The fact that incorporating social media into sales and marketing can generate return on investment has been and continues to be proven. Just search “social media ROI” or “proof that social media marketing works” and you will have plenty of proof. That’s not the problem. The problem is the question about ROI is still being asked, and it’s because many people are still unclear about how to measure ROI and not about whether they can prove it can be measured. That confusion is why the following five questions are so important when it comes to understanding where to start, what to focus on, and what meaningful social media ROI looks like. Many organizations start in the wrong place or focus on the wrong metrics. Hopefully the following will prove helpful.

1. 5
QUESTIONS
TO ASK
ABOUT
SOCIAL
MEDIA ROI

2. Does Social Media provide ROI?

4. IN FACT…
There are 5 QUESTIONS you need to ask yourself
to help you understand:
WHERE to start
WHAT to focus on
WHAT meaningful social media ROI looks like

5. 1. What are your organization’s
objectives for the next 4-6 months?

6. In too many organisations,
social media is not integrated
with the current sales and
marketing objectives

7. Which results in little or
no ability to measure
the impact of social
media

8. 2. How well are you serving
your customers?

9. Find out how
customers feel
about your
products or
services

10. OTHERWISE

11. You run the risk of
drawing attention to their
dissatisfaction as you
embark on a social media
initiative.

12. 3. Are you confident about how you measure
results of your sales and marketing efforts?
1
2

13. How good is your organization
at tracking and measuring its
own performance now?

14. Do different departments cooperate
and collaborate to ensure that an
action in one area generates an
outcome that can be measured in
another?

15. Or in other words,
if you post a tweet with a link to a
landing page, can you see how
that tweet contributed to referral
traffic and the conversions on the
landing page?

16. 1
6
4. What is your organization’s readiness to
adopt social media and the associated
responsibilities and performance
measurement processes?

17. • Are you clear on your objectives?
• Have you determined the current state
of customer satisfaction?
• Have you aligned different business
units and departments?
• Are the necessary processes and
measurement capabilities in place?
• Have you identified and rallied a very
willing group of people eager to take
on this new challenge?

18. 1
8
5. Are you prepared to be wrong?

19. You will receive feedback from the
market that will inform refinements
and dramatic changes to your
strategy.

20. You need to be willing to
accept the feedback and
adjust your efforts accordingly

21. For more on this topic see:
http://www.steamfeed.com/five-questions-ask-social-media-roi/

22. volterraconsulting.com

23. • Photo slide 2+5: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosauraochoa/3256859352
• Photo slide 7: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marfis75/9162122990/
• Photo slide 8+9 : photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rudolfgetel/7223477076/
• Photo slide 10: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/1135876473/
• Photo slide 11: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeyh/2698743188/
• Photo slide 14: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bradhoc/7343762168/
• Photo slide 15: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/teegardin/5537894072/

24. • Photo slide 16: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/17258892@N05/2588347668/
• Photo slide 18: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/proimos/4199675334/
• Photo slide 20: photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bu7amd/3504462264/
• Photo slide 21; photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulgi/280789933/

25. volterraconsulting.com