Social media marketing can get overwhelming quite quickly. There are so many channels to be across and so many different metrics to comprehend, it can be really tricky to step back and see the bigger picture. In this article, I want to talk about how you can get a grip on your business’s social media by doing a social media audit.
Before I get into the benefits of a social media audit, let’s take a look at what exactly a social media audit is.
What Is A Social Media Audit?
A social media audit is, at its core, the same as any other audit – you are taking stock of what you have. This means compiling information on every social media account that you have, as well as checking if there are any imposter accounts. For each account that you have, you want to collect all the important data (follower numbers, posts’ reach, etc.). Also, a comprehensive audit should also take into account your competitors – how are your social accounts performing relative to theirs?
A great way to get a feel for the kind of information you want to collect is to take a look at this free social media audit template from ReportGarden.
So, now I have covered what a Social Media audit is, let’s talk about why you should do one…
An Audit Can Reveal Gaps In Your Strategy
By doing an audit, you will find it a little easier to visualise how the different parts of your social strategy all fit together. This is great for a better understanding of how they can support and influence one another. However, the real value here comes from spotting if there are any gaps.
By taking a birds-eye view of your social media channels, you will be able to spot if there are areas where you have blind spots, or where you are missing out on a section of potential customers.
Taking steps to remedy these gaps will bring a fresh set of customers to the table, increasing your reach and helping you ultimately get more conversions.
Get To Grips With The Competition
As I mentioned above, a good audit will include information on how you stack up against your competitors – where are you outperforming them, and where do they have the edge over you. This information can be invaluable in informing your social strategy going forward.
If you know that you are losing out on a certain channel, you can look at why your competitor is having more success than you. Often you can learn lessons from this that you apply to future campaigns.
Find Those Lost Conversions
If you are losing customers along your sales funnel, and can’t seem to work out why a social media audit might be just the ticket. By taking stock of how each of your social channels interacts, and spotting potential weaknesses, you will find that a picture of where you are losing customers begins to emerge.
By having a holistic picture of your social media set up, you can better track down those sales that seem to go missing. Getting these back on track will deliver tangible results.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has shown you the value of a social media audit. Whether you choose to have the audit carried out externally, or carry it out yourself, getting a better handle on your social channels can only improve their effectiveness. It can be so easy to get lost in the maze of social media metrics that taking a step back every once in a while is really valuable.
