- Many organizations approach digital media
from a platform first perspective.
That is, they jump on a social network
and develop their strategy later.
As a result, they may have multiple accounts
on various networks, abandoned profiles,
inefficient processes,
and a content plan with few actionable goals.
That's why it's important
for companies to take stock of their digital assets.
And one of the best ways to do that
is with a social media audit.
You'll find some helpful tips
on how to conduct an audit in our exercise files.
In a social media audit,
you'll examine your social and digital properties
through a critical and curious lens.
You're looking at your strengths and challenges,
your paid, earned and owned media
and how well your team is achieving its goals.
Everything's on the table.
So you try to be as honest as you can.
We prepared a resource to help you get started
in the exercise files.
But an audit isn't just about looking inside.
You'll also want to pay attention
to what your competitors are doing
and how successful they are.
Assess the landscape
and listen to conversations your customers,
suppliers, competitors, employees,
and other stakeholders are having.
You can find more tips on listening and monitoring
in my Learn Social Media Monitoring course.
You'll also want to talk
to thought leaders in your industry,
your staff and customers, make sure you let them know
you're capturing their comments anonymously.
That way, they'll be more inclined
to give you an unfiltered response.
When you think about your business,
ask questions like, who are you trying to reach?
What platforms do they use?
What's your organization currently doing?
Versus what are you doing well?
Where are the gaps, challenges, strengths and weaknesses?
Are there internal barriers to change?
Are your social media programs tied to your business goals?
Audrey Topsy from Topsy Turvy Bakery
is really focused on growing her customer base.
So I asked her who she's trying to reach.
- [Audrey] Well, brides, of course, wedding planners,
busy moms planning birthday parties,
and really almost anyone with a special occasion.
- [Martin] That's a pretty big audience.
How are you using social media to connect with them?
- [Audrey] Well, we used to get a lot of comments
from young moms and active brides on Facebook
who would share photos of our cakes,
but that's gone down in the last year or so.
One of our younger staff members
has been posting behind the scenes stories
on our Instagram account.
And I like that idea.
Should we continue?
Will Instagram posts help grow our business?
- You know Audrey, those are all questions
you could ask in your social media audit.
But before Audrey begins Topsy Turvy, like your brand,
needs to develop goals and objectives.
That way, you'll know what you want
your audit to accomplish.
When you start, try to be as objective as you can,
pay attention to all the pages on your website or blog,
your social media properties,
your digital and traditional content and marketing materials
and look at competitors through your customers eyes.
Then, analyze the results and identify trends,
areas for improvement and opportunities.
Done well, a social media audit can open your company's eyes
to the realities of your business landscape,
and get you the insights you need
to develop a strategic roadmap with recommendations
designed to achieve your social media goals.