Visibility and conversions from social media has become a top priority for most enterprises. While the proliferation of social media has continued unabated, marketers have often struggled with a metric to measure their brand’s traction in social media in a complete manner.
The crux of the problem has been the different type of interactions that happen on social media. Some people respond to posts by liking them, while some actually might leave comments on that that post. A few others would share that post among their network, and some others would also end up mentioning the brand to all their connections in their ongoing conversations. While each of these actions are valuable in their own way, some marketers would like to place a premium on certain interactions when they measure their brand’s traction.
This need (from marketers) for a combined metric to measure a brand’s overall traction on social media, assigning relative weightages for the type of the interaction is usually solved by Social Media Engagement Score (SMES) or a similar aggregated engagement index.
This metric combines key engagement parameters into a single, weighted score to provide a holistic view of a brand's social media performance across months and quarters.
Definition of Social Media Engagement Score (SMES)
The Social Media Engagement Score aggregates likes, shares, comments, mentions, and other relevant interactions across all social platforms. It thus provides a single metric to evaluate overall traction and audience connection. The SMES is typically expressed as a single numeric value, providing an aggregated measure of engagement across multiple parameters. It is a relative metric, often benchmarked over time or against competitors.
Other popular terms for this Traction Metric
Social Media Engagement Score is also know by the following terms
Comprehensive Engagement Metric
Social Engagement Score
Engagement Composite Score
Social Media Engagement Index
Social Media Traction Score
Again, these terms are often used interchangeably, though the specific components and weighting may vary based on business priorities.
Focus of Social Media Engagement Score (SMES) as a Metric
The main purpose of the Social Media Engagement Score is to get a unified view of a brand’s social media traction. In particular the metric provides the following aspects to the marketing teams
It offers a consolidated view of engagement across various activities.
Helps identify whether social media traction aligns with brand goals.
Allows for easier benchmarking against competitors or industry standards.
Actual Use-Cases of Social Media Engagement Score (SMES)
The Social Media Engagement Score as a traction metric, is used by multiple teams across campaign management and optimisation contexts.
For Performance Benchmarking: Monitor trends in social media traction over time.
For Campaign Effectiveness: Gauge how specific campaigns or content types perform across platforms.
For Optimization: Identify which platforms or content require improvement.
Formula and Example of Social Media Engagement Score (SMES)
There is no universally standardized formula, as it depends on the business's priorities. However, a common formula is:
Social Media Engagement Score = (Likes Weight × Likes) + (Shares Weight × Shares) + (Comments Weight × Comments) + (Mentions Weight × Mentions)
Weights are assigned to each parameter based on its perceived importance. For instance:
Shares and mentions may have higher weights than likes, as they indicate broader reach and deeper engagement.
Adjustments can also be made for industry-specific factors (e.g., video views or click-throughs).
Let’s now calculate this Metric using the sample scenario below.
Example Scenario: A B2B SaaS start-up wants to calculate its SMES for a particular month. The start-up uses the following weighted components for its engagement score: Likes: Weight = 1, Shares: Weight = 2, Comments: Weight = 3, Mentions: Weight = 4
Data for the Month: Likes: 500, Shares: 150, Comments: 75, Mentions: 50
In this scenario, the Social Media Engagement Score is calculated as
Social Media Engagement Score = (Likes Weight × Likes) + (Shares Weight × Shares) + (Comments Weight × Comments) + (Mentions Weight × Mentions)
= (1×500)+(2×150)+(3×75)+(4×50)
=500+300+225+200
=1,225
Thus the Social Media Engagement Score (SMES) for the month is 1,225.
Interpretation: This score reflects the combined impact of various engagement activities, weighted according to their perceived importance. Higher weights for shares, comments, and mentions indicate a focus on deeper engagement and broader reach.
Guidelines for Social Media Engagement Score (SMES)
Benchmarks for SMES can vary widely based on industry, target audience, and the specific social platforms used. Below are generalised guidelines for different business types while setting SMES targets.
Note: These guidelines are illustrative. Actual target scores should be contextualized based on specific business goals, industry standards, and historical performance.
Business Type | Content Focus | Rationale |
B2B SaaS
| B2B Saas Businesses should give Higher weightage for comments and shares since discussions and content sharing drive credibility. | Long term customer engagement, and customer conversions are driven by thought leadership, industry insights, and professional content. Customers and industry participants disseminating your content is important for making impact in B2B Saas space.
|
B2C SaaS
| B2C Saas Business should focus on likes, comments, and video views to measure brand resonance.
| B2C SaaS often leverages larger audiences and viral content, leading to higher engagement scores as brand recognition grows. Getting prospective customers exposed to your product’s value proposition and triggering trials is most impactful in B2C saas domains.
|
E-commerce
| E-commerce businesses should prioritize mentions and shares as indicators of user-generated content and recommendations. | E-commerce businesses benefit from frequent promotions and user-generated content, driving higher engagement as they mature. Gaining traffic and conversions in a fast time frame is possible when customers actively share deals & offers and other personalised user generated content to friends and family. |
Key Takeaways
These 3 pints can be considered as the key take aways from this article on Social Media Engagement Score
Customization: SMES should be tailored to align with your business’s specific goals and the relative importance of different engagement metrics.
Benchmarking: Regularly compare your SMES against industry standards and historical performance to gauge progress and identify areas for improvement.
Holistic View: SMES provides a consolidated view of social media traction, making it easier to assess overall performance and make informed strategic decisions.
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