How to Track Your Landscaping Business’s Social Media ROI the Right Way

In the business world, you've probably heard the term ROI a bunch of times, maybe even more than you'd like. It's the magic word that tells us how much money investment is making.

However, when we track ROI on social media, there are tons of ways to figure out how you're doing and if it's all worth it. But, here's the deal: not all those numbers are created equal, and they don't always paint the clearest picture.

So, when you're keeping an eye on how your landscaping business is doing on social media, which numbers should you focus on?

Let's dive in and find out together! 

Vanity Metrics 

Before we dive into the type of metrics that do work when finding your social media’s ROI, let’s find out which ones don’t work.

Vanity metrics are metrics that look impressive on paper but don't necessarily translate into business results. For example, having a large number of followers doesn't mean that they're all engaged with your content or that they're likely to convert into customers.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when tracking vanity metrics:

• Followers: Your following number is important, but it doesn’t tell you how active those followers are. Whether they’re genuinely interested in your brand, or if they’re ever going to buy anything from your business.
  
  
• Impressions: Impressions tell you how many times your content has been seen, but they don't tell you how people are interacting with your content. For example, someone may have seen your ad, but they may not have clicked on it or read it.
  
  
• Traffic: If 1,000 people visit your website, but none of them buy anything or even return to your site, you might as well have gotten 0 visitors. 

Better Ways to Track Your Metrics 

Think of tracking metrics like a farmer tending to a garden. Just counting the seeds you plant won't reveal how many will sprout and become healthy plants. Instead, focus on measuring the number of plants that sprout, the ones that bloom with flowers, and those that bear fruit.

Similarly, in social media marketing, tracking vanity metrics is like keeping a tally of the seeds you sow. It's important, but it doesn't give you the full picture. So, what should you concentrate on instead? Here are the top three ways to truly gauge your social media marketing performance:

• Engagement: Think of engagement as a conversation at a party. Engagement tracks shares, likes, and comments which are like people actively joining in the discussion, not just quietly listening in. It's a sign that they're genuinely interested in what you're saying and want to be part of the conversation, rather than just passively observing your posts.
  
  
• On-site Behavior: Take a look at your social-specific traffic within Google Analytics. How is this traffic behaving on your site? What pages are they visiting, and how interested are they in your content? If they tend to bounce after a page or two, you might be targeting the wrong audience.
  
  
• Conversions: Conversions are king! First, to measure conversions, you set up “goals” in Google Analytics to determine how many social media users, especially, are taking meaningful action to your website. You can define this “meaningful” action however you like, and even assign a value to it. What’s truly important is that you know the percentage of your social media traffic that is actually taking action, and how much value those actions are creating. 

Need More Help Finding Ways to Track Your Online Presence? 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all of the ways that you can track your social media? We understand the struggle. Finding industry-specific resources can be tough, but your solution is here – the Landscape Marketers Bootcamp! Join us in this 6-week course led by industry pros, Jenna Richardson and myself, Kelly Dowell.

With us, you'll dive deep into the world of marketing strategy, lead generation, email marketing, social media, advertising, and beyond!

Don't let this opportunity pass you by – reserve your spot today for our virtual sessions starting in October, and let's elevate your marketing game together!