Social $ense: Track your social media
Social media is not all pretty posts and cool videos. t he business side can get pretty intense.
Agencies will usually give a month-end report showing the progress and different parameters of campaigns. These reports are to help keep track of your investment in social media. They will also help give the marketing department insight into what’s working and what could use more attention. If you do not have an agency or a marketing department, then chances are you are doing the analytics and insights on your own.
Here are some programmes/apps that are user-friendly and give precise analytics that are easy to decipher.
Sprout Social: What started as a platform that managed and monitored Instagram has now grown into a fully fledged analytics and monitoring programme. The reports are detailed and easy to decipher. You can see hashtags that worked, which posts were top performers, and more. Try it free for a month and you can decide whether it is worth the paid version.
HootSuite: This tool, like Sprout Social, is a full-service one. The free version is pretty good, albeit there are some limitations. However, it allows you to report, curate, and monitor across all leading platforms. There is a free trial period that works pretty well for small businesses.
SocialBakers: This is a pretty in-depth platform that also allows you to audit your social media accounts. The stats and analytics are excellent, however, they are not readily available unless you pay. I find that this is best for larger corporations. You get a couple of days free, so you can play around and see if you like it.
Buffer: If you want to break down the analytics and statistics per post, Buffer is perfect. It allows teams to analyse each post and grow their social media profiles.
There are many reporting tools for social media out there, and each comes with its own unique benefit. Research and take advantage of the trial periods to determine which ones are best for you and your business.
Chelan Smith is CEO of Chelan Communications. With over 13 years of experience in social media, she has worked with local and international companies to implement strategy and develop and solidify their digital brand voice.
info@chelancommunications.com
