Balanced Scorecard in the Age of Social Commerce

The Balanced Scorecard must now address the strategic importance of social commerce, which has transformed how brands engage and grow in digital markets. Social commerce is now one of the most important things that has changed digital marketing. It combines how people use social media with easy buying on the same platform. Brands now use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Shopee Live to attract, engage, and convert customers in new ways. This is especially true in Southeast Asia, the world's fastest-growing social commerce region.

Even though technology has come a long way, many companies still use outdated metrics, isolated campaign KPIs, vanity metrics, or financial indicators that don't account for the entire digital ecosystem to measure performance. This gap between what brands measure and how customers act has become one of the most significant strategic risks by 2025. This is where the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), which has long been used to evaluate strategic performance, needs to be reconsidered for the modern world.

The Balanced Scorecard must now take into account social behavior, platform dynamics, AI-driven personalization, creator ecosystems, and signals of consumer trust. It needs to show not only what brands offer, but also how they work with audiences to create value in real time. Here is a modernized BSC framework designed to align social commerce metrics with strategic goals and facilitate data-driven decisions.

1. Financial Point of View: From Tracking Revenue to Knowing the Social ROI

Sales, cutting costs, and making a profit are still necessary traditional financial measures. But in social commerce, factors like engagement loops, creator amplification, social proof, and real-time conversion triggers can affect a business's economic performance.

New KPIs for 2025

• ROAS for campaigns run by creators

• Social-assisted conversion value (TikTok → website → checkout)

• Revenue from live commerce per minute

• How AI-driven recommendations affect sales

• How social touchpoints affect customer lifetime value (CLV)

Why it matters

Social commerce accelerates the buying process; one viral review or live stream can significantly boost revenue, making speed and virality critical KPIs.

2. From the Customer's point of view: Understanding the socialized Customer

People who shop online in 2025 don't act like traditional shoppers. They follow creators, join small groups, use content made by other users, and expect brands to be authentic.

Revised KPIs for 2025

• The Social Trust Index (the number of positive mentions compared to negative ones)

• The community retention rate (for WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord groups)

• The sentiment-driven purchase probability (measured by AI)

• The consumer–creator co-engagement rate

• The share-of-voice (SOV) across social platforms

Why it matters

The customer lifecycle today isn't a straight line; interactions depend on how well they connect with others and how well peers validate them. It's essential to measure the Customer's mindset, not just sales.

3. Internal Process Perspective: From Operations to Managing Social Commerce

Internal processes now include more than just customer service and the supply chain. They need to manage creators, run live commerce, build real-time content pipelines, and implement AI-driven moderation.

New 2025 KPIs

• Live stream operational readiness

• Average response time to social inquiries

• Creator onboarding and performance cycle time

• UGC content approval time

• Fraud detection and authenticity verification metrics

Why it matters

Social commerce falls apart without well-organized internal processes. Consumers will only buy from a brand if they trust it. Speed, openness, and platform governance all affect this trust.

4. Learning and Growth Perspective: Skills for a World Where Social Comes First

Brands can't rely on old-fashioned marketing skills anymore. Listening to what people say, working with creators, analyzing data, and using GenAI are all becoming more critical for success.

New KPIs for 2025

• Hours of AI literacy training for each staff member

• Score for social commerce skills

• Creator relationship index

• Speed of adapting to changes in platform algorithms

• Rate of experimentation (new formats tested every month)

Why it matters

Every week, social commerce ecosystems change. Brands that learn quickly, especially by trying new things, do better than brands that stick to strict plans.

A New BSC Model for Social Commerce in 2025

Financial: Social engagement leads to faster revenue growth

Customer: Trust, community impact, and behavior based on feelings

Internal Processes: Speed, openness, and the ability to grow operations

Learning and growth: AI, data, creators, and flexible skills

This new Balanced Scorecard doesn't replace the old one; it adds to it. It shows what life will be like in 2025, when performance is affected not only by what brands say, but also by how people interact with, remix, and share brand stories online. Brands that want to stay ahead in social commerce need to use a BSC framework that includes:

¨     Real-time behavior

¨     Creator ecosystems

¨     AI-powered personalization

¨     Community engagement

¨     Omnichannel conversion pathways

Companies that use this new BSC will achieve more precise strategic alignment, a stronger market position, and more stable digital growth.

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Raffles Indonesia

References

Deloitte. (2025). The Future of Social Commerce 2025: Trust, AI, and Community Acceleration. https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/insights/industry/retail-distribution/social-commerce-2025.html

McKinsey & Company. (2025). Social Commerce in Asia: The New Consumer Engine. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/social-commerce-asia-2025

Harvard Business Review. (2025). Why Traditional KPIs Fail in a Social-First Marketplace. https://hbr.org/2025/01/social-first-kpis

Bain & Company. (2025). Creators, Communities, and the Commerce Revolution. https://www.bain.com/insights/social-commerce-creators-2025

Meta Business Insights. (2025). The State of Commerce 2025: From Discovery to Conversion. https://www.facebook.com/business/insights/commerce-report-2025

TikTok Business. (2025). Live Commerce & Performance: Beyond Engagement. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/inspiration/live-commerce-report-2025

Accenture. (2025). AI-Driven Personalization in the New Retail Era. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/retail/ai-retail-personalization-2025

PwC. (2025). Global Consumer Insights Pulse: Social Trust and Buying Behavior. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-2025.html

Forrester Research. (2025). The 2025 Customer Experience Index: Power of Community. https://www.forrester.com/report/customer-experience-index-2025/

Gartner. (2025). Marketing Leadership Vision 2025: BSC for Digital Commerce. https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/marketing/balanced-scorecard-2025