Which metrics should I report?
Reporting analytics in social media can generally be broken down into two categories.
- Vanity: How many people are following me on Facebook? How many people saw that last tweet?
- Engagement: Are people reading my content? watching my videos? clicking my links? How many comments or replies did I get last month?
Both types of analytics need to be tracked, and depending on your strategic outcomes, one may be more relevant than another.
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How frequently should I report?
Your social media objectives and goals should drive the frequency with which you report. You may want to report immediately on the impact of a very short-run event. However, consistent reporting on some metrics will give you a good overview on the health of your social media as well as what an “average” post looks like.
Where do I find metrics?
Most social media platforms offer their own reporting mechanisms for free. These are a great place to start.