50. 5. 432. 50,680. 1,000,000. Those are numbers, some big and some small (I’m going somewhere with this, I swear), but they mean absolutely nothing. No meaning has been attached to them. They’re just arbitrary numbers.

Numbers with substance are important. Small or big, they let us, as marketers, know how successful our efforts have been.

Putting the Number on a Pedestal.

Too often, marketers approach social media with only the numbers in mind. “We want 1 million Facebook Likers.” “How do we beat our competitor’s 50,000 Twitter followers?”

The numbers often become the focus as marketers want more and more, but that’s only half the equation, the least important half.

Numbers Need Meaning.

Numbers don’t do anything for marketers unless they have a plan for them. What those numbers should produce needs to be established first because if there isn’t a plan to mobilize your social media followers, you’re not looking to succeed in the social media space. You’re simply looking to achieve a big number that may or may not mean nothing.

Those who have elected to Like you or follow you have raised their hand. They’re bought into what you have to say. Now, they need direction from you on what to do next.

Turn the “Like” Into Something More.

Those who follow you have taken the very passive action of clicking “Like” or “Follow.” Now, turn the passive action into something active like sending an invite to a friend, contributing content or leaving a review. Mobilize them.

1 million Likers who have hidden you from their News Feeds or relegated you to a Twitter List that they never check is nothing compared to 25,000 who refer, engage and spread what you have to say.

Are your objectives in order? Are numbers everything, or do are you looking for numbers with substance? The answer to that question will go far in helping you determine if you’re looking for the right kind of success in social media.