We’ll say it: in case you’re not creating social media stories to trace your progress and analyze your efficiency, you’re losing your time. (Harsh? Possibly. However we’re all about that robust love in relation to social media success.)
Collecting and analyzing data about your top-performing posts, your viewers, and, yeah, even your humiliating flops, is the key to bettering your social media efficiency. With out this very important info, it’s nearly unattainable to grow your following or obtain your social media goals. As enterprise bros like to say: what can’t be measured, can’t be managed.
Plus, social media stories are just about the one technique to show the worth of your social marketing efforts to your group and your boss. From workers morale to elevated budgets to rising your group, it’s crucial to have information that exhibits the importance of your work to the organization.
However right here’s our little secret: social media reporting truly doesn’t need to be arduous. Constructing social media stories is straightforward with a social media report template. (And if filling out that even looks like an excessive amount of, Hootsuite Analytics can auto-generate the custom report of your dreams.)
It’s time to whip up some social media stories to show your price and set your social technique on monitor for achievement — and we’ve bought the information, methods, and social media report template that can assist you do exactly that.
Bonus: Get a free social media report template to easily and effectively present your social media performance to key stakeholders.
A social media report is a document with an in-depth analysis of your social media performance over a specific period.
Social media reports help you track your key performance indicators (KPIs), measure the success of your social media campaigns, and establish alternatives for optimization.
As an example, a report on your brand’s Instagram account may reveal that your followers remark extra on movies than they do on photographs. You may study that your Instagram Reels are attaining a wider attain than your Instagram Carousel posts. You may see that you just’ve acquired an uptick of followers from Latvia… and see that they’re all teenage boys. (What’s going on over there?)
In different phrases, every information level will enable you to and your group establish patterns. And with these patterns, you’ll be higher geared up to serve your viewers extra of what they like… on-line and offline.
TLDR: Whether or not you’re reporting to your group, purchasers, or stakeholders, a well-crafted social media report can present worthwhile insights into your efforts and assist contribute to knowledgeable decision-making.
Each social media report goes to be a bit totally different, relying on what you are promoting’ unique social media goals. What’s necessary to a quick meals firm is perhaps totally different than what’s necessary to a college, proper? (Hamburgers and followers; tenure and engagement.)
This listing of issues to incorporate in your social media report is extra of a suggestion than a rule. Choose and select what issues to you!
Government abstract
Many social media stories begin with a short overview of the report’s findings and highlights. That is in the end a snapshot of your social media efficiency — just a few sentences that summarize the small print which are outlined in full later within the doc.
Social media targets
A fast overview of your social media strategy helps present a bit context, reminding readers of what we’re attempting to do right here. Does your organization use social primarily as a channel for customer service? Social commerce? Model consciousness? The entire above?
Be sure you spotlight any adjustments in technique because the final time you reported, together with any new channels you’ve integrated into your social combine.
Interval-specific targets
What have been you hoping to perform throughout this reporting interval? A rise within the variety of followers, maybe? Possibly you have been hoping to extend visitors to your web site. No matter yours is, define this so everybody studying the report understands what “success” particularly means.
Metrics and KPIs
Current the social media KPIs that you just’re monitoring. It in all probability goes with out saying, however these metrics ought to align along with your targets (above). Metrics you may need to showcase might embrace engagement, attain, followers, web site clicks, or conversion charges.
Efficiency evaluation
That is the place the juicy stuff occurs. To investigate your efficiency, you’ll need to evaluate how your metrics and KPIS stack up in opposition to your said purpose. Determine tendencies, successes, and areas that want enchancment.
Marketing campaign insights
If you happen to ran particular campaigns over the reporting interval, create a separate phase to share insights about their efficiency. What labored effectively? What may very well be tweaked for subsequent time?
Competitor evaluation
You in all probability have a way at this level of how your accounts have grown or modified over the weeks or months, however evaluating your efficiency to your friends can present some attention-grabbing perception as effectively. Take into account together with a competitive analysis to benchmark your performance against other brands within the {industry}.
