Social Media Metrics For Dummies

Discovering the Kinds of Social Metrics Services Out There

So many types of metrics services are out there that it would be impossible to list them all in this chapter. However, here’s a quick run-through of the basic types to get you started:

Single-metrics services providers: This third-party metric service measures only one thing. One example is Twitter Grader, made by HubSpot, a service that loosely measures exactly what it sounds like — your Twitter account’s reach and activity (see Figure 1-1). Another is Klout, a service that measures volume across several networks (Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and more) and then rewards high scorers with small perks sponsored by brands (see Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-1: Twitter Grader helps you measure your Twitter account’s reach and activity.

Figure 1-2: Klout evaluates your volume across networks to arrive at a score for your social-media performance.

More detailed single-metric services like Smarterer measure your individual actual knowledge of a service, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or even Microsoft Word, in the form of a weighted test and then gives you a badge that you can display that will update as you retake tests and improve ...