When was the last time you did a social media audit? 

Social media marketing is an exciting and dynamic way to promote your business, but when it comes to measuring results, things can get a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry, though, because your business has a trusty ally in the form of a social media audit.

Despite its name, a social media audit isn’t as intimidating as it sounds. Think of it as a valuable tool that helps you understand the performance of your social media platforms and their alignment with your marketing goals. Plus, with a simple template, the audit process becomes a breeze, requiring neither excessive time nor complexity.

Consider a social media audit as your very own report card for your social strategy. It evaluates the effectiveness of your social content across various accounts and networks, identifying areas of strength, areas that require improvement, and providing actionable suggestions to enhance your performance.

Once you’ve completed a social media audit, you’ll gain valuable insights to optimise your overall social media marketing strategy. You’ll be equipped with essential knowledge by:

• Identifying the most effective platforms for your business
• Understanding the preferences and expectations of your audience on each network
• Obtaining insights into your audience demographics and more
• Uncovering what strategies contribute to audience growth and what hinders it
• Assessing the contribution of each platform towards your goals
• Discovering innovative ideas to propel your growth
• Determining where to focus your attention and efforts next

If you’re ready to take your social media strategy to the next level, keep reading. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of conducting an effective social media audit, from start to finish. Let’s dive in and unlock the true potential of your social media marketing efforts.

1. Start your social media audit by compiling a list of your accounts

Firstly, to kickstart your social media audit, begin by creating a comprehensive list of all your existing social media accounts. Take note of each platform you’re currently on, and ensure you include any test accounts your company may have created in the past. 

While eliminating these old accounts may not pose significant challenges, retrieving login information might be a bit cumbersome. 

Additionally, as part of your social media audit, consider platforms you haven’t yet explored. Are there any social networks that you haven’t taken into account? At the end of the audit, we’ll be considering whether it would be beneficial for your business to establish a presence on new platforms.

While it’s not necessary to be present on every social media platform, conducting an audit offers an excellent opportunity to generate fresh ideas for your future social strategy. At the very least, make sure to secure your business username on new platforms, preventing others from claiming it before you do.

2. Use your social media audit to pinpoint your best-performing posts

Take your social media audit as an opportunity to uncover the best-performing content on each platform. Take advantage of the built-in analytics features provided by social media platforms, such as Meta Business Suite or Twitter Analytics. 

Start by capturing engagement metrics, demographic information, top posts, impressions, and reach for each platform. This valuable data allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each platform for your business.

Now, it’s time to audit the content itself. Begin by listing the top five posts for each social profile. Determining what constitutes a “top-performing post” depends on your objectives. 

If you aim to identify the content that resonates most with your audience, we recommend ranking posts based on engagement rate. However, you can choose a different key metric to focus on, such as link clicks or conversions.

Examine your top posts for patterns and ask yourself the following questions:

• Which type of content generates the desired response? Is it photo posts, videos, or a combination of feed, Stories, and Reels?
• Does candid, behind-the-scenes content or polished and professional posts yield higher engagement metrics?
• Do audience responses vary across different networks? Does specific content perform better on one platform than others?
• Does asking questions in your posts lead to increased engagement?
• Do your top posts align with your current brand voice? If not, and they still perform well, it might be time to re-evaluate your brand voice.

This analysis provides a clear understanding of the type of content that resonates with your audience on each channel. Armed with this knowledge, you can incorporate more of the successful content types into your social media calendar for the upcoming month.

3. Make sure your branding is consistent

When conducting a social media audit, thoroughly examine each profile to ensure it aligns with your current brand style guidelines. For instance, take a close look at profile and banner images, hashtags, copy and phrases, brand voice, URLs, and more.

Here are the key areas to review for each social account:

• Profile and cover images: Confirm that your images accurately reflect your current branding and comply with the image size requirements of each social network.
• Profile/bio text: Make the most of the limited space available in your social media bio. Ensure all fields are accurately filled and the copy aligns with your desired tone and voice guidelines.
• Username: Strive for consistency by using the same username across all social channels. It’s acceptable to have multiple accounts per network if they serve different purposes (e.g., our Twitter accounts @Hootsuite and @Hootsuite_Help).
• Links: Verify that the URL in your profile directs visitors to the correct website or landing page.
• Pinned posts (if applicable): Evaluate your pinned posts to confirm their continued relevance and accuracy.
• Verification: Consider whether your account should be verified with a blue checkmark badge. If not already verified, you may explore the option. 

When ensuring your accounts maintain a consistent brand image, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Visit each social profile and observe how your posts appear to your followers. Additionally, be sure to click on any links to identify if they require updating.

4. Perform a social media audit of each platform’s performance

Now, let’s shift our focus to evaluating the contribution of each individual social media platform to your overall marketing goals.

If you haven’t already established specific goals for each social account, it’s time to do so. While some accounts may share similar objectives, such as driving website traffic and increasing conversions, others may be dedicated to customer service or brand awareness.

On each platform, create a list of its respective goal(s) and track your progress towards achieving them. With quantifiable goals like traffic or conversions, record the actual numbers.

In terms of goals without easily measurable data, document supporting evidence. For example, if your Facebook account focuses on brand awareness, note whether your follower count has grown and if your organic or paid reach has increased.

Finding relevant information will depend on the goals you set for each platform. To track customer service or brand awareness goals, consider using social listening tools to gather data from real customers.

Furthermore, for tracking traffic or conversion goals, Google Analytics is a valuable resource. You can analyse the breakdown of traffic by channel and access additional information by navigating to Acquisition -> Social -> Network Referrals.

It’s important to note that tracking conversions from social media is not an exact science and varies across channels. For instance, setting up Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) is necessary to track Facebook conversion data, and different networks may have their own tracking codes. Additionally, many e-commerce platforms offer built-in social channel tracking capabilities.

5. Conclude your social media audit by creating an action plan

To conclude your social media audit, remember that collecting data is just the first step. The purpose of the audit is to identify areas where your social media marketing can be improved. Now, it’s time to create an action plan to achieve your goals.

Consider if your business is investing significant effort in major platforms while underutilising others. If you spot potential in alternative platforms or simply want to explore new options, seize the opportunity.

Generate fresh content and campaign ideas, leveraging the insights gained from your top-performing content in step three. For instance, if carousels have been highly successful, outline a specific strategy to incorporate more carousel content into your marketing efforts. 

This could involve simple initiatives like posting 10 new Instagram carousels per month. Or, it could involve budgetary decisions like deciding to allocate more of your ad spend to carousel content.

Remember, these decisions are not set in stone. Successful marketing requires testing and experimentation to discover what resonates with your audience. Don’t shy away from taking calculated risks. Regular social media audits will inform you if adjustments are needed.

Use the information you’ve gathered to determine which platforms offer the greatest potential for your content to thrive and engage your target audience. Remember to conduct social media audits quarterly, enabling you to track data effectively for any new ventures or endeavours.