One of the big challenges we face with new-to-the-U.S. and new-to-the-World suppliers is a practical understanding of social media marketing objectives and metrics.

In the olden days (ca. 2010) fans and followers were what got counted, reported and used as a yardstick. Unfortunately those metrics didn’t and still don’t provide any real value, much less insight.

There’s a rich choice of tools now, both native (Google/Facebook/Twitter analytics) and purpose-built that can be integrated into a brand’s social media management infrastructure.

But whatever tool or scheme you use, we’ve found it incredibly important to separate the soft from the hard metrics.

So here’s a handy little chart I use to help us and our clients stay focused on measuring what matters…action.

I talk about this subject in more depth in my new book How to Get U.S. Market-Ready, available on Amazon.com and Amazon.it in the EU. I’m also offering a FREE chapter to anyone who registers at www.GetUSMarketReady.com.