Turning Likes into Gold: Measuring Your Social Success

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Turning Likes into Gold: Measuring Your Social Success

A Distributor Channel Marketing Moment

By Desiree Grace

You know you need it- a social media strategy. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or even a Substack newsletter, if you aren’t on social media, you simply don’t exist. The age-old marketing conundrum, however, is how to measure what’s working in this newer world.

In traditional advertising, you paid for a television ad, you monitored the Nielsen ratings, and you knew how many households were exposed to your message (reach) and how often (frequency). It’s a bit different with social media.

First, you have media you own. This is the most similar to ye olde TV ad. Your company’s Facebook page or LinkedIn account- that’s owned. You control what goes in, and you can measure how many people visit, how long they stay (how “sticky” your page is), and even completion rates, like whether they finished that “about us” video.

The good news is that you can measure and monitor even more consumer behavior. You can track likes and shares—that’s earned media. If someone gives your video a thumbs-up, likes it, or subscribes, those are trackable positive interactions. You have earned some powerful validation. The other good news? It happens in real time. Instead of waiting for a Nielsen report, you get instant feedback. Best case, your post goes viral, spreading organically in a positively contagious way. All of these interactions, or mentions, are earned, not paid. Also, since you don’t own them, you have less control.

High engagement rates like these signals tell you your content resonates. Let’s talk more about how to measure earned media.

You can also measure reach and impressions. Reach is the number of unique people who have seen your content. Impressions reflect the total number of times it’s been displayed. These metrics show visibility and exposure for your campaigns.

Then there’s sentiment analysis, sometimes called search listening. This sophisticated tool lets you gauge the tone, tenor, and overall sentiment of comments and interactions. It’s a powerful way to quickly measure whether you’re hitting the mark or need a course-correction.

How do you stack up against your competition? That’s where share of voice comes in. It measures your visibility and influence in comparison to your industry peers. A higher voice means you have greater visibility and influence. Small brands can outperform much larger ones by owning their space and punching above their weight.

The conversion rate is where the rubber meets the road. If a social media interaction converts into a desirable action, like signing up for your company’s newsletter or attending a virtual training, that signals your campaigns are effectively driving outcomes.

We all want to know if we’re growing. Audience growth measures the increase in your following over time and signals whether you’re successfully retaining and adding new fans.

So you’ve gotten all these exposures. Now what? Measure earned media value. This converts those organic mentions into a dollar amount, putting a price tag on your earned media. It’s pure gold when you need to justify your budget to finance.

And finally, my favorite: return on investment (ROI). Here, you measure the revenue generated from your campaigns relative to their cost. That lets you appreciate their true financial impact. It’s a powerful metric to win over even the most skeptical finance department.

Measuring your social media metrics lets you track performance, make data-informed decisions, and fine-tune campaigns quickly and efficiently. As management guru Peter Drucker said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” With social media marketing, you can do both.

At River Heights Consulting, we know marketing isn’t a guessing game — it’s a powerful tool when you get it right. With Desiree Grace’s marketing genius guiding strategy, she and her team will make sure all the details come together. We’re here to help you rise above the competition, connect with your customers, and grow your business. Whether you need help developing a social media strategy, measuring what matters, or making sure your message resonates, River Heights Consulting has you covered.





About the Author

Desiree Grace is a sales and marketing leader who believes that creativity and data go hand
in hand. With years of industry experience, Desiree has a keen ability to cut through the noise and find what matters most, whether it's growing a brand's reach, measuring return on investment, or turning social media engagement into real-world results. She’s passionate about helping businesses use insightful metrics to drive smarter decisions and achieve their goals.







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