Social media is where trends are born. Although it’s tempting to jump on the latest trends as you see other brands get traction from doing so, the truth is the platforms or strategies that work for other brands may not work for your own brand.
It’s far from wise to make impulsive decisions to ditch a platform or overhaul your content strategy. A social media audit allows you to see beyond the murky lines of the fast-paced nature of social media, instilling confidence in your strategy.
But what is a social media audit, exactly? Let’s unpack this blog as follows:
• What Is a Social Media Audit?
• Why Perform a Social Media Audit
• How To Perform a Social Media Audit
• Key Social Media Metrics To Keep an Eye On
• Get Expert Social Media Optimization Services
What Is a Social Media Audit?
A social media audit is a systematic review of your performance across the various channels you utilize for your brand. Despite its formal-sounding name, an audit is a straightforward and accessible process that anyone can carry out on their own.
Social media performance auditing involves collecting and analyzing data to gauge the effectiveness of your social media strategy and the overall growth of your social presence.
On top of keeping your social media reputation consistent across all channels, a social media audit looks at the numbers: how many people saw your content, left comments, hit the like button or shared it. So, a large part of a social media audit is figuring out which posts are getting the most attention and understanding what your audience is into.
A social media analytics report provides valuable insights that are foundational for refining your marketing plan and establishing new objectives for sustained social media success.
But do you really need to audit your social media performance?
Why Perform a Social Media Audit
A higher return on investment (ROI) is any brand’s end goal. One way to achieve better social media ROI is through an audit.
Social media optimization audits help you identify what you’re doing great and where you can improve, then measure your social media effectiveness in alignment with overarching business goals.
Inform Your Marketing Decisions
Social media undergoes constant change, and an audit equips brands to make informed decisions and adapt. Questions like “Should we continue focusing on X (previously Twitter), or is Instagram a more worthwhile investment?” can be addressed decisively with insights from a meticulous social media effectiveness audit.
For instance, a detailed examination of social media metrics during an audit may reveal that certain types of content resonate more with the audience. With this insight, your business can tailor your content strategy, creating more of what resonates and fine-tuning your messaging for better audience connection.
Have a Better Audience Analysis
Social media optimization audits further illuminate audience demographics, helping businesses understand who their followers are. Audience analysis helps craft targeted campaigns and communication strategies that align with the preferences and interests of the core demographic, enhancing social media engagement metrics.
Moreover, diving into audience analysis data during a social media audit provides businesses with a nuanced understanding of user behavior. It goes beyond demographics, offering insights into when your audience is most active, what content formats they prefer and how they engage with the brand.
Get the Most out of Your Social Media Resources
Given the insights mentioned above, you can optimize posting schedules, refine content formats, and implement engagement strategies tailored to your audience’s specific interests and habits. If certain types of content consistently garner higher engagement, businesses can focus on producing more of that content.
Similarly, you can approach your ads with the same insights for better social media ROI. Adjusting the timing of when you launch your social media ads, the copy you write or the visuals you show ensures that ads not only reach the right audience but also resonate with them on a level that prompts action.
Keep Your Online Presence Consistent and Relevant
Your brand’s online persona must remain consistent across all platforms. Social media reputation audits help you review and align profile names, bio content, profile and banner images and hashtags. A unified online presence fosters trust among your audience, reinforcing your brand values and creating a recognizable identity.
A thorough social media optimization audit allows brands to identify outdated or ineffective strategies, ensuring that their online presence reflects current trends and resonates with their target audience. It’s not just about being consistent but also about staying relevant and in tune with their expectations.
Perform a Social Media Competitive Analysis
Understanding how your competitors navigate the social media space is integral to refining your own strategy. A social media competitive analysis involves a thorough examination of your competitors’ online presence, including their content, engagement strategies and audience interactions.
By gaining insights into what works for them and identifying areas of opportunity or potential pitfalls, you can fine-tune your approach to stay ahead in your respective market. A social media competitive analysis also provides valuable benchmarks to help you set realistic goals and measure your performance against industry peers.
