The pandemic's effect on companies, especially SMEs, has been enormous. Traditional brick-and-mortar markets have changed online, forcing SMEs to reconsider their marketing strategies.

Without a question, social media has become an essential marketing tool for businesses looking to expand their brand in the crowded internet market, with 92 percent of marketers claiming that it has helped them get awareness. However, not all social media platforms are created equal, and each network serves a different function for companies.

Here, we look at the social media platforms that dominated in 2021, as well as the methods SMEs can employ on each channel to make sure they're getting the most out of it.

Define the aims and objectives

You should think about what your company wants to accomplish with social media marketing early on in the campaign planning process. When it comes to picking a social media platform and measuring the effectiveness of a social campaign, it's critical that companies define their goals. These goals might range from raising brand recognition to reaching out to potential consumers and generating new leads, or all of the above.

After you've decided on your objectives, the following stage is to figure out how you'll measure your progress. The easiest way to achieve this is to employ social media analytics that are aligned with your goals. Organic reach rate, click-through rate, video watch rate, engagement rate, and growth rate are all common measures. The five social media indicators that important for assessing the effectiveness of your digital marketing are broken down below.

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Rate of organic reach

The amount of unique accounts that have viewed your social media post is measured by organic reach rate. Organic reach, which excludes reach resulting from sponsored advertising, gives you insight into how your company is interacting with new consumers. The first step to increasing organic reach is to restrict your target. Concentrate on a few social media channels, then research what content performs well on those platforms.

According to the Metigy and Social Status 2021 Social Media Benchmark Report, exploiting Instagram's capabilities led in the top performing organic reach rate of 10.79 percent. The findings suggest that understanding how to make the most of the platform might help you design a digital strategy that delivers higher organic reach.

Rate of click-through

The ratio of clicks a link receives to the number of impressions is known as the click-through rate (CTR). This measure is often used in electronic direct mail (EDM), but it is also used on social media to develop content that directs visitors to a website or link.

Although it may come as a surprise to some, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for firms in this field. According to our analysis, the platform had the greatest CTR of any social media network, at 4.30 percent on average, compared to 0.38 percent on Facebook.

The percentage of people that watch videos
The number of individuals that watched your video material is measured by the video view rate (VVR). VVR is most effective on Facebook, with an average view rate of 45.46 percent. Given these figures, it's evident that video content is a valuable asset, but how can you put it to work for you and increase your VVR?

Having clear and concise subtitles as well as an appealing thumbnail will draw attention to the video. Subtitles may also assist increase your watch rate, and including a call to action encourages viewers to connect more deeply with your material.

% of people who are engaged (public and private)

The engagement rate is a statistic that determines how interested your audience is in your content. The engagement of your followers (likes or comments) divided by the number of followers is referred to as public engagement. On the other hand, private engagement is the number of engagements divided by the total reach. Private is often used to monitor your personal progress over time.

This number is especially beneficial if you're wanting to increase your visibility, with YouTube topping the group with 0.66 percent average public interaction rates. However, with an average of 7.95 percent, Instagram holds the top place for private interaction rates.

High engagement rates demonstrate that your content is useful to your audience and help you climb the ranks of the all-powerful algorithm. Furthermore, engaging your audience is a guaranteed approach to create connections and quickly resolve client difficulties.

The pace of growth

The growth rate of your social profiles is a metric that is often assessed at the beginning and conclusion of each month. As the popularity of digital networking grows, LinkedIn is once again at the top of the lists for the quickest growth rate, at 2.82 percent.

Growth rate is the most often used measure, and it indicates how well all of your other indicators are functioning. Creating original material, publishing at the proper times, leveraging hashtags, and connecting with followers are all strategies that will aid in your development.

Businesses must examine techniques to enhance social media outcomes as more customers migrate online and social media continues to grow. Businesses are turning to AI-powered digital marketing technologies to help them establish data-driven plans and increase efficiency, in addition to evaluating KPIs. Businesses may use these tactics to break through the clutter and effectively reach their target consumers, resulting in better outcomes.

Thanks to David Fairfull at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.