Are you a business owner using social media to reach parents? Do you actually know if it’s working?
It’s a question we hear a lot. Businesses tell us they gained lots of new followers when they ran a competition on Facebook or Instagram — but when we ask what that activity actually delivered for the business, they often can’t say.
Here are 5 easy ways to evaluate if your social media is really working.
#1. Tie Social Media Objectives to Business Objectives
There’s no point being on social media unless you tie your activity there to your actual business objectives. Set out the main reasons you’re on social media, then measure them on an ongoing basis. Measurement is what tells you whether the time — and any advertising spend — is worth it.
Pick two or three key metrics for your social media presence and check them every month against a simple dashboard. For example, one objective might be “generate leads to our website.” Each month, check how many leads actually came from social media.
Tip: Create dedicated landing pages so that when you send people to your website from social media, you know for certain that traffic came directly from your social activity.
#2. Power Up Your Google Analytics
If you don’t have Goals or Ecommerce tracking set up in Google Analytics, stop reading this and go set it up first. These features let you measure real outcomes — like newsletter signups or purchases — in proper depth, and they’re essential for seeing whether your social media marketing is genuinely working.
Tip: Once you’ve set up a Goal or Ecommerce tracking, run a test to make sure it’s recording correctly. Complete the goal action or a test purchase yourself, then check back in Google Analytics afterwards to confirm it registered.
#3. Use Tracking Links
Use a tracking link on every post you share on social media so you know exactly where your traffic is coming from. You can look at your Referrers report in Google Analytics, but a tracking link gives you an extra layer of detail and helps confirm what Analytics is telling you.
Tip: Set up a free account with a link-shortening tool such as Bitly, and create a new tracked link for everything you share on social media. If you need to use the same URL more than once but want separate tracking, add a short code to the end of the URL before creating each new link.
#4. Structure Social Giveaways to Meet Your Objectives
Plenty of businesses are tempted to run “like and share” giveaways on Facebook. There are a couple of problems with this approach.
First, giveaways of this kind can fall foul of the platform’s own promotional rules — most social networks restrict or prohibit competitions that require sharing to personal timelines or tagging friends to enter, so it’s worth checking the current guidelines before you launch one.
Second, these giveaways often don’t contribute to your business objectives beyond a short-term bump in likes or followers. When we ask business owners what a giveaway actually delivered, they often pause. Did it collect email addresses? Did it generate sales? Think about how to structure your next giveaway so it feeds into a real business goal, not just a vanity number.
Tip: Don’t get swept up in the “we need more likes” mindset. New likes or followers are only worth having if they genuinely engage with your community or contribute to your bottom line.
#5. Use Unique Discount Codes
Set up discount codes that you use only on social media. This lets you see, in black and white, whether social is really driving results.
This is an ongoing process of testing and tweaking — which, let’s be honest, is just marketing. Try things, measure them, adjust, and try again.
Avoid reusing the same code across different channels, or you’ll never truly know where a sale came from.
Tip: Use different discount codes for different channels so you can compare performance across the board — social, email, and anywhere else you promote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my social media is actually working for my business?
Tie your social media activity to clear business objectives — such as leads, sign-ups, or sales — and track those specific outcomes each month rather than looking at likes or followers alone.
What’s the easiest way to start measuring social media results?
Set up Goals (or Ecommerce tracking) in Google Analytics and use tracking links on everything you post. Together, these give you a clear picture of what traffic and outcomes are actually coming from social media.
Are Facebook and Instagram giveaways a good way to grow my business?
They can be, but only if they’re structured to meet a real business objective — such as collecting email addresses or driving sales — rather than simply chasing more likes. Always check the current platform guidelines before running one, as the rules on giveaways do change.
Do I need special tools to track social media performance?
Not necessarily. Google Analytics (free) and a link-shortening tool with tracking, such as Bitly, are enough to get started for most small businesses.
Related Articles
- How to Build a Marketing Plan for Your Family-Focused Business
- Quick Tips for Getting Started with Google Analytics
- Simple Ways to Grow Your Business Through Local Parent Communities
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