Eighty-one per cent of those surveyed said they would link revenues to social media investment in 2010 – up from just 44% this year. The most-used metrics, according to the study, were site traffic, page views and number of fans, but the fastest-growing metrics were those linked to more concrete business results: revenue, conversion and average order value.

Bazaarvoice, which produces software for social media marketing, said measurability will “become universal” in 2010. The firm’s CMO Sam Decker said: “While not all brands know how to measure direct results, they strive to focus on business-generating impacts, rather than sheer volume of social interactions. More and more, brands will focus their social initiatives to drive commerce.”