Mirror, Mirror, on my phone... Who's the most popular of them all?

When you work in Social Media marketing, and you’re good at your job, you are always careful to buffer any social media metrics with the “vanity check.”

We had over 480 likes on our post with 123 comments and 38 shares.

Any client would be excited about this. But I’m more concerned about whether this drove action - either calls to their establishment or customers in their front door. By 2019, most of us have experienced social media in some personal way.

Think about any time you post on social media around a personal event. “Friends” like or comment and the bigger the event (a baby, a marriage) the higher the response rate. Fantastic. Now how many of those people were invited to the wedding? How many do you expect to see your baby in person (and would you want them to)? These likes and hearts may make us feel good for the short-term, but then what happens? Someone else has some major event and the attention shifts to them. Such is life.

And such is marketing. Opening a new bar, or selling a unique yoga package, may garner lots (and I mean LOTS) of likes, comments and shares - but if you’re not constantly staying in front of those people their attention will go elsewhere to whoever has the sexiest new bar or a fancier new yoga space.

We live and breathe in these metrics on a personal - and sometimes professional - level, but what has actually been gained?

As a marketer, I do care about these metrics. Because the higher they are, the more likely they will lead to actual conversions of leads. But, like with my own personal approach of social media, I’m only caring about the people who would actually get in their car to come meet the newest member of my family (husband, baby, dog or otherwise) just like I only care about those people who actually come to your place of business and buy that damn drink.

If you manage your social media for your business, keep your vanity in check. It’s easy to click a button in the comfort of your home or while sitting at a stop light in traffic, or while you’re mindlessly scrolling at 2AM because of insomnia. Manage your expectations on what that means - in your personal life and in your business. It’ll make you happier - and more successful - overall.