No one in business likes the word “audit”.
Audits aren’t fun.
But what if we told you there is one kind of audit that is super important and can even be helpful? YES. A social media audit!
WHY!!?? (We can hear you screaming!)
You have to make sure your current social media efforts are relevant to your current social media strategy. You should regularly examine your social media platforms to see what is and what isn’t working and, most importantly, what can be improved.
A social media audit can help your marketing be better!
How to Audit Your Social Media
1. Create an Audit Spreadsheet
The very first thing you need to do is get the audit in writing. Or, since we use computers and smartphones… put it in a spreadsheet! ????
You could also search for one online. HootSuite has a simple yet effective template.
Be smart and use the same template each time you repeat the audit process.
2. Find All Your Social Media Profiles
Next, you will need to list out every social media profile on every platform and the corresponding URL.
Include the reason, or purpose, of why you created a profile on each of these social media platforms. This purpose should connect back to your Social Media Strategy (which you should be working on right now!).
3. Make Sure Your Branding is Consistent
Check each social media profile to make sure it is complete, including your Facebook About section, LinkedIn Summary, and Twitter and Instagram Bios.
Does each social media profile match your business brand? If not, change them.
Do you have a great cover image, profile photo, etc.? Do these images match across all your social media platforms? Are they the right size and colors? Do the graphics look good on desktop and mobile?
Your goal is to make sure your brand is consistent, no matter where a potential customer may find you.
4. Analyze Your Content
Look at your content. If your posts aren’t engaging your followers, your strategy won’t work.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Should you spend more or less time posting?
- What are the best posts?
- Which pieces of content aren’t working as well as you thought?
- What’s your competition doing?
- How often do they post?
- What are their best posts?
- Can you learn something from them? Don’t steal their ideas, but should you implement something new based on their activities?
Digging into the data is the majority of the audit time because it shows you what’s working and what isn’t.
5. Create an Audit Schedule
Once you’ve completed your first social media audit, create a process for the next time. You should schedule your audit annually. Be sure it’s clear who should be in charge of performing the audit and keeping it up to date.
A well-done social media audit will give you a lot of info. The question is how will you use it to improve?
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Would you like another super useful download?
Check out our Content Calendar! We tell you how to build one and share our own.