How to measure the ROI of social networks

How to measure the ROI of social networks

Created on 22 July, 2025Social Media Marketing • 105 views

Learn how to calculate social media ROI. Track your campaigns, analyze real profits, and optimize your social marketing budget step-by-step.

What is Social Media ROI

ROI (Return on Investment) measures the effectiveness of your investment in social platforms. In simple terms — how much money you make from Instagram, Twitter (X), Pinterest, etc.

ROI formula:

(Revenue from social – Costs of social) / Costs of social × 100%

What counts as revenue

  1. Sales tracked via UTM
  2. Form submissions
  3. Bookings or consultations
  4. Affiliate link clicks
  5. Subscriptions or digital product sales

What counts as costs

  1. Time of your team or freelancer
  2. Paid ads
  3. Tools and platforms
  4. Content creation (video, design, editing)

How to track social media ROI

  1. Set clear goals. Example: “Increase sales by 20%.”
  2. Use UTM tags. Track exact sources of leads.
  3. Set up analytics. Google Analytics, native social metrics, or platforms like vibes.su.
  4. Use tracking pixels. Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, etc.
  5. Test formats. Stories, reels, posts — compare ROI between them.

How to know if your ROI is positive

ROI > 0% — profit

ROI < 0% — loss

ROI = 0% — breakeven

If your ROI is low

  1. Check your sales funnel
  2. Rework your content strategy
  3. Cut spending on low-performing channels

Conclusion

Measuring social media ROI means managing outcomes, not guessing. If you want your marketing to scale, numbers must speak louder than likes.