In the age of information overload, having a social media measurement practice is the key to successful execution of your social strategy. In this session, Debra Askanase looked at what data points tell you that your community cares and is willing to take action, a methodology to figuring what data is relevant to your outcomes, where to find the metrics that matter, and why setting up the right metrics can make the difference between knowing that people visited a page on your website, and if your social media actions sent them there.

1. Measuring What Matters:
Meaningful Metrics
Social Media for Nonprofits
Debra Askanase,
Digital Engagement Strategist
@askdebra

2. Data Data Data Everywhere
What’s important is that you can find what you need
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90106931@N00/5150336351/

3. Data you can find
Relevant data
Data you
need

4. Data-checking ourselves
Data for decisions
Does it
inform
decisions?
SMART goal progress
Does it
check our
progress?
Matterness data
Does it
show if we
Matter?

5. Data-Informed Decision-Making
Will this help me make a decision about, or
change..?
◉ The way I work
◉ The way the organization does its work
◉ Current initiatives
◉ Planned initiatives
◉ Long-term direction

6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/32066106@N06/19682903722/
Beware the Vanity Metric!

7. Common Vanity Metrics
◉ Size of online community
◉ Impressions / Views
◉ Social ad reach
◉ Influential followers/fans
◉ Your own Klout
◉ Number of social and blog posts
◉ Mentions
A Vanity Metric does not inform your work, help
you make decisions, or help you Matter*
* Sometimes the boss wants these anyway. We call this “ego-checking.

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/55738177@N0
0/141616404/
Finding SMART Goals to
Measure*
*Does it check our
progress?

9. Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Volunteers
Membership/Partici
pation
Donations
Specific segment
attraction
SMART Communication Goals

10. Aspirational SMART
Increase traffic to donations page Increase online donations through
website by 10-15% in 2015
Increase social media fan
engagement
Increase amount of conversation
and interaction within our social
media spaces by 20% in 2015
New member acquisition 20% more online membership
sales as a result of social media
referrals Jan – June 2016
*Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound
Aspirational > SMART Goals

11. Can You Measure It?
1. Increase online donations by 10-15% in 2015
Google Analytics: referral visits to website from
social media channels, form completions
2. 20% more social media channel engagement
Comments, Shares, RTs, @mentions,
Favorites
3. New member acquisition
New member form downloads, form
completions from social media

12. Blog Mobile & apps
Social
networks
Video/Photo
Website

13. Matterness-informed
Decision-Making
◉ Will this information help our
organization to recognize, value, and
hear our stakeholders?
◉ Will this help us recognize stakeholders
who can co-create, contribute, and
become part of the organization?
◉ Will this data connect us to those who
care and will take action?

14. Matterness + SMART Metrics
What
matters to
stakeholders
Demonstrates
you matter to
stakeholders
Identifying who
cares deeply
SMART
goals
Most engaging
content
Conversation
(public and private)
Participation in
online events
Social
referrals
Least engaging
content
Participation when
asked
Consistent
sharing/conversatio
n
Conversions
Clickthroughs Shares of content Recruits and acts
when asked
Downloads,
donations,
etc.

15. Share Pair:
What Matters Most?
What social metrics do you need to accurately
inform the direction or work of your organization?

16. How do I do this?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25171207@N02/4204137856/

17. Daily Metrics –
Steering the Ship
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8755284@N03/610859608/

18. Daily Metrics –
Steering the Ship
What matters to your stakeholders &
What demonstrates you matter
◉ What content resonates?
◉ What content misses?
◉ Who’s engaging with us, and why?
◉ What’s picking up steam?

21. Monthly & Quarterly -
Goal-oriented
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36196762@N04/5112925348/

22. Monthly & Quarterly Metrics -
Goal-oriented
◉ Online community growth
◉ Most engaged posts/tweets/pins/videos
◉ Overall engagement trend
◉ Most engaged online fans
◉ Website metrics that matter
◉ A specific goal metrics
◉ A specific metric that informs my practice

23. Example: Facebook Metrics

24. Checking Progress
Where It Counts

26. Create your own GA Dashboard

27. Supplement with 3rd Party Apps
Use other apps to help you gather data, listen, and respond:
◉Sprout Social
◉ Mention.com
◉ True Social Metrics
◉ Hootsuite
◉ Bit.ly
◉ etc.

28. Goals:
1.) New
emails
2.) ID
leaders
3.) $$

29. Measuring What Matters
What
matters to
stakeholders
Demonstrates
you matter to
stakeholders
Identifying who
cares deeply
SMART
goals
Most engaging
content
Conversation
(public and private)
Participation in
online events
Social
referrals
Least engaging
content
Participation when
asked
Consistent
sharing/conversatio
n
Conversions
Clickthroughs Shares of content Recruits and acts
when asked
Downloads,
donations,
etc.

30. Review
◉ Determine your data needs to measure
◉ Know how to find the data your need
◉ Check all three types of data: decision-
making, goals progression, Matterness
◉ Create a daily and quarterly
measurement practice
◉ Share your data with the organization

31. Thank you!
Email: debra@communityorganizer20.com
Website: communityorganizer20.com
Blog: http://communityorganizer20.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/debraaskanase
Twitter: @askdebra
Other slides: slideshare.net/debask
Telephone: (617) 682-2977

32. CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and
released these awesome resources for free:
◉ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
◉ Photographs by Unsplash