The Social Media Measurement Guidelines V1.0 establish a set of methods, definitions and common practices for any entities that measure social media activity. The latest version incorporates cross-industry feedback gathered during a 30-day period of public comment, and has been co-sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies Social Media Committee, The Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

The guidelines are intended to cover methods including tracking/ counting users; interaction or engagement; and consumer listening and sentiment.

“Social media platforms and user generated content aggregators are quickly becoming primary avenues for branded or paid content, and therefore establishing uniformity for how we discuss, assess and measure traffic and engagement is critical,” said George Ivie, CEO and executive director, MRC.

“These guidelines are also an important step in the mission of 3MS – Making Measurement Make Sense – toward making the digital ecosystem a more valuable medium for everyone involved in brand advertising.”