Viewers insights
Share up-to-date demographic information about your viewers. Who’re your followers? The place are they from, how outdated are they, what else can we find out about their pursuits and conduct? Understanding who’s consuming your content material permits you to tailor future posts accordingly.
Content material evaluation
There could also be some attention-grabbing insights to be discovered within the sort of content material that’s trending or flopping. Consider the efficiency of various kinds of content material — textual content, pictures, movies, and so forth. Determine which content material resonated probably the most along with your viewers.
Platform efficiency
Totally different social networks could require distinctive methods — your TikTok stats and your Instagram stats might inform two completely totally different tales. If you happen to’re lively on a number of platforms, assess the efficiency of every one on this part.
Suggestions
Welcome to the conclusion of your social media report. Based mostly in your evaluation and findings, counsel actionable suggestions for future campaigns or the following reporting interval.
Making a social media report isn’t as daunting because it sounds — significantly in case you’re right here on this weblog submit the place we’re about to put out the super-simple step-by-step directions for constructing one from scratch. (If we have been making a report about how nice your day goes, our evaluation can be: you’re crushing it.)
But when even that course of feels overwhelming, don’t stress. Scroll down to search out an easy-to-customize social media report template ready for you.
(Or right here’s a professional tip: sign up for Hootsuite to entry customized, automated reporting, delivered in stunning PDFs.)
Breaking it down into manageable steps can simplify the method. Right here’s a step-by-step information that can assist you create a complete social media report:
Step 1: Decide who this social media report is for
Is that this on your boss, or the gross sales group, or to get the brand new advertising intern on top of things? Is it for shareholders? Are you sharing this with most of the people?
Understanding who’s studying this report will assist form what info goes in it… and typically, much less is extra.
Step 2: Set clear targets and targets
Start by defining the targets and targets you need to obtain by way of your social media efforts.
Then, break that down into smaller, extra time-specific targets that particular person reporting intervals will goal to deal with.
Are you aiming to extend model consciousness, drive web site visitors, or increase engagement? Clear targets will information your evaluation.
It’s a good suggestion to make use of the SMART goal-setting framework, because it ensures you create targets which are simple to trace and report.
Step 3: Select related metrics
When you’ve settled in your targets, it’s time to resolve simply the way you’ll measure your progress in the direction of these targets. As an example, in case your purpose is to achieve a youthful demographic, increasing your followers on TikTok may very well be a terrific goal… and a quantity that’s straightforward to trace and measure.
The metrics that matter shall be totally different for each advertising group, however some key general metrics to incorporate on your social program are:
If you happen to’re utilizing social media for customer support, it’s additionally a good suggestion to report on service metrics like internet promoter rating (NPS), buyer satisfaction rating (CSAT), and ticket decision time.
After all, you’ll be able to embrace rather more information if it’s related to your targets. For a full breakdown of all of the numbers you may need to embrace in your social media enterprise report, take a look at our submit on social media metrics that really matter.
Step 4: Collect information
Collect data for the reporting interval, throughout the entire related platforms your model makes use of. (Most social media platforms supply built-in analytics, however you may also use third-party instruments for a extra complete evaluation… like, ahem, Hootsuite Insights.)
If it is smart on your group, you will get much more particular and break issues down by format inside a community, similar to Stories vs. posts vs. Reels.
It doesn’t matter what metrics you select, present some earlier outcomes for context. In spite of everything, information means nothing in a vacuum. If you happen to’re reporting on a marketing campaign, look for the same previous marketing campaign to check what you achieved.
If you happen to’re creating a daily weekly or month-to-month report, monitor your outcomes in comparison with the earlier a number of weeks or months. This lets you see ongoing tendencies. You may additionally examine your outcomes to the identical interval from the earlier yr, to account for any seasonal tendencies.
