The ROI of Social Media

It's one of the most frequently asked questions by clients at Gilbert and Associates. In fact, it's probably the most frequently asked question among all businesses who are focusing more on their investments in social media.

The big question: What's the ROI (return of investment) of social media?

People want to see the measurables, especially those who are a little skeptical of implementing social media into their business plans.

Social media ROI can be seen in various ways, depending on what your company wants to achieve. Achieved social media ROI objectives can be seen in actual revenue generated or in audience reach, engagement, and site traffic.

I can go on and on about the value of social media, but frankly, talk is cheap and stakeholders and clients want to have the ROI of social media in measurable and specific outcomes.

Social media facilitates your business with gaining exposure and meeting those goals.

Using your social media wisely can result in reaching a wider audience in the matter of seconds, keeping in constant communication with your clients or customers, and generating a greater revenue.

Yes, the world of social media is always transforming and progressing. And sometimes it's difficult to keep up with current trends. Using the right tools can facilitate you in keeping track of your social media ROI.

There are so many resources that can be used to analyze data from your social media accounts. Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Facebook Insights, to name a few. Familiarize yourself with those platforms and learn how to recognize what's successful and what needs improvement on your social media accounts.

Analyzing the metrics will really help in gaining social media ROI. The nature of social media is constantly evolving, so don't be surprised when one tactic worked last week and isn't working out so great this week. ROI of social media can be extremely rewarding, you just have to be a little patient and flexible to the nature of social media.