Social media success is measurable

High-reach Twitter account, well thought-out compositions on Instagram - but does the content have an impact? The active operation of various social media profiles is essential for successful marketing, as qualitative content can influence users in their purchasing decisions. With the help of numerous tools and KPIs, the performance of posts can be precisely analyzed.

Success on social media - what is that anyway?

Success is often a matter of interpretation - especially in social media. Whether it's the number of followers, likes, or comments: There are numerous metrics that can be used to measure reach on social networks. Which KPIs are particularly important depends on the objective of the respective channel. One's own requirements for a social media profile should first be clearly defined. For example, the number of likes, comments and shares can be used to measure the extent to which other users interact with your content.

For B2B customers, almost every social network offers an area with advanced statistics and analytics. Here, marketers can view additional metrics such as page impressions or the number of clicks. Other KPIs are also relevant for different types of posts: For example, the success of a text post can be seen from the number of likes and comments, while views and dwell time better reveal the impact of a video.

Tracking: gaining insights into your own target group

Every visitor to a social media channel is a potential customer. For this reason, the most important goals are, on the one hand, to direct as much traffic as possible to one's own profiles and, on the other hand - especially in e-commerce - to increase the sales rate. For this purpose, one's own target group must be specifically addressed. In order to specifically address their own target group, marketing experts describe as precisely as possible the characteristics and behavioral patterns of the people they want to reach and turn into customers. This defined group is now made aware of the social media channels with the help of targeted targeting.

Various tools can be used to check whether and how effectively the measures are working. Special tracking pixels in websites or e-mails, for example, record user behavior. Tracking links, on the other hand, provide information about how users access the company's own pages. A popular low-threshold and free tool here is Bit.ly: This tool not only allows links to be shortened, but also identifies the origin of the users who access the linked content. Based on these insights into their own target group, marketers can continually adapt their targeting measures.

Funnels: Generate conversions via social media

The line between social media platforms and digital marketplaces is becoming increasingly blurred. Many social networks - including Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook - now offer the function of directing users to stores and product pages. Users still have to make the purchase outside the platform, but they already receive individual product suggestions in the respective feeds of the social networks. With this first brand contact, the conversion funnel begins, which in the best case leads the user to a purchase. A recurring step here is retargeting, in order to target potential prospects or shopping cart abandoners again.

This requires precise information about the user's position in the conversion funnel and the actions performed. On this basis, marketers define statistical twins (so-called lookalike audiences), i.e. a group that resembles the real target group with a minimal deviation. With the help of the technological possibilities of the advertising networks, users who resemble this group can be identified and targeted in the course of the campaign.

Conclusion: Thorough measurement conditions success on social media

Success in social networks depends, among other things, on how well marketing experts understand call-up, interaction, subscriber and like figures, as well as general conversions. Knowing the needs and characteristics of your own target group is the key to successful campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. This means that potential customers can be addressed individually and their needs addressed. After all, only with appealing and compelling content will the target group applaud virtually and increase the conversion rate in the long term.