When you post on your company’s social media sites, do you await results like a giddy schoolchild? Do you jump up and down, clap your hands, and exclaim, “Yaaaaayyy!!!!” when someone likes, comments, or shares your post? Or am I the only one who does that?

Likes, comments, and shares make you feel good. They affirm that other humans acknowledge your existence. On a savvier level, these forms of engagement also help you determine which content resonates most with your audience.

But beware. You can’t look at the straight numbers to evaluate post performance. Let’s just say:

Post A gets 12 likes, 1 comment, and 0 shares.
Post B gets 7 likes, 1 comment, and 1 share.

I would argue that Post B has more engagement. Why? Because likes, comments, and shares are not created equal.

Likes. It’s easy for anyone to like a post. Even Abby, our neighborhood stray cat, could like a post if I showed her how. (Until then, I’ll continue to have her like posts by gently pressing her paw on my trackpad). How about you? How many times have you mindlessly liked a stream of Facebook posts just to make your friends feel good? Sometimes I wonder how many likes are sympathy likes vs. sincere likes.

Comments. Ah, comments are better. Someone took time out of their busy day to type something. Comments should count more than likes, right?

Shares. If someone values your post enough to share it with their own followers—with their reputation on the line—you’ve hit the jackpot.

Since likes, comments, and shares are weighted differently, consider applying the 1-5-10 formula. Yes, this is incredibly nerdalicious. I love it.

Like = 1 point
Comment = 5 points
Share = 10 points

So in the example above, Post A gets 17 points. Post B gets 22 points. Post B wins! Time for a pizza party!

If you want to be super-nerdalicious, you can export your post analytics into an Excel spreadsheet and apply the weighted values, assuming you have a large enough data set for meaningful results. Wow. Just typing this paragraph brings me thrills.

But whether you choose to go the super-nerdalicious route—or simply eyeball your results—you can use the information to tweak your content strategy and post more winning content.

How do you analyze your social media success? Drop us a line at info@deshoutout.com. We’d love to hear from you!