How to talk to your leaders about social media’s ROI

Social media’s return on investment (ROI) has been proven time and time again – no wonder it’s so embedded in our day-to-day lives.

However, despite all the evidence that social media is a must, communicators still struggle to get their bosses on board. For many leaders, social media appears to be more trouble than it’s worth – especially for B2B leaders who aren’t necessarily using it to sell in the same way retailers do.

If you’re struggling to get your leaders on board with your social media gameplan, keep reading to find out what points you need to make to help win them over.

4 ways to prove social media’s ROI to your boss:

 

1. Gather data. The great thing about social media is the large amounts of data you can collect, unlike other more traditional communications tactics that are hard to measure – and nothing proves a point like cold, hard data. If you don’t have metrics of your own, you can start by tracking down social media success stories from organizations similar to yours. There are many real-life examples that prove social media’s worth in terms of reach, brand awareness, engagement and, ultimately, achieving business objectives. Sites like eMarketer also provide tons of stats, charts and research on social media’s worth and effectiveness.

 

2. Focus on what you are selling. B2Bs and associations aren’t always trying to convince their audience to purchase tangible items – instead, they sell ideas. What cause or ideology are you trying to get your audience to buy into, and how can you deliver that message in a targeted way? It just so happens that Facebook has excellent audience targeting abilities – make sure your leaders understand how easy it is to connect with your ideal audience through social media.

 

3. Set measurable goals. What exactly do you want to achieve through social media? Whether you want to increase blog readership, promote your whitepaper or create more conversation around a specific issue, make sure your goal is something you can track. Dashboards like Sprout Social make it easy. The ability to measure success is one of social media’s unique benefits; make sure to include this in your pitch.

 

4. Bring in an expert. If you want to change your organization’s view on social media’s ROI, make sure to have digital media experts in your corner. Agencies and consultants have the freedom to say the things you wish you could say to your boss (like “It’s 2018, damn it!”). Having social media professionals vouch for you increases your powers of persuasion tenfold. If you need a social media team on your side, you can always get in touch with us.