How do you know if your social media efforts are contributing to your goals? Is it through the number of likes, engagements, comments, or do you just look at conversions?
To make sure that they are truly effective, you have to monitor and analyze the numbers. You can do this by using the native metrics that come with most social media platforms or by using a third-party tool.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how you can make the most out of those metrics to grow your business. But if you’re interested in what metrics you should look at, you can check out this guide from Sprout Social.
Measuring with Metrics and Monitoring Social Media Performance
Clarifying Your Goals
Before you deep dive into crunching numbers, the first step is to clarify your goals in using social media. What are you trying to achieve with your social media efforts?
Here are some examples of why businesses invest in their social media:
- To give the brand exposure.
- To drive traffic to your website.
- To sell directly or to nurture leads and sell through other channels.
- To build relationships with your audience.
Once you know what you hope to achieve, you can choose the right metrics to help you measure it. Metrics programs offer a great deal of data but you won’t need all of it. Clarifying your specific goals and choosing what to look at based on those goals helps you to trim down the data to what you need.
If your goal is to gain exposure to your brand, for example, traffic statistics are not so important. If your social media presence is sending traffic to your website, this is a good thing, but it’s not central to your strategy.
Native Metrics vs. Third-Party Tools
Most social media platforms offer their own analytics tools. Some platforms offer a wide array of metrics while others are very simple. Another option is to use a third-party app or software program to provide data for you.
The advantage of native metrics is that they’re designed specifically for the platform and they’re usually quite simple and easy to use. They don’t have to be installed; as soon as you set up your page, the platform starts tracking your results.
On the other hand, third-party tools may be more robust. Another advantage of outside tools is that some can be used for multiple social media platforms. For example, if you’re using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can use programs like Sprout Social to provide data on all of your activity on these platforms.
Monitoring Your Metrics
Monitoring your key performance indicators is an important part of your social media routine.
Set aside some time each day or week to take a look at the analytics. This helps you evaluate your short and long-term social media performance and identifies which areas you can improve on.
For example, you can compare the numbers between different forms of content (written post vs. graphics vs. video) to see which ones are more engaging and drives conversion.
How do you monitor and analyze your social media metrics? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you need advice on improving your social media efforts, reach out to me for a free consult!
