In this series, we uncover the secrets that agencies use to build brands and multiply sales using Facebook and other social channels.
In Part 7 we look at Tracking Facebook Metrics to get the most bang for your buck.
Let’s be honest, Facebook gives you a lot of data (the only other platform that really comes close is Twitter.) The amount of information you can get from Facebook on the performance of your posts, audience demographics, and campaign tracking is amazing.
Of course, all this information available is nice, but it’s only useful if you understand how to read which data points matter most to you.
Here is a list of the most basic metrics to start with, and once we nail these down we can start digging deeper into the really cool stuff.
Engagement
Engagement measures the number of times someone took action on your posts.
That could mean clicking a link, sharing your post, making a reaction or leaving a comment.
Where can I monitor it? Track engagement through Facebook Insights.
Reach
Reach is the number of people your content is shown to on Facebook, be it posts on your timeline, or paid ads for your product/service.
Facebook moved across to a new algorithm-based feed years ago, and there was a lot of concern around many businesses seeing huge reductions in the number of people seeing organic content that is posted on the platform.
So just keep in mind, even if you’ve built up a large audience, it doesn’t mean they’ll all see your posts. That’s where reach comes into play.
Where can I monitor it? You can see an overview of your reach by going to your Page Insights.
Impressions
Another Facebook metric related to the visibility of your posts is impressions. While reach tells you how many people saw your posts, impressions measure the number of times your posts were seen. That includes if one post was seen multiple times by a single user.
Where can I monitor it? In your Facebook Insights, go to the posts tab. Click on the button for “reach” and switch it to impressions.
Facebook Referral Traffic
Facebook referral traffic is the number of visitors your website gets from Facebook. That includes traffic from people clicking links in your posts, traffic from other people sharing your articles, or visits from clicks on your profile link.
Where can I monitor it?: You can see your referral traffic in Google Analytics under Acquisition> Social > Network Referral.
Page Likes & Follows
Page Likes are the number of people that follow your page or brand on Facebook. They liked your page or opted-in to be able to have your posts show up in their feed. You can think of them as fans or subscribers.
Where can I monitor it? You can see your total number of Likes or follows directly on your Facebook page.
Facebook Video Metrics
With video becoming such a large part of Facebook, more marketers are jumping on board. Facebook provides plenty of data to allow you to measure the success of your videos, whether you’re running video ads, live streaming, or posting native Facebook videos.
Where can I monitor it? Track through Facebook Insights. Previously, Part 6: Create your own Facebook ads and start generating $$$ today.
Or, find the whole series here if you missed any!