How can you demonstrate ROI through engagement metrics when you’re giving the audience exactly what they don’t want to engage with?
It’s no surprise then that over two-thirds of social marketers report being concerned about the ROI of their social activities. When brands measure success in ways that don’t add up, ROI will be hard to come by.
Brands cling to engagement to demonstrate ROI
Which metrics does your organization most commonly use to demonstrate the return on investment of its social activities?
In response to the question “Which metrics does your organization most commonly use to demonstrate the return on investment of its social activities?”: 69% engagement, 51% impressions.views, 49% followers, 43% clicks/traffic, 21% leads, 14% sales/revenue, 4% time spent on site/app, 3% sentiment, 3% share of voice, 2% pipeline, 2% survey-based brand awareness.
Sample: 4,268 respondents
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2024 Survey
In 2024, brands that publish entertaining content on social will succeed in winning eyeballs, engagement, and (eventually) market share away from brands that keep on publishing the same old stuff.
You don’t need to overthink it either. “Entertainment” simply boils down to providing enjoyment, according to the Oxford English Dictionary—that could be finding inspiration, getting excited, feeling moved, or learning something new.
Be your relatable person-self, not your super-serious-brand-self. After all, social media is not a place where you talk at someone. It’s an interactive space where the exchange of value is a two-way street.
This isn’t a strategy you can pivot to overnight (obvs). But if your old, promotion-heavy strategy isn’t working as well as it used to, it’s time to get back to the true strength of social media: building brand awareness, affinity, and long-term relationships with your audience through engaging, entertaining social content.
How entertainment helps you win social
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When it comes to content, follow your audience’s lead
Don’t assume you know what your followers want to see. Grab the opportunity to ask them what they want through polls and Q&As. You can also run experiments with new content types or tone of voice. Once you see results, start tweaking future posts and keep testing and iterating as you go. -
Let social be the long game
Don’t rush into “smashing those goals.” Social is best for building brand equity, which takes time. Don’t revert to your old, self-promotion-y ways either. No one likes a hard sell, and letting them flock to you will be so much more effective in the long run. -
Make social relationships the foundation of your ROI
Measure how far engagements go beyond social and across your larger business goals. This gives your social media efforts a higher purpose and makes them rooted in customer value and authentic relationships.
Source: Social Media Trends 2024
