How to Conduct a Full Social Media Audit
Oof. Social media audits. Sounds intimidating, right? When I first started my internship back in November of 2020 and I was assigned to a few small audit projects I was nervous.
“I can’t do this, this is something real marketers do, not me,” I thought to myself. “I’m not qualified for this.”
I’m here to tell you that if you’re having those same thoughts, you are dead wrong. With a little encouragement and some kind words from my mentor (forever grateful for you, Lucy!) I was able to tackle those audits with confidence and I know that you can, too! All it takes is about an hour of your time to really dig into the brand’s current content and start coming up with a plan.
Social media audits are something you’ve probably already done without realizing it and I’ll be covering my strategy for completing one when you take on new (to you) accounts. At the end of your audit, you’ll have a zoomed out snapshot of the state of the company’s social media channels and data that can then directly inform your strategy moving forward.
1. Make a list of all active social media accounts for the business you are managing and locate the account pages.
This was one of the first if not the first thing I did when I started my initial audit for abSketches. Having that physical list gave me a better idea of the scope of work and provided an opportunity to organize my findings by platform, saving myself a few steps down the road. I currently manage the agency’s:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
Pinterest
ArtStation
Behance
and Evermotion
Phew. Yes, it’s a lot. Potentially 8 separate strategies that will need to be crafted at the end of the audit.
This is also a great time to do a quick branding check. Is the tone of voice consistent across platforms or has it been tailored for each audience? Are the profile photos all the same image? Are the posts on the Instagram grid aesthetically consistent? Each of these factors will play into the overall brand identity and is an important part of your audit.
2. Analyze previous posts made to each account and note trends.
Content trends can be uncovered in just a 10 minute glance at the company’s old posts! Each platform will provide insights to your audience’s content preferences as well as audience demographics. As you look through the posts, take notes on which posts did exceptionally well in terms of impressions, reach, and engagement. Were there any posts that completely flopped? What days of the week and times were they posted? Do the posts have anything in common with each other?
By looking for trends in the content, you’ll be able to determine which types of content will do well and which types won’t. Usually, that data will vary by platform (i.e.: Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and if you have the means to craft a strategy for each platform, do that. It’s the best way to reach your audience instead of using blanket content.
3. Look at the hashtag use on each platform.
Hashtags seem to be an afterthought as algorithms evolve and move toward a keyword-based content delivery system, but they can still help drive traffic to your accounts when used effectively, so it’s important to ask yourself a few questions as you look over their current use on the profiles:
Are hashtags being used regularly?
Are hashtags driving traffic to your posts or profile?
Are the hashtags that are being used relevant to the content?
Are there too many hashtags or not enough? (a max of two should be used for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; for Instagram I’ve found that using 5-10 relevant hashtags is the sweet spot for our account!)
Tip: Keep a Hashtag Vault to pull from for content creation days and on-the-fly creation!
4. Note how often new content was being published.
Looking at previous posts, how often was new content pushed out? Were the accounts posting regularly or on some sort of schedule? Are those the best days for the accounts to be posting?
The type of content being published will also influence its frequency and timing when you sit down to work out your content strategy. It’s good to have on hand any previous content schedules to see if that schedule worked for the brand or if the strategy will need to be tweaked.
5. Look at the account’s activity and engagement.
Do you see activity from the accounts outside of its own posts and responding to users’ comments? Daily engagement is a huge help in getting your content seen by new eyeballs and if the accounts you’re picking up haven’t done that in the past, that’s an easy win for you if you have the resources to keep up with it.
I tend to follow the 10/10/10/20 rule and I think of it like I’m making an iced coffee:
Drop in your ice - 10 minutes interacting with content from accounts you follow
Add a flavor shot - 10 minutes interacting with content from your followers
Add a splash of cream - 10 minutes interacting with your competitors’ followers
Top off with your cold brew (or your day-old coffee, no judgement here) - 20 minutes interacting with content that uses hashtags your brand is using
Rinse and repeat every morning or as needed.
Another thing to note is if the brand is keeping up with and responding to any engagement it’s getting. Is the brand reaching out to new followers and thanking them?
Semi-related to engagement, is the company using social platforms for cold messaging or cultivating and nurturing leads? Do they have a template for sales staff to follow when messaging potential leads? Will you, as the social media manager, be expected to cultivate leads and guide them through the initial stages of the sales funnel?
6. Get to know each platform’s audience and what they expect.
Each platform will attract its own audience and each audience will have separate expectations for the content they’re viewing. As an example, a brand wouldn’t post the same content on LinkedIn and TikTok. Instead, a brand’s audience would expect thought-provoking leadership or industry posts on LinkedIn and fun company culture videos on TikTok.
There may also be subtle nuances between certain platforms where you’ll notice that a Facebook audience prefers short videos over photographs or graphics, but those same photographs and graphics are performing well on LinkedIn. These are the kinds of trends to keep an eye out for and to make note of as you progress through your audit.
BONUS:
Go Forth!
Here’s where the magic happens; it’s time to compile your data, present it (or keep it to yourself), and make some data-driven decisions!
Take a look at your notes and write down your final thoughts on any trends that stood out to you. Did certain pieces or types of content win overall? Is there a clear trend for one or more platforms? You may notice that one platform is struggling to gain traction and maybe that signals a change is needed or it’s time to consider dropping the platform from your social strategy altogether.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get out there and start your own social media audit! This is a simple and quick process that can be done in just under an hour. Once you have your audit results, you can start drafting your social media strategy. Have any questions? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to help you out!
Kiersten “KP” Pavoncello
KP is a Digital Marketing Coordinator from York, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire in 2022 with high honors and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. When she’s not knee-deep in social strategy, KP is usually playing her favorite video games and spending time with her husband, son, and two cats.