to tell which online campaigns and platforms are working best for your company. Let’s have a look at the metrics you can use to see which work the best, and which aren’t working at all.
It’s easy to measure how many people are seeing the content (number of views) that you have put out there as Google analytics provide page views, e-mail marketing systems provide open rates, and press release distribution services will provide pickup views.
Views are great and provide you with a general understanding of your reach, but how do you measure the effectiveness of turning these views in to leads?
Take a look at your audience that has ‘opted-in’
These people are a good starting indicator, after all they have chosen to receive information or engage with your company – so they have already shown an interest. You can measure your online network by having a look at your subscriber rates and followers on social media platforms.
However, this said the number is not as important as the level of engagement you are receiving. You could have thousands of followers of twitter, but if none of them ever engage with your content or campaigns then how trustworthy are the numbers? If this is the case, instead of trying to increase your follow base, focus on increasing your engagement levels. Twitter & Google+ are great platforms that allow you to join in conversations.
Analytics
Google analytics are a great way to see how many people have viewed your pages, what keywords or referring sites have got them there, and what the most popular content is. This will all give you a good idea on what works the best for your target audience; especially using and monitoring any goal conversions you have set up.
Social media platforms are now starting to offer analytics too. For example Pinterest & Facebook provide your pages with an estimated reach, views are number of shares/re-pins (as well as seeing click through rates on Pinterest). Platforms such as Slideshare and Issuu also provide you with number of impressions and amount of downloads your content has received, as well as Linkedin showing you views, shares and click through of updates from a company page.
Success?
Go back and take a look at your objectives, what did you want to get out of your social media campaign and activity? Having listing in the most intuitive business directory for local business wont hurt. Using online metrics can give you a good idea of your reach and views but has it converted into quality leads and a return on investment. Use other metrics, as well as your online ones, to see the true value of your online activity. For example, ask yourself if your enquiries through phone and e-mail have increased – if they haven’t and this was the aim of your online activity then it may have increased brand awareness but ultimately it has not reached your original objective.
