We know the KPI (Key Performance Indicator) as a mean of measuring target achievement in a project or a job. So what is the KPI for social media? The answer to this question will probably be a deciding matter which makes many agencies to peacefully keep focus to execute client’s request.

In any project, a measurement tool is required to determine an achievement, as well as social media based projects. If a brand wants to measure the level of awareness after the campaign, then the brand should like to know how much the media is talking about it. Or if the brand would like to know how big an activity on social media can be converted for sales, it would need another measurement tool, and so on.

The easiest measurement on social media platform is the one provided on each service, such as number of followers on Twitter or the whole parameter on Facebook Insight. The problem is, these available data sometimes is not the data that can be used as an appropriate measurement tool. For example, follower cannot be directly used to measure a success of a campaign, even for brand awareness.

Achievement of significant follower count within targeted time should be added with the amount of buzz of the brand, to at least be able to know how deep the campaign ‘gets into’ the followers. Lack of knowledge about the measurement technique and target makes all activities to be measured by only the available tool, without trying to make further effort by using other measurement tools to get much more accurate and fit desired result.

Broadly speaking, the crucial things to be measured in an activity on social media fall into two factors, namely:

1. Buzz or in a simple language, how much this activity is discussed. In the context of PR, this is very important.
2. Sentiment, if the number of followers has been measured, the amount of buzz can also be seen, then the conversation with the context of the activity being measured becomes important. Imagine if the number of followers exploded, the amount of buzz of certain keywords jumps high, but when measured it turns out that 70% of the conversation is actually suing, denounce and discredit your campaign. Can you said that it’s a good achievement?

There are more derivatives of the two points mentioned above, and I’m sure it can continue to grow with our ability to formulate a conclusion so accurate result can be obtained. And in the end, KPI in social media is not as simple as chasing a target of number of followers, although there is an argument that says the more follower we get, then the probability percentage of a campaign to be seen is bigger, too. Well, we need something more concrete than just number of followers, which eventually can be obtained by purchasing it from follower providers that sprouting like mushrooms.

Abang Edwin is a practitioner of online community management since 1998 long before the term social media/social networks become popular. He began his journey by experimenting with several online communities which eventually successful at that, to this day he still gives consultations about knowing character and foster online communities for brands / agencies and individuals.

He was at Yahoo! for over 4 years as a community manager. Currently he is Country Manager – Indonesia for Thoughtbuzz.net, a social media monitoring company.

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