Related article: How To Use Your Social Media Channels As Lead Generation Tools
How To Perform a Social Media Audit
In six easy steps packed with pro tips, here’s how to perform a social media audit like an expert:
1. Locate and List All Your Social Media Profiles
2. Evaluate Your Branding and Adjust for Consistency
3. Export Social Media Analytics Report per Channel
4. Analyze Each Channel’s Data Against Each Other
5. Evaluate Social Media Performance Toward Your Goals
6. Make Your Next Social Media Plan
1. Locate and List All Your Social Media Profiles
From platforms like Facebook and X to visual platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, go through each and ensure no profile is overlooked. If you have a record of your social media profiles, now is the time to refer to or update it.
For those without an existing list, consider this an opportunity to create one.
2. Evaluate Your Branding and Adjust for Consistency
Consistency across various elements reinforces your social media reputation. Let’s break down the components to scrutinize and adjust as needed:
• Username or handle: Ensure uniformity for easy identification, avoiding variations as much as possible.
• Profile pictures, cover photos or banners: Align visuals with current branding and update outdated images.
• Bio: Refine messaging and make sure to make the most of your bio’s limited space.
• Contact information: Verify and update email, phone or location details.
• Links: Check if the links lead to the intended landing pages.
• Verification: Seek verification badges, prioritizing to initiate the process.
• Pinned post: Be strategic in using the feature to promote key offers or information, and avoid pinning posts that date way back.
3. Export Social Media Analytics Report per Channel
Take full advantage of the built-in analytics features on every social media platform by extracting detailed reports per channel. You’ll get specific data on performance and audience engagement that will be the basis of your next steps.
4. Analyze Each Channel’s Data Against Each Other
Define your top-performing channels and their unique roles. For instance, assess which platform leaned towards providing customer support and which played a greater role in driving your sales efforts.
Likewise, pinpoint your most successful content, taking note of its format and the specific results it yielded.
5. Evaluate Social Media Performance Toward Your Goals
Look back at previous objectives and gauge your present performance in reaching them. Assess whether you’re making tangible progress toward your goals. If needed, consider modifying or fine-tuning your approach based on this assessment.
Example goals could be:
• Increase brand awareness
• Boost engagement
• Drive website traffic
• Generate leads
6. Make Your Next Social Media Plan
Treat the data you garnered from your social media audit as actionable insights to propel your online presence forward. Consider the following:
• Identify priorities, whether it’s refining your content strategy or enhancing engagement.
• Define specific and measurable objectives. Be it increasing followers, driving website traffic or boosting brand awareness, clarity is key.
• Allocate resources required to execute your plan effectively. This includes personnel, budget and time.
Remember to establish a realistic timeline for a gradual, structured implementation of your social media strategy without overwhelming your team or audience alike is key.
Key Social Media Metrics To Keep an Eye On
1. Engagement rate measures how actively your audience interacts with your content. It is calculated by considering the total number of likes, comments and shares divided by your total number of followers, expressed as a percentage.
2. Reach signifies the total number of unique users who have seen your content. It provides insights into the potential size of your audience and how widely your content is being exposed.
3. Impressions represent the total number of times your content has been displayed to users. It indicates the overall visibility and exposure of your content across platforms.
4. Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on your content after seeing it. It is calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the total impressions and expressing it as a percentage. CTR measures the effectiveness of your content in driving user actions.
5. Follower growth rate measures the rate at which your follower count is increasing over time. It considers new followers gained minus the number of unfollows and expresses it as a percentage of your previous follower count.
6. Conversion rate is the percentage of users who completed a desired action, such as making a purchase, after clicking on your content. It is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the total clicks and expressing it as a percentage. It gauges the effectiveness of your content in driving specific actions.
7. Sentiment analysis assesses audience sentiment towards your brand or content, categorizing it as positive, negative or neutral. It provides insights into the overall perception and reception of your brand.
8. Average response time is the average duration it takes for your brand to respond to user inquiries or comments. It reflects your brand’s responsiveness and efficiency in customer service.
9. Share of voice represents the percentage of conversation in your industry or niche that mentions your brand compared to competitors. It indicates your brand’s presence and influence within your industry.
10. Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors originating from your social media page who navigate away from your site or after viewing only one page. It assesses the relevance and engagement of your content, helping you understand how effectively it retains user interest.
Experience Expert Social Media Optimization Services
As mentioned, any business wants higher social media ROI. The valuable data you get from a social media analytics report after an audit equips you to better your numbers and overall performance.
Thrive’s social media experts can help realize social media success – talk to our team.
