Small business owners using (or planning to use) social media channels for marketing need to be able to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns using those channels. Tools like Google Analytics can give you some insight into your social media campaigns performance but it is important to understand the role social media plays in your marketing hourglass and how that can influence what you see in your analytics reports.
Tracking conversions in social media is different than tracking conversions in most online marketing. One reason is that, as my friends at Argyle explain, social media tends to be intent generating while other online marketing activities tend to be intent harvesting. Here is the example they give:
Search conversions usually happen at the bottom of the (traditional sales) funnel:
- A person searches for product or service.
- They click on a natural or paid link
- They buy a product, sign up for an initial consultation, etc.
Social conversions usually begin much earlier in the funnel:
- A person sees one of your posts re-tweeted from someone they follow.
- They click your link to an external website, thinks it’s pretty interesting then wonders who originally tweeted it. They read about your company and think “Hm!”
- Although person didn’t need your product earlier, they later have a need it fills.
- They don’t remember your URL, so they search for you.
- Person clicks on a natural or paid link.
- They buy a product, sign up for an initial consultation, etc.
In the cases above, Google Analytics will count both conversions as coming from paid or natural search (the click on the link), because the click that led directly to a purchase was from these sources. The contribution from social media channels outlined in the second scenario are ignored.
As a small business owner you want to make sure that you’re using a conversion tracking tool that’s specifically built with your needs in mind. In some cases, using the information from Google Analytics provides may be “good enough”. Either way, it’s important to know what you are measuring and why so you can use the information to make better business decisions.
