IAB Launches Framework for Social Media Measurement

Digital trade body the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), has launched a framework to guide social media measurement in the UK.

The IAB's Social Media Council (IAB SMC) - whose members include site owners, creative, media and search agencies, as well as social specialists and clients - has developed the framework in partnership with digital and direct marketing agency Tullo Marshall Warren (TMW).

Other trade bodies and organisations with an interest in social media are invited to provide feedback, in order for the framework to evolve. The IAB SMC is also calling for case studies to illustrate how the model applies in practice, and to help build a database of results against the framework.

'If we genuinely want social media to be taken seriously it's imperative we start making it much more accountable,' states Richard Pentin, IAB SMC member and Group Planning Director at TMW. 'The IAB social media measurement framework is designed to do exactly that.'

The new guidelines use the letters I, A and B as a point of reference:

• I = intent -the IAB recommends that no social media activity should take place without first developing a set of objectives to determine which key performance indicators (KPIs) are most relevant to measurement of success.
• A= awareness, appreciation, action, advocacy - the four main areas within which KPIs can be set.
• B = benchmark - to provide competitor and industry averages and evaluate success more consistently.

'Whilst as an industry we have not yet found that golden metric that can prove social media ROI across the board, we're taking massive steps in bringing greater clarity, structure and standardization to social media measurement,' concludes Tony Effik, Chair of the IAB SMC and Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Modem.

The framework can be downloaded on the IAB SMC blog at www.iabuksocial.co.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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