Social media could also be one advertising channel, however with a number of platforms, it’s lots to juggle. Conducting common social media audits can assist stop profiles from shedding their vitality—or, on the opposite finish of the spectrum, taking over a lifetime of their very own.
Right here’s a six-step social media audit—constructed round a template—you should use to keep up accuracy, enhance safety, management model consistency, and information data-driven choices.
Contents
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The 6-step social media audit and template
audit can assist you enhance your social media optimization, however getting began might really feel slightly daunting. So, I’ve put collectively a useful spreadsheet template. It’s divided into tabs, one for every side of the audit. I discover that separating the data and motion gadgets makes them extra digestible.
Right here’s what every tab is for:
- Profiles
- Content material
- Viewers
- Efficiency
- Aggressive Evaluation Choice 1
- Aggressive Evaluation Choice 2
Open and create a copy of the template here so you’ll be able to work together with this information.
Step 1: The social media entry audit
Step one is to get the logistical particulars laid out. Get a spreadsheet going and record out your accounts throughout all of the major social media platforms. For instance:
- Fb
- X
- YouTube
- TikTok
Then, create columns for:
- Hyperlink to profile
- Deal with
- Login info
- Who has entry
Use this info to confirm acceptable entry and possession. For instance, it’ll present you can really get into your YouTube account and that Joe Schmoe, who left the corporate 4 years in the past, doesn’t nonetheless have admin entry.
Step 2: The social media profile audit
The content material portion of your social media audit is used to make sure accuracy, consistency, and performance. There are three areas to contemplate.
Accuracy. Is your entire profile info correct and up to date? Is it constant throughout platforms? Have a look at:
- Bio/description (bio ideas right here!)
- Profile image
- Cowl photograph
- Contact info
Consistency. What sort of form is your branding in? Are you doing job differentiating your model voice from rivals whereas keeping it consistent throughout platforms? Contemplate the next:
- Tone
- Visuals
- General messaging
Performance. And at last, is your profile actionable? The efficiency part of the audit will cowl how efficient and interesting it’s. This half is geared towards basic calls to action (CTA). Have a look at:
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Step 3: The social media viewers audit
Subsequent, it’s time to look at your audiences on every platform. It will assist you make sure that your content material is attracting the correct individuals and, if that’s the case, that you just’re tailoring it accordingly.
Demographics. The native analytics inside every platform ought to suffice right here. Demographics embody:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Pursuits
Right here’s an instance of LinkedIn demographic insights.
Personas. You’ll need to determine this one manually. Who amongst your advertising personas is participating together with your content material? Discover how I stated “advertising” personas, not “customer” personas. Your social media pages appeal to a wide range of engagement. What proportion of them are:
- Leads
- Prospects
- Influencers
- Companions
- Workers
Sentiment. Now, take a look at how they’re engaging with your content. You possibly can dive deeper into metrics within the subsequent part, that is simply to get an thought of the general vibe of your social media communities. For instance:
- Are prospects utilizing your profile or web page as a method to get assist, complain, give suggestions, get firm updates, educate themselves, or be entertained?
- Do companions and influencers discover and reciprocate while you have interaction with their content material or point out them?
- Is the general really feel largely optimistic, detrimental, or impartial?
Step 4: The social media efficiency audit
Right here is the place you’ll dive into the information to get clear insights. Remember the fact that high quality is extra vital than amount. It’s higher to have fewer followers who have interaction together with your content material and promote your enterprise than an enormous viewers that doesn’t even know who you’re.
With the numbers, you’ll be able to evaluate platforms and put up sorts and set targets so that you just’re at all times transferring ahead and upward.
Engagement. Listed here are some social media metrics to take a look at, which you will want for the following two bullets:
- Followers
- Following
- Likes
- Attain
- Impressions
- Feedback
- Shares
- Engagement price
- Click on-through charges
Content material. Most platforms provides you with each total and particular person put up efficiency numbers. Use them to determine issues like:
- Greatest put up format: Textual content solely, textual content + hyperlink, textual content + picture, video, or gif
- Greatest put up size: Brief, medium, or lengthy?
- Greatest content material supply: Your content material or others’
- Best time to post
- Greatest subjects
Instruments like Buffer can assist you uncover these insights.
And on that notice, you may also wish to take a look at my content audit templates.
Step 5: The social media aggressive evaluation
If you wish to take your social media audit to a different stage, throw a competitive analysis in there. It’s vital to remain on high of what your rivals are doing so you’ll be able to keep your differentiation from them and likewise steal concepts (that you must at all times adapt to your enterprise, after all).
I created two templates for this. The primary compares your enterprise to a number of rivals on one channel at a time:
The second is to match your enterprise to only one competitor on a number of channels:
Whichever strategy you select, some issues to contemplate to your audit embody:
- Followers
- Following
- Hyperlink to profile
- Audience
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Take a look at my competitive analysis templates for extra recommendations on this portion of your audit.
Step 6: The social media motion merchandise record
The data within the audit provides you with a transparent image of the strengths you’ll be able to scale and the weaknesses that want enchancment. Every tab within the sheet has a column for motion gadgets. Listed here are a number of recommendations on creating and finishing them:
- Assign a transparent proprietor. In any other case, it received’t get executed!
- Set measurable targets. For instance, “improve followers by 10% in three months,” or “enhance engagement price by 5%.” We’ve obtained you coated on this put up on social media goals.
- Create clear motion gadgets. As a substitute of “enhance posts,” get extra particular. For instance, “Write longer posts with bullet factors” or “Experiment with carousel posts.”
Listed here are some concepts to assist information your targets and motion gadgets:
You will get extra concepts with these quick social media marketing tips.
Run common social media audits
No social media marketing strategy is full with out common social media audits. And with the ideas and template I’ve supplied on this put up, you’ll acquire the insights it is advisable gas your technique.
Let me shut with some remaining suggestions:
- Audit your social profiles quarterly to remain aligned with traits, your viewers, and your enterprise.
- Have a look at instruments like Hootsuite, Sendible, or Sprout Social to streamline the method.
- Contemplate including a abstract tab to floor essentially the most compelling or outstanding info to management or different departments.
Alright, you’re formally geared up to run a powerful social media audit…get after it!