Social media analytics & reporting guide
Written by Elizabeth Arens
Published on December 7, 2020
•Reading time 4 minutes
Once you’ve started a social content strategy, you need to know how well your content performs and what’s working best. The only way to do that is to keep track of your social media analytics, and equip yourself with the right tools and reports to do so. Read on for tips that can help take your reporting to the next level.
And, if you haven’t tried Sprout’s social media reporting options yet, start a 30-day free trial to see these features hands-on:
Getting started with social media analytics
There are a lot of different terms, reports and metrics to know about when it comes to social media marketing. To get the most out of any type of report, you need to be confident you understand the data you’re looking at. But not to worry. We’ve outlined some of the basics that will help you analyze your social media reports.
The metrics you should measure
You may be tracking a lot of different metrics, but which ones should your brand focus on? Impressions, conversions, likes or clicks–these are just a few on a long list of data points you could consider. In addition to knowing your top metrics, you also need to know where to find them in different platforms and reports. This guide will give you all the information you need.
The most important social media metrics to track
Reach vs impressions: Understanding engagement terms
Two of the most important metrics for marketers are reach and impressions. Together they paint a picture of the number of people that see your posts. Unfortunately some marketers use the two terms interchangeably even though they’re not the same. Here’s the difference between the two, and how to track them.
How to measure your social media marketing strategy
Are you measuring your social media efforts? In order to improve your strategy, you need to know what’s working. In this guide, you’ll learn how to get key demographics about your audience, analyze your content, find out the best time to post and more. If you’re not measuring it, you can’t improve it.
An introduction to hashtag analytics
Hashtags are an important part of social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Learning how to properly use and analyze them can help you get a leg up on the competition. Hashtags make it easier for your content to be discovered and can get you more engagement–if you know which ones are working for you.
Advanced social media analytics
Once you have a basic understanding of the different metrics you can track and where to find your data, the next step is putting it all into action. In this section, we’ll go over some ways you can use social media analytics to improve your social success.
How to conduct a social media audit
When is the last time you analyzed your social media activity? A social media audit will give you an overview of what’s working with your social media strategy and areas where you can improve. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to conduct a social media audit.
How to measure social media ROI
Social media ROI is one of the most heavily debated topics in marketing. What’s the return on a Tweet? How are your Instagram posts impacting your bottom line? Social media ROI might not be as cut and dry as a paid search campaign or other “traditional” marketing channels, but it is certainly possible to get a handle on how social impacts your business.
Ultimate guide to social media competitive analysis
Analyzing your competitors can provide insights into what your audience wants to see, as well as a chance to learn from their failures and successes. But what should you look at when conducting a competitive analysis? Here’s a complete walkthrough to guide you through the process.
Share success with social media reporting
Now that you know how to find all your data, share social success throughout your org by creating digestible social media reports. This guide and downloadable template will help you distill the highlights so your results are clear at a glance.
Put data into action
Continuously leveling up your understanding of data and reporting is essential for any marketer. Learn to use data to refine your campaigns and advocate for the power of social with these guides.
Social media metrics map
This resource is your at-a-glance guide to boiling down where every metric fits into the customer journey funnel. Learn more about how to attribute the impact of your social efforts to each step of conversion and how to track your earned, owned and paid social media.
The Social Media Metrics Map (Free Resource)
Level up your social data analysis
Social data has so much potential to offer marketers and brands, but it’s often hard to find the bandwidth to improve your data analysis skills and discover ways to get the most out of it. Learn how to improve your analytics skills and tap into data-driven answers about how your strategy is working and where you can improve.
How social benefits your entire business
By having a pulse on the social world, social media marketers are tapped into essential data for any aspect of business, including cultural trends, voice of customer and emerging changes in industries. The resources in this article help you unlock the power of your social data and find more ways to leverage it.
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