Stop Stressing About this Metric in Your Local Business

One Metric You Don't Need to Stress About

ROI, revenue, expenses, retention, conversions...tracking metrics like these are a necessary part of business.  But are you sure you're tracking the metrics that matter? 

Sometimes we get caught up worrying about metrics that aren't directly contributing to our success, they're often called vanity metrics. 

There's one vanity metric that most local businesses get caught worrying about more than they should, the number of likes or followers they have on social media. 

MOMS CHANGING USES OF FACEBOOK

But wait?  You might be thinking, I need those likes so my messages will reach more people.  How else can I use Facebook if nobody is following my page?

The thing is, even if you have thousands of likes on your Facebook page, your posts are, on average, reaching only 1-6% of those followers. 

Moms today use Facebook as a research and search tool when it comes to local businesses.  Many aren't looking for your posts in their crowded newsfeeds.  If they want to learn about your business, they'll go straight to your profile page. 

But what about the social proof concept when it comes to likes?  Won't moms be more likely to pay attention to a business page that has 1000 likes instead of one with 100? 

Well, we asked moms and it turns out that only 8% of them say that the number of likes on social media is the most important factor influencing their decision to learn more about a local business.  

So if your primary goal when it comes to social media marketing is growing the number of likes or followers you have, you might want to reconsider.  It's great to get new likes but are those followers turning into customers?  Are they bringing revenue into your business?  Are they helping with retention and referral efforts?

It's important to have an active presence on social media if you're a local business trying to reach parents.  But it's also important to know why you're there and what you can do on social that will directly impact your business success. 

Keep watching those essential metrics but don't stress about likes and followers, you've got enough to worry about without tracking numbers that won't tell you much about the health of your local business.