What metrics are essential to track social media marketing success as a franchise?

"In 'Moving Your Brand Out Of The Friend Zone,' I emphasize meaningful connections. Key social media metrics for franchises include Engagement Rate (likes, comments, shares), Conversion Rate (actions taken from content), Follower Growth (especially local level), Brand Sentiment (positive or negative feedback), and ROI (impact on sales, leads). Each metric offers insights into audience connection and campaign effectiveness, crucial for aligning franchise marketing strategies with consumer expectations."

Several key metrics are essential for tracking the success of social media marketing for a franchise: 1. **Engagement Rate:** Measures likes, comments, shares, and overall interaction with your content. It indicates how well your audience is engaging with your franchise's social media posts. 2. **Reach:** Reflects the number of unique users who see your content. It's crucial for understanding the potential audience exposure. 3. **Click-Through Rate (CTR):** Tracks the percentage of users who click on a link in your social media post. Tailoring these metrics to the specific goals and objectives of your franchise's social media strategy will provide a comprehensive view of your marketing performance and help optimize future campaigns.

The foremost objective of any media plan is to drive sales and conversions, i.e. Return on ad spend. How many impressions were generated?, Clicks generated that resulted in leads for the brand. Key metric here to check whether the brand's Affinity is translated towards clicking on the product on brand's site and finally the purchase i.e Buy Now. Another metrics marketers neglect is the "cart abandonment" - how many clicks the product, put it in the cart but does not click"pay now" tab. Putting efficient strategies for recovering the "cart abandonment rate" leads to building e-commerce sales.

Loyalty can also be measured by the number of repeat orders a business gets, and the frequency of their visits. This is a quantifiable metric, for word of mouth, and customer trust.

Social media has a place, a growing important space in the customer's experience. But the cement is your interaction & execution. Don't hesitate to ask: 'how did you find us?', or 'did you see your last social media spot/ post?' That is the connective tissue to what is an overwhelming, if not numbing social media presence. This will solidify their experience given your job to execute on their expectation. Don't short sell your input, as social media is not the be or end all for having a customer seek you out & then, come back.