On Facebook, engagement is just the beginning

by. Tracey Parsons

Bank CEO: “Why is there a puppy on our Facebook page?”

Social Media Community Manager: “Because puppies get great engagement.”

Bank leadership: “Huh???”

While this exchanges sounds farcical, it’s not that big a stretch from actual conversations occurring at banks and credit unions everywhere. Social media managers tend to believe unequivocally that “engagement is good,” which might lead them to publish somewhat random or irrelevant material on their institutions’ Facebook pages.

Engagement all by itself is the wrong measuring stick in social media. It is the one of the easier things to measure — how many people are talking about your brand and/or Facebook page — which is why it remains a popular topic. But at the end of the day, a highly engaged audience doesn’t mean people are buying more products or even your customer. It simply means you shared something they like.

With that perspective in mind, here are the three biggest reasons people tend to assume engagement is more important than it really is.

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