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The One Facebook Metric You Should Be Measuring

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Reporting on your Facebook strategy using Fans as a benchmark is like reporting on your website strategy using hits. Sure, it’s a big number, but it really does not provide a clear picture of your true results. Learn how to find the engagement rate of your Fan Page using two easy Facebook metrics.

First, a word about Fans.

Fans are great.  We love to see more people becoming fans of our client's pages.  But you know what?  Fans are worthless.

As a group, they are.

As an individual advocate is a different story, for a different article.

This article is part of the Travel 2.0 #social 101 Marketing Series.

As for fans.

Nearly half of them (40%) don't want to see your marketing messages...or any messages for that matter.  On top of that about a third of them (38%) will simply stop following your updates.  And at least half  will never come back to your fan page...ever (Exact Target, Subscribers, Fans and Followers Report).

Not to mention the fact that there is a wide ranging answer to the question of fan value...$3.60 or $136, depending which shameless, self-promoting 'report' you believe.

Reporting on your Facebook strategy using Fans as a benchmark is like reporting on your website strategy using hits.

Sure, it's a big number, but it really does not provide a clear picture of your true results.

Instead, take a look at the engagement rate of your fans using two metrics from Facebook Insights:  Monthly Active Users and Lifetime Likes.

Using the formula below it is quite simple to find the engagement rate of your fans, and a clearer picture of your Facebook success.

Travel 2.0 - Facebook Engagement Rate

Now, the amount Lifetime Likes will shift the final percentage.  For example if you have 1,000,000 followers, your engagement rate will be lower simply because of the scale.

That said, the engagement rate certainly provides a more accurate metric on the overall success of your Facebook Fan Page.

And is a much better metric than total fans.

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Troy Thompson

Troy Thompson is a respected consultant, speaker and thought-leader in the tourism industry. Principal at the Travel 2.0 Consulting Group and Founder of mark, Troy provides destinations, DMOs and CVBs with answers to difficult digital marketing questions.

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  • http://www.centralcoastwebservices.com Davek

    I think this is an important metric, but it's like saying all baseball players should only be rated on their batting average. Depends on what you want or outcomes you can hope for from your Facebook presence.

  • http://www.travel2dot0.com/ Troy Thompson

    Hi Dave,

    Thanks for the comment. Absolutely correct, one should not measure any campaign or strategy with just one metric.

    However, for this post, we are saying that the Engagement Rate is a better number than the total Fan count.

    That said, I am not sure how anyone could say, 'well, we just want a whole bunch of fans'...we don't care what they do, who they are or if they are even interested in our product...just make that number go up.

    Unfortunately, quite a few of our peers are currently using this shortsighted approach with Facebook.

    Thanks again.

    - Troy

  • Anonymous

    Good post. According to this, our engagement rate is 106%. How does that compare with other travel facebook pages?

  • http://www.johnhopejohnstone.com John Hope-Johnstone

    Troy, as always, I like everything you say. I think the formula you expouse is a secondary level metric but not top of the mountain. Your comments about "fans" and their value is most likely accurate, however the stats are no different than marketing has always shown. We have always had fervent followers and those on the fringe. Our job is to keep them with us as they move to fulfillment and then onto conversion, with great content.

    My biggest problem with your excellent formula as a top tier metric, is just the fact that it is a formula (although delightfully simple). In my years of marketing, and I am sure you have experienced this as well. The people with whom we have to report do not like or trust formulas. They want warm body counts. Also I like the concept of being able to relate actions to the purchasing cycle. So I relate "liking" a facebook business page as being within the "brand awareness" stage of marketing. "Impressions" are within the "fulfillment" stage and "Conversion" well we still have to work on that. I think the formula is great but my only comment is not right at the top of the information mountain as far as a reporting metric. Thanks for excellent information. Looking forward to seeing you in Montana.

  • http://www.travel2dot0.com/ Troy Thompson

    Hi Milena,

    Thanks for the comment.

    Wow, 106% is fantastic. Without looking at the Facebook Insights page, one can see how such a score is possible. The interaction between the fans is quite good, plus a variety of fans posting comments...not just the same person on each post.

    As for a benchmark, most destinations / travel pages are around the 25% range.

    Nice work.

    - Troy

  • Andrew

    Hi,

    What should be viewed as poor, average, good
    and great in terms of engagement percentages?

Strategic Tourism Consulting


Travel 2.0 Consulting Group is the premier strategic-planning consulting firm with an exclusive focus on tourism / travel destinations and tourism-centric advertising agencies. [+]

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