Some with whom you speak will say no. They say, once it goes viral, measuring goes out the window. See, this is a problem for me.

I can’t go to the board of a multimillion dollar company and tell them that, “Yes, we’re seeing great success with our campaign. Umm….We just don’t know how much.” Are you kidding? Ha! As a professional in the business, you’ve just committed integrity suicide. You might as well leave the room at that point and keep on walking.

Numbers matter. Evidential support of your efforts matters. Progress matters.

I do agree, on a certain level, that it’s difficult to determine every single person who’s heard your message. A book club leader may share the information with her group, but no one acts on it. And until they do, that information might as well not exist. However, you can measure the action your message inspires.

Here are a few ways, though seemingly simple, can help determine if your social media efforts are worth their weight:

• Twitter — How many additional followers do you receive every month? How many messages and mentions?
• Social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook — Again, how many people comment on your page? How many friends do you have? Has that number changed in the last month?
• Blog — How many people are following you? How many comments are there? Do people email you with questions, concerns, proposals? What is the communication?
• Website — How many people came to your website each month? How long did they stay? How deep into the pages did they get? Did they sign up for any of the free information you offer? Did you capture their contact information?

There are a lot of programs you can use to capture this information. Sometimes, all it requires is sitting down and tallying the numbers. Other times, I like using Google Analytics, because it’s fast and easy. But whatever you end up chosing, I guarantee, your boss or clients will be happier when you can show them where their money is going and what progress you’re having.

(Image source: www.jmorganmarketing.com)