Before you start crunching your pretty little numbers, let’s get clear on one thing…

First what is social media? I like this definition…

Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue.

Social media is about people. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be social. Social media [when used properly] isn’t about a marketing message, it’s about conversations. Silence your advertisements and amplify your conversations.

So, here’s my take…

I believe that social media aids in accomplishing your business objectives (because of the things stated above). It (social media) is not, and in my opinion should not, be the end measurement. Rather, social media is a vehicle and set of tools to help your organization reach its goals.

Let’s look at Facebook as an example. Focusing solely on the number of Facebook fans can be a bit like watching water boil. I think that when used the right way, Facebook can contribute to your company’s goal-accomplishment and as a result your page’s Like button is clicked (…a lot).

So my question to you is this:

Does your social media presence (Fans, Followers, Subscribers, etc.) grow when you (the brand) solely focus on growing the number of connections or when you focus on using social media as a tool to accomplish your business objectives?

Looking forward to your answers in the comments below!