In a world where social media is becoming increasingly important to a company’s success, organizations are realizing that it is vitally important to have the appropriate tools to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. This is where social media metrics come into play. Social media metrics are specific tools that reveal how a social media tactic is having an impact on any given organization. Whether a company uses these measures to calculate its number of fans, or to determine the demographic of target audiences engaged with their social channels, it is these metrics which help an organization understand how a specific strategy effects the productivity of their business.  

There is a quirky phenomenon in Norwegian culture. Every year, two million sheep are released to explore  the beautiful landscapes of the Norwegian wilderness, exercising their “right to roam,” or “allemannsretten.” The Visit Norway campaign follows the adventures of four of them. Kari, The Surfer Girl, Lars, The Foodie, Erik “Mr. Chilled” and Frida The Adventurer. Their stated mission: “To help protect the cultural landscape of Norway.”

Marriott International is a successful global Hotel Industry that has over 5000 hotels around the world. Just in the United States there are over 1000 different Marriott locations. With so many locations and customers, Marriott is always being talked about so they started tracking the conversations. Marriott uses social media for business performance in many ways. One major way Marriott uses social media for business performance is by software programs the track online activity. A software program that has been beneficial for Marriott is called HYP3R, a geo-social marketing platform.

When you have the warmth of a beautiful day, the soft sand between your toes and the stunning shores of Lake Huron, you have the perfect location and attraction to promote tourism. There is nothing better than walking on the boardwalk in Goderich, enjoying the beauty of the marina in Bayfield, touring around local food producers purchasing fresh Ontario grown food, eating at the amazing restaurants, and enjoying all the craft breweries and wineries that are scattered around Ontario’s West Coast. The Ontario’s West Coast (OWC) tourism brand represents Huron County, along the shore of Lake Huron. The County of Huron has a population of 60,000, which soars to 800,000 in the summer months. Beautiful cottages, B&B’s, motels, hotels and campgrounds are spread throughout the shores of the West Coast. Luckily for Ontario’s West Coast they knew enough to engage in social media and add metrics to their programming and promotion of tourism many years ago. If they weren’t using social media and tracking their metrics, they would be walking blind through the process of tourism. Huron County is home to approximately 60,000 people and a visitor destination to approximately 800,000 people a year.1 SOURCE: The County Planning and Development Department, “County of Huron Annual Tourism Report” (May 2012), 4.

Marketing is filled with many tools, concepts and strategies. Although traditional marketing works, it’s no surprise that Social Media has become a dominant force in marketing, with over an estimated 2.3 billion active users in the world. Social media marketing is essential for any organization. What is Social Media Marketing? Social Media Marketing makes use of social media sites to raise visibility on the Internet and to promote products and services. These sites are useful for building social (and business) networks, for exchanging ideas, and knowledge and to reach a larger or targeted audience. Through branding, company engagement, consumer feedback and more, social media has completely altered the way businesses think about marketing. But what happens when your business is social media? Does that change your marketing plan? How can a social company thrive in the vast online marketplace? I personally used to think of Instagram as a mindless channel. With endless scrolling images of rock-hard abs, and 16-year-olds who have more successful businesses than anyone I have ever met. Yet even in this depiction, audiences of all ages and backgrounds are spending the majority of their time on Instagram, and savvy marketers are using this to their advantage. – What started as a hobby, turned into a career – @beautifuldestinations – an Instagram page that filled the void by tapping the online community to come up with the most beautiful collections of landscapes, cities, seascapes and attractions around the world, aiming to inspire people to get out there and see it for themselves. Founded in 2012 by CEO Jeremy Jauncey – Initially, the account started as a passion project, but little did he know the Instagram page he started had gained millions of followers. A renowned hotel reached out to collaborate, in the hopes of increasing its own social media following.

Social Media influencer, Lori Ruff (@loriruff), once said “Social media is here. It’s not going away; not a passing fad. Be where your customers are: in social media.” She couldn’t be more correct. Social Media is everywhere. Successful companies know this. Successful companies are using social media to communicate with their customers, to engage employees, to research and develop products and services, as well as to market those products and services. Tripcentral.ca is one company that knows the value of social media and is using it to the fullest extent. Tripcentral.ca started as a one store operation in Hamilton, Ontario back in 1989. It has grown to be an industry leader for online and storefront travel purchases, employing over 120 people with agents in 26 locations across Central and Eastern Canada. They use social media to interact with their customers via Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. They are the only major travel agency to leave their Facebook reviews open for public comment, with a 4.8 star approval rating and a social media staff who immediately respond to any negative comments. This feedback helps to retain customers as well as acquire new ones. Getting their customers involved also helps to generate sales by building a bond with the company itself.

The goals of any organization should be where the metrics for social media begin. Social media behaviour should contribute and align with these goals in order to achieve online success and ultimately drive sales. Tripcentral.ca is a hybrid brick-and-mortar/online travel agency based out of Hamilton, Ontario. While many agencies are trying to stay afloat, Tripcentral.ca is still growing. They just opened a new storefront location earlier this month! Their Mission statement is “to make the best planning, booking, and travel experience for our customers by matching their changing needs, providing advice, and saving them time.” They have spent a lot of time and money building proprietary software for their online presence so they can do just that. They have a regular blog with excellent advice and suggestions for improved travel experiences. They have a Facebook page with a 4.8 star review rating that they typically respond to within an hour. But how do they measure their online presence? How do they qualify the worth of their social media efforts?

Tripcentral.ca started as a one store operation in Hamilton, Ontario back in 1989. It has maintained that intimate, family dynamic over the years even though they now employ over 120 people with agents in 25 locations across Central and Eastern Canada.

When you ask an old person what their biggest regret in life is, an overwhelming majority lament that they wish they had travelled more in their youth. They often cite a lack of funds, or life’s responsibilities as reason for postponing their plans. Contiki was a company that was created to address this issue. Contiki is a tour company that connects like-minded people, by offering affordable trip packages for ages 18-35. The organization’s slogan is “No Regrets” which shows that they know what note they need to strike with their customers to encourage them to book a trip. Contiki uses social media effectively to encourage their customers to tell their story, and by doing so, market the service to all of their friends. While not the only marketing technique they use, this is one of the many ways Contiki keeps their customers engaged.

Conversations, leads, engagement, reach, impressions, bounce rate, time on site, audience growth rate, response rate….. which social media metrics are meaningful to a campaign? After reading about 20 articles, I found that the more I study on this topic, the guiltier I feel. Because it makes me realize that I have been following some “vanity metrics” of my previous social media campaigns. People follow us, read our posts, and get our emails….. But can any of these metrics say that our audience will go further with us?