The debate goes on and on in higher education marketing regarding whether it is possible to measure the ROI of social media. At Converge, we demonstrate that it can be measured. You just need to ask the right questions, use social media monitoring tools, and Google Analytics effectively. Measuring social media requires a level of detail that will span several blog posts during the coming weeks, so stay tuned as this post is solely the introduction to the topic.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of reviewing a custom Google Analytics report with a client. The client asked, “How do I tell from my inquiry form what individuals are coming from social media?”  Great question!  To answer that question, we need to:

• Set up a goal in Google Analytics for completion of the inquiry form
• Set up a Custom Segment for the goal completion of the inquiry form specifically for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube

Converge is very excited to engage with nearly 40 people next Thursday and Friday at our Google Analytics Workshop in Chicago, where similar questions will be explored and answered! Seats are limited, but we have a few more openings. We hope to see you there!

Questions for You:

• What inquiries are coming from social media and are they converting?
• Which social mediums are contributing to the inquiries that turn into applications?
• Are you using social media to promote your inquiry form? Has it paid off?