In a world where people are sharing information via the social web faster and more often than ever, it’s important to go further than the traditional analysis model and really get involved with “impressions”. Today’s high-tech landscape with everything from analytics, AI and automation means you can drive a lot of traffic and reach even greater opportunities. So if you’re only tracking the monetary ROI you just might neglect the bigger picture.

Just like first impressions, digital impressions matter. Return on Impression measures the number of people who actually see your ad or your other marketing materials with their own eyeballs.  It is typically considered a soft metric; however it’s definitely a crucial way to measure your campaign and social media performance when it incorporates engagement and opportunity. These days, impression tracking is a common practice for measuring the value of most types of online marketing campaigns.

To make things a bit more logical, the new ROI includes two fundamental elements:  Viewable Impressions and perceptions.

Viewable Impressions

The most effective way to figure out what kind of return on impression you’re getting is to track who is viewing your ads, and what they’re doing once they see them. Do customers actually click on your ads, do they share your social media posts, or do they just continue scrolling by?

If you use google AdWords we suggest paying close attention to your click-through-rates and quality scores. CTR’s tell you how much impact the ad or post had on prospects.  By closely monitoring the click through rate you can determine the actual number of times someone has taken their cursor, placed it on your ad, and used their mouse to click on the image or link and be taken to your website. Keep in mind that every click means a visit, and visits convert into leads that you can then turn into customers.  It’s also beneficial to look at the number of users who stayed on your site after they clicked the ad, and determine how many of those who clicked actually converted.

Viewable impressions are not limited to CTR’s, as your ROI is also affected by the actual number of people who share and discuss your content.

Perceptions

Another component of Return on Impression is the perception people have of your company or brand. Remember, it is the consumers who ultimately build brands through experience and by developing feelings and emotional connections. They are also the ones who talk about brands and express their opinions online to far-reaching audiences. Your marketing success is dependent on how your content makes people feel and if it triggers some form of emotional involvement.

While the perception of a brand cannot be strictly controlled, it certainly can be influenced. Keep your brand genuine and coherent. Be consistent and persistent. On a subconscious level your customers will feel it, and their loyalty will follow suit.

Listen to what people are saying – Don’t just track what people are clicking. Dig deeper and monitor your online reputation by reading conversations and posts about your company.

While not completely quantifiable, return on impression needs to be considered in your planning and budget. Engaging and sharing are “Return on Impression” indicators, so pay attention. Sooner or later, consumer impression affects the bottom line, trust us.