Do you ever get so caught up in doing something that you forget why you originally started? Many businesses get that way when it comes to social media. We’re told to be on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and more … and it just gets overwhelming to manage. But social media is more than a “set it and forget it” marketing platform.
Whether you’re a seasoned social media veteran or just getting started, it’s time for a social media check up. Just like going to the doctor for your yearly check up, you should check your social media health in these eight areas. Download our Social Media Audit Worksheet to guide you along.
- What is your goal for social media marketing? You can grow your audience, get new leads, drive business, be more connected to your community … your reasons for using social media are unique to your business. Write them down and decide how you’ll know if you’re successful. This will help you stay focused on the ultimate goal.
- Find your best, worst and forgotten social media channels. Track down all of your social media profiles. You may know you’re active on Facebook and Twitter, but what about that long forgotten Pinterest account you set up in 2010 and haven’t touched since? Make a list of all profiles. If you need to close an account, don’t feel bad doing it! It’s better to focus on two strong social media channels than to stretch yourself over five or six and do a poor job. Google your business name to find any other social media profiles that someone else may have set up in the past.
- Know who has access to accounts, and update passwords. Having a former employee on a social media account can be dangerous for a company. Make a list of who has administrative access to Facebook and LinkedIn. Write down your passwords for sites like Twitter and Pinterest. Haven’t updated your passwords since you opened the account? It’s probably time to create a new one. For security purposes, it’s best to update your passwords periodically.
- Check your profiles for completion. Look for consistency through your profiles. Do your profile pictures match? Are your headers the right resolution? Are all of your About sections complete? Do you have your website address listed? Depending on the platform, you will want different things completed. Try our checklists for Facebook and LinkedIn to get you started.
- Is your community growing? Do you track your social media growth? Although it’s not a strong indicator of successful social media marketing, it’ll give you a good idea if you are generating interest. Use tools like this scorecard, Facebook Insights, and Twitter Analytics. Take a benchmark at the end of every month and track over a year.
- Are you posting on a consistent schedule? Depending on the channel, you may post multiple times a day or only a few times a week. If there isn’t a schedule of when you post, it’s probably best to set up a content calendar or start using a social media management tool. There are many options for affordable tools to help you manage your accounts efficiently.
- Do you have social media links on your website? If someone goes to your website first, can they get to your social media accounts to learn more? Use social media icons on the top or bottom of your web page to link to your profiles. If you already have icons on your site, click through to make sure they are linking correctly. For example, if I click on your Facebook icon I should see your Facebook business page, not either your personal page or a Google search page.
- Check your competitors. Pick three of your competitors and see what they’re doing on social media. Don’t just look at the number of fans or how many likes and comments they get on posts. You don’t know what your competitors are paying for social media advertising. Look at what channels they are on. Are they using one successfully that your company isn’t on? What’s their voice? Can you tell what their social media strategy is? Make notes of what they do well and what is working best for them. You’re fighting for the same audience, so it’s good to see how you stack up.
After going through these steps, you should have a perfect bill of (social media) health! Review your notes and create a plan to work on throughout the year. Remember to go back a year from now and perform the audit again. With new platforms and updates coming out regularly, what you’re doing now on social media may not work in a few months or a year
Have questions about your social media or want to walk through an audit together? Email us at social@stateauto.com
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