“What's the ROI of social?”

It's still one of the most searched, asked and debated questions in the marketing world. And with budgets tightening and platforms shifting, the pressure to prove value has never been higher. 

Marketers know the challenge. Attribution is messy. Metrics are misunderstood. And what counts as success often depends on who you're asking.

But good news! There are ways to track the impact of your social media activity. In this post, we’ll walk through the most useful metrics and attribution models to help you measure what really matters. So you can stop chasing likes and start showing results that tie directly to business goals. So, which social metrics matter most?

Yes, likes and shares tell you something but they don’t tell you enough. Here are the metrics that go deeper.

Engagement rate

This helps you understand how well your content connects with your audience. It’s a good benchmark for brand relevance and consistency, and it’s easy to compare across platforms and industries.

Click-through rate (CTR)

Want to know if your content is nudging people to take action? CTR is your go-to. It shows how well you're moving people from passive scrollers to active visitors.

Cost per result (CPR)

If you’re spending on social, this one matters. It tells you how efficient your campaigns are at generating results and where to optimise.

Customer lifetime value (CLV) from social

This digs into long-term impact. It’s not just about one-off conversions, but identifying how valuable your social-acquired customers are over time.

How to track social conversions properly

This bit’s non-negotiable: if you want to prove ROI, you need proper tracking. Here’s how to do it right.

UTM tags

Add these to your links to track where traffic is coming from in Google Analytics. They’ll tell you which platform or campaign is driving those website visits or sales.

Tracking pixels

Tools like Meta’s pixel let you track off-platform actions like purchases or signups. Ideal for ecommerce or lead gen.

CRM integrations

Connect your CRM or online store to your social channels. This lets you follow the full customer journey from click to conversion.

What about attribution?

Even with tracking in place, the biggest question is often how much credit social deserves. That’s where attribution models come in.

First touch: credit goes to the first interaction. Best for top-of-funnel activity.

Last touch: credit goes to the final step. Works well if social is your main conversion driver.

Multi-touch: credit is split across the journey. Ideal for brands using social to nurture users over time.

Each model tells a different story — so pick one that reflects your strategy.

Our key takeaway

Social media ROI isn’t just about one magic number. It’s about building the right mix of meaningful metrics, clear tracking and smart attribution.

When you get it right, you can prove impact across the funnel. More importantly, you’ll have the insights you need to make smarter decisions with your key stakeholders, secure budget and scale the work that delivers real results. 

Want help putting the right ROI framework in place? That’s what we do. Get in touch with our team to see how we can build social that creates real impact for you and your brand.