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Most professionals agree that social media marketing is a valuable piece of the marketing puzzle. After all, it's a chance to work with customers on a one-on-one basis, build brand awareness, and (hopefully) increase sales numbers. Deciding just how valuable that piece is, though, can be difficult.

How much of what you're selling goes to the relationship you're building with customers versus an ad they saw outside of social media? There are plenty of metrics by which to track progress - almost too many! What you really want to look at is social media engagement. Just how connected are your fans/followers to your brand?

Don't Likes and Follows Count?

In the initial phases of social media measurement, likes and follows were all that really mattered. They are still important, but they do not tell the whole story. To get a more complete picture and move your brand towards its goals:

Sense of Belonging and Connection To Your Followers

Are you on the platforms your users are considering? Sure, Facebook is the biggest, but you can widen your net a bit depending on your audience. Younger audiences turn to Instagram more than Facebook. Business audiences turn to LinkedIn over YouTube.

There are many different channels, and being present where your audience might be is a must, but so is creating a sense of belonging once they join you. You want them to invite more users to follow your brand, and a big part of that comes when you establish a solid connection. Interact with your users. Listen to what they have to say, and respond as much as possible.

Good Content Execution

In addition to listening, though, you have to produce, and generating the right content means a better social media strategy. Develop it carefully, then maintain a consistent voice and presence if you really want to connect with people. Decide what your audience wants and needs from your brand. Maybe it's quirky videos or great images. Maybe it's support. No matter what it is, deliver, then watch for the conversations around your brand to crop up.

Better Data Analysis

The numbers are out there for social media measurement, but how you use them is up to you. Set some goals before you gather the data to make certain you know what is and isn't working. There are many metrics, but if you don't read them well, you could be wasting your time.

The Bottom Line

People aren't going to eliminate social media from their lives, and that means brands aren't going to completely abandon it. Instead, the ability to measure social media engagement among followers with options like links, tagging, and direct commerce will change and help you see what it all really means.