Most people are aware of the increasing importance of social media to institutional advancement, and many colleges and universities have started investing resources in these media. The next step is to measure the impact of social media on the institution and evaluate the success of one's efforts. Every advancement leader should understand how social media (like them or not) affect perceptions and feelings about the institution among prospective students, alumni, parents, and other important constituencies. It is clear that social media present educational institutions with more opportunity than threat: Even now, as efforts to support and encourage usage may be just beginning, social media appear to stimulate interest in traditional programming and resources, rather than replace or make them redundant. Research shows that social media can complement, augment, and amplify alumni relations objectives much more than they appear to undermine them. Of course, things may change as social media evolve, so institutions are well-advised to keep ahead of the curve by conducting serious research. Reliable data specific to the institution will not only enable an advancement leader to better harness social media for the mutual benefit of the institution, the alumni, and the constituencies, but will also provide an advancement leader with powerful ammunition when making a case for the budget and other resources necessary to do so.