Key points at a glance
- Reach is a prerequisite, not a goal.
- Engagement rate, profile views from target customers and messages say more than followers.
- In the end, website visits, enquiries and customers from social media are what count.
- Always ask new contacts how they found you.
Why followers alone say nothing
A large follower count looks impressive but says little about whether the right people follow you. For companies, what matters is whether social media builds trust with potential customers and ultimately leads to conversations.
The metrics in three stages
Stage 1: visibility
- Reach: how many different people see your posts?
- Impressions: how often are your posts shown in total?
- Follower growth from your target audience, not overall.
Stage 2: interest
- Engagement rate: reactions, comments and shares relative to reach.
- Saved posts: a strong sign of useful content.
- Profile views: especially on LinkedIn, who looks at your profile.
Stage 3: business
- Clicks to your website or landing page.
- Messages and contact requests.
- Leads and customers with social media as the source in the CRM.
How to measure the contribution of social media to revenue
- Use campaign links with unique parameters.
- Measure on the website which visits come from social media, with consent.
- Record the source of every lead in the CRM.
- Ask new contacts in conversation how they found you.
- Evaluate monthly which topics and formats lead to enquiries.
Conclusion
Good social media KPIs lead from visibility through interest to business. If you measure all three stages, you recognise which content really brings customers and can focus on it.
Frequently asked questions
AIMelanie Dincdemir
Marketing, digital business and business model development at Optivanta
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. It does not replace advice on your individual case. Despite careful research, we accept no liability for accuracy, completeness or timeliness; use is at your own risk. Articles bearing an author's name reflect that author's opinion. The provider of and party responsible for all content is Optivanta Solutions LLC. More in the imprint
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