Do you know what I really hate? Regional accents? Mayo? Windows Vista? The word “Fiancé”? Well, of course I hate all those things, who doesn’t? However, there is something I hate even more: people that measure social media by “Likes” and “Follows”.

Since the dawn of Facebook marketing, every social media “expert”, “ninja” and “guru” has tried to come up with some sort of formula that will measure one’s success in the digital space. Some will hang their hat on their large number of fans while others will tout their robust Klout score. While these metrics might look impressive on paper… do they really mean anything?

As a Social Media Manager, it is my goal to not only create dialogue with the target, but increase the brand’s reach within the industry. Do I want people to LIKE the page I manage? Yes, but only if they fit within the mold of the demo I am targeting. I could have a million LIKES, but if they aren’t my target, how is it going to benefit my client?

For example, I used to manage a page that only had a few hundred LIKES, but the level of engagement was very high. So high that the client actually started to turn the conversations I started into sales meetings.

What about Klout scores, you ask? Well, the real issue I have with Klout is the fact we don’t truly know how they’re measuring one’s “True Reach”. Back in October Klout changed their algorithm and many users—including myself—saw their scores plummet. Now engagement seems like a bad thing. The more you converse with others and the more information you share, the bigger hit your score takes.

Social media is—and always should be—about engagement. If you’re creating conversations and developing a following organically, your brand’s reach will expand.

Not happy with your brand’s presence on social media? We can help! At Kolbeco, we develop innovative personalized marketing messages that not only resonate with the audience, but increase brand awareness.