The Biggest Social Media Headache: Metrics
Marketers have little trouble getting funding for social media projects—even finding staff isn’t much of a problem. But they do have trouble measuring ROI, according to a survey by The Creative Group.
Of over 500 executives interviewed, 40% said their biggest challenge is quantifying ROI Another 19% cited finding knowledgeable staff. Only 13% described budgeting as their biggest hurdle.
Marketers also find it hard to define ROI.
“The social media landscape is changing constantly, making it difficult for companies to not only determine which channels to focus on but also how to effectively measure the impact of their efforts,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group, in a statement.
She added that staffing, while not the biggest obstacle, presents its own challenges.
“Companies want people who are passionate about using social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, and who recognize and can take advantage of business applications for these channels,” she said.
Of the executives interviewed by The Creative Group, 375 were with companies with 100 or more employees.
The Greatest Challenge
- Measuring or defining return on investment—40%
- Finding knowledgeable staff to execute social media tasks—19%
- Finding budget for social media initiatives—13%
- Gaining executive support for social media initiatives—10%
- Other—2%
- Nothing/no challenges—13%
- Don’t know/no answer—4%