Conducting a social media audit is a good idea for any small business that has a social media presence. They can help to rejuvenate a social media page that has been neglected and it can also allow a business with a well-maintained presence the opportunity to reflect upon what is there and grow from it. Take the following steps to assure you conduct an effective social media audit:
Examine all of your profiles
Take a look at all of the company’s social media profiles. Make sure everything is complete and consistent. Make sure there are plenty of details included and that they’re all accurate. Compare your goals and performance to the past year or two.
Gather your social media profiles
Some of this will be easy, but you want to include absolutely everything, so think back to profiles that were opened ages ago and have lain dormant for years. So, take an extra few minutes and think back to some not-so-obvious sites such as Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr. Be sure to do a general search on every site in order to catch profiles that were made by employees as well as fake accounts and spam. As you find all of the online accounts, be sure to take note of the following information:
– Which network it is on,
– The URL,
– The profile name and description,
– The number of followers or fans,
– The date of the last activity.
Once all of this information is gathered it’s time to prune away the sites that aren’t purposeful.
Determining purposefulness
In order to determine if a site is purposeful, you need to ask some questions.
– Why is the company using this account?
– Why does the company want to use it?
– What are the company’s goals for this social media page?
– Are the company’s target markets using the site?
If asking these questions does not provide favorable answers, it’s time to get rid of the social media page.
Check for completion and consistency in details and imagery
Make sure all profiles are completely filled out and that the details are accurate. Make any changes that are necessary. There are a lot of places to check so it’s easy to miss some. Opening up “Customize Settings” on each site will help you determine if all of your images, texts, and options are being used. As you’re checking your content, double-check to make sure your branding is consistent across every social media network.
Follow up on goals and metrics
One of the main things you will be looking for during the audit is how the social media outlets are performing for your company. Some data that will help you figure out where you stand on social media sites include
- How your fan base and followers has grown over time
- Your posting frequency and its correlation to audience growth
- Frequency of your engagement with your audience
Be sure to compare the numbers from that data to the numbers from years past.
Compare
Take a look at the social media pages of others in your industry. Make note of what they’re doing well and try to emulate them. Don’t forget, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The entire social media audit should not take very long to complete. However, the benefits are boundless. Make room in your schedule for a social media audit as soon as possible. You’ll be happy you did.
