Social media is a beast. It’s always changing, and trying to keep up with the trends and algorithms can quickly become a headache- especially if your posts aren’t doing well (and let’s be honest, who’s posts are doing well these days?).
That’s why you have to track the data.
Basing your success on how trendy or viral your content is may seem like a good idea, but it’s not. Social Media is fickle, and one video can go viral with over a million views while a similar one can get no views. It’s the luck of the draw, most days.
However, by tracking your data, you have a solid outline of how your posts are doing, which platform shows the most promise, which posts have the most appeal and other tangible numbers.
Then, you can create a solid social media plan that’s not based on what other businesses are doing.
What metrics should you track?
That depends on the platform. Each social media platform has different metrics and tracking methods, so it’s important to go to each individually and set them up.
However, you’ll want to consider these metrics on any tracking that you’re doing (note that you don’t need to track ALL of these, just 3-5 you deem most important):
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares / Saves
- Mentions
- Views
- Audience growth and retention
- Click Through Rates (CTR)
- Referral traffic
- Conversion rates
- Cost per click (CPC) or Cost per impression (CPM) for your paid advertising
- Sales funnel success (do they go where you need them? Are they signing up for your newsletters? How many?)
For more visual sites like TikTok and Instagram, you’ll also want to consider:
- Reel/ video/image engagement (likes, shares, views, etc.)
- Length of time watched
- Number of stitches/reactions
- Feedback on the quality of the video
For text-based sites like LinkedIn and X, think about:
- Quotes and reposts
- Saves
- Connections and relationships
- Discussions
These metrics will give you a nice overview of your social media presence, and you can use the data to plan your posts, streamline your content, set engaging CTA links, and find the perfect niche for your business.
How to track metrics on Social Media
You could set everything up yourself, taking time and effort away from your business. Or, you could automate it.
By automating your tracking process, you can save time and money while keeping your data organized and easy to view. Here’s how:
Metricool
Metricool is your one-stop shop for all things social media. You can plan and schedule posts from the website, track and view your data, get suggestions, and more. Plus, with their new Canva integration, you can easily add quality images and graphics to your posts!
Their free plan allows you to integrate with any social media platform, schedule up to 50 pieces of content a month, analyze five competitor profiles, and access three months of past data for analysis.
Perfect for a business on a budget.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the top names in social media management, and they have everything you need to create a stunning social media presence.
For only $99 a month, you can have up to 10 social media accounts, enjoy unlimited post scheduling, create custom analytics and reports, get suggestions on the best times to post, have one inbox for all your accounts, experience unlimited post boosting, integrate with Canva for amazing graphics, and more.
It has all the bells and whistles and would be perfect for a medium-sized company ready to make a splash in the social media world.
Google Analytics
No matter which program you use, you’ll want to add Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is the overview of your business, not just your social media. However, it can offer you insights into your customer base, improve your ROI, and make your data work for you.
With a free account, you get tons of useful tools and tips for tracking your metrics, including:
- Built-in automation
- Proactive Insights
- Real-time reporting on engagement, conversions, monetization, website traffic, etc.
- A dynamic advertising workshop
- Various explorations to better access, organize, and visualize your data.
- Data collection APIs
- Custom definition
- And more integrations than you’ll know what to do with.
It’s the best way to fill the gaps in any tracking system, and since it’s free and can integrate with almost any website, you don’t want to skip it.
Final Thoughts
Social media is a fickle beast, and it can be discouraging to watch someone’s post go viral while your content gathers dust. However, by tracking the right metrics, you can get tangible data to help you plan your posts, find the right platform, and engage your audience like never before.
