The end of the year is quickly approaching. As you're striving to reach your sales goals for the holiday season, be sure to plan for 2016 as well.
After all, you want to enter 2016 knowing you've got the best marketing plan to grow your business. You should even be able to prove why your plan will work using your company's data.
Before 2015 ends, perform a social media audit. A review of your social media plan details the most important statistics to illustrate how your social media is performing. You can perform quick, monthly social media audits, but at the end of the year, you want to go in depth.
The average marketer spends 572 hours a year on social media marketing. By performing a social media audit, you can be sure the hours are paying off.
Once you know exactly what's working (and what's not), the rest is easy. You can improve conversions, grow your audience and increase engagement.
Here's how to perform a year-end social media audit in six steps. The few hours you spent analyzing your social media will benefit you tenfold in 2016.
1. Compile the basics
You can DIY your social media audit or opt to automate the process with a social media audit tool. Either way, your first step is to compile all the social media sites you're on.
Make sure you cover:
- URL
- Bio, hours and "about company" info
- Profile and/or cover photo
- Fanbase
- Average number of weekly posts
Update as needed to unify brand imagery and messaging.
2. Revisit strategy
Open up your social media strategy for 2015.
What was your goal for each platform? Were you successful in achieving it? Do some of your goals for each network sound too similar? Are you stretched too thin? Maybe it's time to stop focusing on a particular network and start focusing on another.
This is the time to step back, analyze and re-evaluate.
3. Track growth
Compare your audience size from the end of 2014 with where you are now. Then calculate the growth rate percentage.
Once you see what networks are growing the fastest versus static growths, find out why.
Are you advertising more on one network versus another? Are you putting more time into nurturing specific audiences? Is the caliber of content higher?
Also, take into account the prominence of each network on your website. Social placement and integration on your website significantly impacts your social network growth.
4. Analyze content
This step is most easily completed with the help of a tool. Doing it by yourself can be time-consuming!
Now, do a deep dive into what type of content performs best while unearthing key stats. Track:
- Content type: What content performs best on each network? Most common content types are links, images, videos or text posts.
- Conversion rate: Find out what content drives people to action.
- Engagement: Discover the average number of comments and likes on your posts.
- Amplification rate: See how often (and what type of content) people share the most.
- Timing: Learn what day of the week and time of day your content performs best.
5. Pinpoint successes and flops
On each network, detail the post with the best conversion, engagement and amplification. What made those posts so successful? How could you replicate their success?
Likewise, find the posts that simply flopped — the ones no one liked, shared or acted on. What elements do these failed posts share?
6. Amplify future outcome
With this data compiled, your 2016 social media marketing plan will fall right into place. Focus on the networks that are performing best, replicate successes and talk internally about how to streamline your process.
