ROI

In my last post I explored how to integrate social media metrics into key performance indicators, to help drive performance.

Our for-profit clients often challenge us to show them new ways to improve their ROI on online engagement and social media technology. It's not hard to show how improved customer satisfaction and increasing self-service can reflect directly on the bottom line.

We're now being asked more and more by not-for-profit organisations and charities to show them how their online activities can translate into benefits for them as an organisation - some of the less obvious and palpable benefits.

A key factor in the success of your community is demonstrating that it can deliver results. This is linked to the fact that the role of the community manager has risen in importance in the private sector as how they can help generate value is better appreciated.

The challenge we at SiftGroups are always set by organisations and businesses looking at online social media is typically a request to “show us examples of social media delivering measurable value (ROI)”. If only it were that simple. Like any social activity, online social media is pervasive and insidious. It cannot be corralled or managed in a traditional way.