Step 5: Analyze efficiency
Information doesn’t imply something in case you don’t give it some thought — and type conclusions or insights.
What do the numbers you’ve painstakingly compiled present you? What sort of patterns, tendencies, or anomalies do you see right here? Determine which content material and techniques contributed most to your success… and the place your weak spots nonetheless is perhaps.
Spotlight something that went particularly effectively throughout this reporting interval.
Look past the numbers right here. Possibly you made contact with a key social media influencer for the primary time. Or possibly a very compelling evaluate got here in by way of social that you just’ll be capable of use in future advertising campaigns.
Embody room in your social media report back to share all types of success which are related to your targets.
Step 6: Create visuals
If you happen to’ve bought the instruments to take action, visualize your information utilizing graphs, charts, and tables. (Hootsuite can generate these type of issues for you—simply sayin’!)
Visible representations make it simpler to know advanced info and tendencies at a look. Google Sheets can crank out infographics out with just a few faucets of the button… Canva is a simple graphic design device to make use of, too.
Step 7: Examine your information with earlier intervals
When you’ve been doing this for some time, contemplate evaluating your present efficiency with earlier reporting intervals in your social media report.
Seeing one yr or one week in comparison with one other may also help you gauge progress and establish areas the place you’ve improved or (gulp) regressed.
Step 8: Share viewers insights
Gather details about your viewers demographics, pursuits and behaviors, and share these in your social media report.
Who’s your common follower at this particular second in time? When are they on-line, and what do they do there?
You could find this info in most platforms’ inner analytics, however social media dashboards like Hootsuite may also help pull information from a number of platforms collectively in a single spot.
Step 9: Present aggressive evaluation
Pull some latest information about your opponents and {industry} — the place are firms thriving or struggling? This information may also help you benchmark your individual efficiency in a better context.
Direct opponents are nice to look at right here, but it surely may additionally be useful to maintain monitor of non-industry accounts that you just admire, too… there’s loads to be discovered from different manufacturers who is perhaps courting the identical sort of viewers..
Step 10: Create a marketing campaign analysis
Chances are high, in some unspecified time in the future or one other, you’re going to be working a selected marketing campaign (both natural or paid) with the hopes of constructing a selected influence. If you happen to’ve invested cash or time into one strategic marketing campaign, it’s time to guage its effectiveness.
Did your advert blitz completely falter on Facebook, however thrive on Pinterest? Did you completely nail it along with your goal demographic on your Instagram Tales advertisements? Decide what elements led to success and what could be improved in future campaigns.
Step 11: Suggestions and motion plan
Now that you just’ve soaked up all this juicy, juicy information, it’s time to make some educated recommendations on what ought to occur subsequent.
Does your group have to spend money on some targeted social ads to enhance your attain? Do you have to double down on creating TikTok videos?
Present actionable suggestions for future campaigns, whether or not which means suggesting content material concepts or adjusting posting schedules.
Relying in your particular targets or viewers, your social media report can take just a few totally different kinds. Listed below are just a few frequent sorts of social media stories:
Month-to-month stories
As you may’ve guessed from the identify, month-to-month social media stories present a snapshot of your efficiency over a month. They’re helpful for monitoring short-term targets, and permit you to make changes to technique in real-time.
Quarterly stories
Quarterly stories supply a extra complete evaluation of your efficiency over (you guessed it) 1 / 4. Most of these social media stories present a broader perspective, and assist your group establish long-term tendencies.
Marketing campaign-specific stories
As talked about above, it’s a good suggestion to report on and monitor marketing campaign metrics in your broader social media stories, too, however you may discover it helpful to create a devoted report for a selected marketing campaign. With a hyper-forcused evaluate like this, you’ll be capable of supply detailed insights into its success and areas for enchancment.
Platform-specific stories
Every social media platform has its personal distinctive dynamic, so chances are you’ll discover it difficult to evaluate the nuances in a single generalized report. That’s the place platform-specific social media stories are available in. For companies lively on a number of platforms, creating platform-specific stories permits you to tailor your evaluation extra exactly.
