Member Avatar for MktgRob

At Social Media Today they are reporting that a recent study by Mzinga and Babson Executive Education showed that 16% of professionals using Social Media are measuring the ROI of their campaigns. Additionally, more than 4 in 10 respondents were uncertain if the social media tool they were using had ROI measurement capabalities.

Is this a case of blind faith in the power of social media or just a case of lots of people jumping into something that is trendy without being truly prepared?

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A useful way to read this thread: it’s both a confidence gap and a measurement gap. correctly points to the Mzinga/Babson survey from 2009 showing most organizations hadn’t been measuring social ROI, and ’s experience with qualitative metrics is exactly the common response — lots of adoption, limited rigour. (clubic.com)

Practical measurement starts with outcomes, not vanity metrics. Pick one business outcome (awareness, leads, retention, support cost reduction), map 1–3 KPIs to that outcome, and instrument them before you push content. Use a repeatable workflow: define objective → choose KPI and monetary value (AOV/CLV) → tag links and events → set baseline → run controlled tests → report incremental impact. Frameworks such as AMEC’s social measurement guidance reinforce outcome-based measurement and help translate engagement into business metrics. (amecorg.com)

Technical tips that cut measurement noise: always UTM-tag external links and capture conversion events in your analytics stack; treat platform-reported “attributed” results as one input, not the whole truth. Calculate social ROI with a clear formula (value generated minus cost, divided by cost) and use attribution or incrementality testing to avoid last-click bias. Google’s attribution tools (data-driven attribution in GA4) and practical ROI guides explain how to combine platform and site data for a more realistic picture. (blog.hootsuite.com)

So it wasn’t blind faith so much as early-stage measurement immaturity. The fix is methodical: align social activity to a business outcome, instrument consistently, use accepted frameworks, and iterate with tests. That turns qualitative wins (brand affinity, engagement) into defensible business value — exactly the bridge was describing. (amecorg.com)

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Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

Yes, many companies and people are jumping into the "social media bandwagon". I was actually commissioned a few months ago to develop metrics for social media due to its strong qualitative nature. These metrics per se may not necessarily drive financial business decisions but it does help assess if the tactic is working or not.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

Yes, many companies and people are jumping into the "social media bandwagon". I was actually commissioned a few months ago to develop metrics for social media due to its strong qualitative nature. These metrics per se may not necessarily drive financial business decisions but it does help assess if the tactic is working or not.

I think it is some of both. But that is always the case with a new fad that shows promise and early success rates.

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