We ran a survey of small businesses. What we found was telling.

Of the businesses we spoke to, 87% were actively using Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. They were putting 6% of their revenue into these platforms. (Not 6% of their marketing budget. 6% of their total revenue.)

And yet, most of these businesses had no idea if their efforts were fruitful. If they were spending money on social media— to run ads or boost posts— they didn’t know if these messages were hitting real people who then converted into customers. These businesses would post status updates, photos, and videos, and have loose metrics around engagement. If a post got some comments, they’d take it as a success, albeit one they were still unsure about.