I get asked a lot about ROI (return on investment) regarding the work I do with social 
media. The questions are usually in reference to how they will know that my services are worth it and how their sales and income will grow from my work on their social media. In short, I respond saying that I do not promise any sales from my work; however, there are many more things I explain in terms of ROI for social media management.
When it comes to measuring the worth of my services, I explain to my clients that I can only promise growth on their social media and brand consistency. These two things, in my experience, lead to increased revenue and sales. As I explain to my clients, it only makes sense that if you are getting in front of new eyes every day, then you will have new income as well. Unfortunately, there is not always a way to track that direct correlation to my work.
Often times, people will not tell business owners where they found them, and the business owners are not asking. If you are genuinely interested in knowing whether you are seeing an ROI with social media management, this question is crucial. Without knowing where your sales are coming from, you can not accurately determine if the investment is working or worth it.
Another thing I find is that if a business is banking on my services, gaining them new income alone without other parts of their business changing and evolving, they will likely not see new sales. While I keep my promises of growth and consistency, I cannot promise to grow your business. Small businesses have to keep trying new things to keep up. With the internet and changes in buying behaviors, it only makes sense that small businesses have to adapt and try new things as well.
So, despite the lack of proof and validation, I can tell you that in one year with my services, one of my clients has seen an increase in their business of 65%. Another client has had record months every month over the past year, and a new client has been so busy that I have barely heard from them. Although I cannot take credit for their success they know, and I know that the work I have done for them has had an impact and they may not be where they are today without my help.
