Download teaching digital and social media metrics and

1
TEACHING DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS AND ANALYSIS
IN MARKETING COURSES
Lisa Spiller, Ph.D. – Christopher Newport University
Tracy Tuten, Ph.D. – East Carolina University
KEY TOPICS: Integrated Marketing Communications, Digital & Social Media, Marketing
Metrics, Marketing Measurement, Critical Thinking.
2
TEACHING DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS AND ANALYSIS
IN MARKETING COURSES
Abstract
Modern digital and social media formats have revolutionized marketing measurement,
producing an abundance of meaningful metrics, new tools and methodologies. This increased
emphasis on metrics in the marketing industry signifies the need for increased quantitative and
critical thinking content in our marketing course work if we are to adequately prepare our
students for today's and tomorrow's work world. This paper discusses this trend and
phenomenon; overviews the metrics currently available with digital and social media
formatsactivity, interaction and return; provides real-world examples of how organizations are
using digital and social media metrics to drive strategic marketing decisions (especially
integrated marketing communication decisions); and offers suggestions for how to weave more
digital and social media quantitative analysis and critical thinking skills into our marketing
courses.
3
Table 1 – Digital and Social Media Metrics
Category
Activity
Exemplar Measures
Number, frequency, and recency of:
Blog posts
Updates/Posts
Comments/Reply comments
White papers
Photo posts
Video posts
Activity in # of media
Interpretation
Measures of the input the brand is
making into developing a
digital/social presence.
Interaction
Number, frequency, and recency of:
Measures of customer engagement
with the brand’s digital and social
presence; Indicators suggest various
forms of response from the target
audience; Beyond basic
responsiveness, indicators may also
suggest influence beyond the initial
target audience to customers’ social
graph.
Registrations
Bookmarks/Favorites/Likes/Ratings
Comments/Posts/Mentions/Tags
Links/Trackbacks
Downloads/Installs/Embeds
Subscriptions
Fans/Followers/Friends
Share/Forward/Invite/Refer
Reviews/Testimonials
Traffic/Visits/Views/Impressions
Time spent on site
Profile development
User-generated content contributed
Discount/deal redemption rate
Echo effect/virality
Sentiment
Return
Cost/ prospects
Lead conversion rate
Average new revenue per customer
Customer lifetime value
Earned media values
Shifts in average sales/site
Traffic/search engine ratings
Share of voice
Return on Investment
Sources: Brown, 2011; Tuten & Solomon, 2013.
Measures indicate the outcome of
the digital and social strategies and
tactics and illustrate the financial
value of the actions taken.