Likes and followers feel good, but they do not tell you whether social media brings business. ROI means comparing what you put in with what you get back.
What you put in
- Your time or staff time (put a value on it).
- Freelancer or agency fees.
- Ad spend.
- Tools and content production.
What you get back
- Enquiries: DMs, calls, WhatsApp chats, form fills.
- Sales from those enquiries.
- Website visits from social; tag links with our UTM link builder.
- Repeat customers and referrals.
Simple tracking
- Ask every new customer how they found you.
- Label social DMs that turn into enquiries.
- Use unique codes or links for social offers.
- Record monthly totals.
Calculate
ROI = (profit from social customers − social media costs) ÷ costs. Use our ROI calculator.
Indirect value
Some value is harder to measure: trust, brand recall, recruitment. Note it, but focus decisions on measurable results.
Give it time
Organic social builds over months. Review quarterly rather than weekly.
Want the full picture? This article is part of Social media marketing: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
