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Stephan Hovnanian

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You are here: Home / Blog / Say it with me: engagement doesn’t pay bills

Say it with me: engagement doesn’t pay bills

Published: February 14, 2020

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Most social media marketers I work with still feel like engagement is the king of KPIs.

Yet, likes, comments and shares don’t pay bills. Revenue does.

Unless you’re selling directly on social channels (and even then we can argue semantics), don’t expect “ROI” from social media marketing. It’s a fool’s errand in the long run.

Instead, benchmark your return against the impact social has on other revenue-driving (or cost-saving) business KPIs, like:

  • Foot traffic
  • Web traffic (and traffic quality)
  • Time-to-hire
  • Time-to-close
  • Customer satisfaction

If you agree, but your boss or CMO is still all about that engagement, a simple way to challenge their thinking is to ask, “why?”

Dir of Mktg: “We want to increase followers by 30% in 2020”
You: “why?”

Repeat asking “why” long enough, and you’ll eventually peel that onion all the way back to a reason that impacts revenue.

Then, and only then, can you build a strategy where engagement actually means something.

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Stephan Hovnanian

I am a Strategy Consultant on Sprout Social’s professional services team. As a speaker and trainer, I focus on developing world-class practitioners of social and advocacy programs. Before joining Sprout, I ran a marketing consultancy for 15 years, and use that experience to shape the strategy of social programs so they launch successfully and drive measurable business value.

Latest posts by Stephan Hovnanian (see all)

  • Reflecting on a core values challenge - November 27, 2020
  • Adopt these communication norms for better meetings, emails and chat messages - July 8, 2020
  • Data can lead, but only if you know where you’re going - April 14, 2020
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Filed Under: Blog

Stephan Hovnanian

I am a Strategy Consultant on Sprout Social’s professional services team. As a speaker and trainer, I focus on developing world-class practitioners of social and advocacy programs. Before joining Sprout, I ran a marketing consultancy for 15 years, and use that experience to shape the strategy of social programs so they launch successfully and drive measurable business value.

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I’m a huge proponent of putting the “social” in “social media.” Let’s get to know one another on Twitter or Instagram. I also welcome the opportunity to speak on your podcast, webcast, or at your next event.

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Latest Articles and Appearances

Reflecting on a core values challenge

November 27, 2020 (Blog)

Adopt these communication norms for better meetings, emails and chat messages

July 8, 2020 (Blog)

Data can lead, but only if you know where you’re going

April 14, 2020 (Blog)

Say it with me: engagement doesn’t pay bills

February 14, 2020 (Blog)

What a kick in the butt taught me about trust

August 5, 2019 (Blog)

Advocacy in a Box – MarketingProfs B2B Forum #MPB2B

November 10, 2018 (Presentations)

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