There you’ve got it: all the pieces you should know to create a successful social media report. However, hey, we get it, you’re busy protecting your social media content calendar filled with partaking content material: allow us to offer you a head-start. Use this fundamental social media report template to kick off a brand new romance with reporting.
Bonus: Get a free social media report template to easily and effectively present your social media performance to key stakeholders.
Creating a social media report is made easier with the help of various reporting tools. Here are some of the best tools available:
In-platform analytics tools
Whether you’re diving into your Instagram numbers or your LinkedIn data, social media platforms feature an in-house analytics platform that will shed light on your performance.
Learn more about each of the social media platforms’ analytics tools here:
Hootsuite Analytics
Hootsuite Analytics is a social media analytics device that permits you to simply monitor the efficiency of all of your social channels in a single place so you’ll be able to replicate what works and get extra engagement.
The device additionally makes it straightforward to create customized stories to showcase your outcomes to your boss and share insights along with your group.
Hootsuite Analytics collects your stats from Fb, Instagram, X (previously Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok.
It helps you monitor metrics like:
- Attain
- Engagement price
- Impressions
- Likes
- Performs
- Shares
- Clicks
- Saves
- Feedback
- Video views
- New followers
- Whole followers
- Profile visits
- Reactions
- Unfavourable suggestions price
- Web site clicks
- Common time watched
- Variety of messages, calls, and emails
- Day by day engaged customers
- Web site clicks
- And much more
You may arrange customized boards that offer you an outline of your most necessary metrics at a look, over a choose time frame and search for rather more granular info, right down to particular person submit efficiency.
With Hootsuite Analytics, you may also:
- Discover out when your viewers is on-line
- Get customized suggestions on your finest occasions to submit for every of your accounts
- Simply view {industry} benchmarks and see the way you examine to opponents
Brandwatch
Hootsuite’s Brandwatch integration is a social media report gamechanger. Brandwatch’s highly effective search scours the world’s largest pool of social information to return related information that really issues. Business-leading options phase and analyze your information to disclose actionable insights, due to easy-to-use performance and unparalleled processing speeds.
Google Analytics
If you happen to’re utilizing social media for enterprise, you’re in all probability already on the case with Google Analytics… however in case you’re new to the powerhouse information device, permit us to fill you in.
Google Analytics is a robust internet analytics device supplied by Google that gives worthwhile insights into web site and app efficiency, and even may also help monitor social media visitors. It’s extensively utilized by companies, entrepreneurs, and web site homeowners to trace and measure person interactions, analyze visitors sources, and collect information to optimize on-line presence.
Panoramiq Insights
Are you grammin’ arduous? These with a devoted Instagram focus will discover this device invaluable for effortlessly managing important metrics.
Seamlessly integrating with Hootsuite, Panoramiq Insights permits you to conveniently entry essential Instagram metrics straight out of your dashboard. Panoramiq Insights presents complete analytics on your whole vary of Instagram actions, spanning posts, Tales, and Reels. It facilitates the monitoring of person info, encompassing follower demographics and new comply with interactions.
Talkwalker
A favorite right here at Hootsuite HQ, Talkwalker leads the {industry} in social information intelligence.
Leveraging the prowess of synthetic intelligence, its expertise delivers actionable insights derived from real-time social media monitoring and complex analytics.
Outline and categorize conversations that matter utilizing over 50 filters, and make knowledgeable choices on how you can have interaction along with your viewers.
To get extra particulars on how you can profit from the info accessible by way of all of those social reporting instruments, take a look at our weblog submit devoted to social media analytics.
Use Hootsuite to do all of your social media reporting from a single dashboard. Select what to trace, get compelling visuals, and simply share stories with stakeholders. Attempt it free at this time.
All of your social media analytics in a single place. Use Hootsuite to see what’s working and the place to enhance efficiency.
