Five tips on using social media metrics
Before you start, define the communication objectives and desired results for your social media platform and that you are using the right tool for your purpose.
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1. Before you start, define the communication objectives and desired results for your social media platform and that you are using the right tool for your purpose. Do not just use new media because it is the cool thing to do and use it to scatter information.
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2. Go beyond output measures (e.g., page views and number of followers/likers) to real program metrics connecting online to offline behavior and actions (e.g., percentage increases in event attendance and program registrations; increase in project support or votes; drives to specific web pages; reduction in specific type calls to your 311).
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3. Consider four areas to measure: exposure, engagement, influence and action.
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4. In addition to standard return on investment and metrics such as cost per unique visitor, focus on impact and value measures. If you are intending to drive discussion, track comment-to-post ratios. Analyze the effectiveness of your content by examining the percent of new followers/likers.
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5. Now that you know what you want to track, consider options available through the social media tool itself, some citizen relationship management systems, and a range of free and commercial analytics services. Remember, governments are not focused on brand monitoring and sales tracking. Rather, they should focus on increasing resident engagement, government accountability, and responsive and cost-efficient communication channels.
- Read the main story, “Behind the curve,” to learn how business intelligence from Web 2.0 applications can deliver strategic information if local governments use the information they collect effectively.
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