Social media analytics tracking: How it’s done

Over the past decade, as a manager, analyst, entrepreneur or senior lead, you may have witnessed the evolution of social media as an indispensable tool for audience engagement, brand awareness and overall growth of your business. 

As such, understanding the impact of your social media initiatives becomes paramount in steering informed business choices. 

But tracking social media analytics can be daunting. There's just so much data to sift through that it can be hard to know what's important. 
 
Essentially, there are three basic steps when it comes to tracking social media analytics: identifying the right metrics for your business’ goals, tracking your performance over time and making data-driven decisions. 

But obviously, there’s more to it than just that.  

So, if you wish to implement social media analytics tracking for your business, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this article, we’ll be walking you through the entire process, from choosing the right metrics to interpreting the data. We’ll also be sharing a few tips for making the most of your social media analytics. 

That said, let’s get into the meat of the matter by starting with the meaning of social media analytics, which can make a world of difference to your efforts on social media.

What is social media analytics?

Social media analytics is the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data from various social media platforms to gain insights into the performance and impact of a brand's online presence. It involves tracking and measuring key metrics, like engagement, reach, click-through rates and conversions, to understand audience behavior, content effectiveness and overall social media strategy success.  

However, before you do that, here are some important reasons for checking the analytics for your business.

Why is social media analytics tracking important?

Social media analytics tracking provides valuable insights that can propel your business to new heights. Let us explore why this tracking is vital and how a powerful suite of tools can be your ultimate ally in this endeavor.

Unmasking your audience

Social media analytics enables you to delve deep into your audience's preferences, behaviors and demographics. By understanding who they are, what they like and where they engage, you can tailor your content and strategies to resonate with your target market effectively.

Additionally, using social data to better understand your audience can help you in a variety of ways. Analyzing your previous posts, for example, can assist you in determining the ideal time for you to share content.

Some social networks simplify this with built-in analytics. For instance, the “Insights” tab on Facebook or Instagram tells you the post reach, post engagement and new page likes for specific periods.

Learn More: Audience Analysis

Measuring campaign success

Whether you’re running a hashtag campaign or a product launch, social media analytics helps you measure the success of your efforts. You can track engagement, reach and conversions to identify the areas driving results and those that need improvement.

For instance, IKEA sought a solution that could scale with its team as they worked to improve their understanding of IKEA's customers and the effectiveness of its products — all while controlling brand risk.

IKEA made the most of a unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform to get the “media impact score” capability through media monitoring and analytics. This score reported the impact of news articles released by the IKEA public relations team, based on relevance, engagement, domain authority, global rank and syndication.

Identifying trends and opportunities

Tracking analytics is not just about numbers; it’s about unlocking trends and opportunities that can reshape brand strategies.

Through social media analytics tracking, you can discern emerging trends by monitoring spikes in discussions and mentions. These trends often point to evolving consumer preferences or industry shifts, enabling you to proactively tailor your brand's content and engagement strategies.

Moreover, social media analytics tools provide a window into audience behavior. By analyzing which posts get the most engagement, you can pinpoint patterns that resonate with your brand's audience. Armed with this insight, you can curate content that aligns with these preferences, amplifying your brand's reach and impact.

Also Read: Sentiment Analysis

Monitoring competitors 

While making a social media strategy, monitoring competitors through tracking and analysis holds immense potential. Social media insight tools offer a valuable vantage point to observe and decipher your competitors' moves.

Analysis of their content, engagement patterns and audience reactions sheds light on their successful strategies. This way, you can identify what resonates with your shared audience.

Moreover, tracking competitor sentiment and customer feedback can highlight gaps in your brand's offerings or areas where your brand can excel. It’s an opportunity to refine your messaging and enhance your brand's value proposition.

Also Read: Competitive Analysis

How do you track social media analytics? 

Tracking social media analytics is not only essential but also accessible and efficient with the right tools and approach. Here are some key steps to start exploring the data:

1. Choose the right comprehensive tool

When embarking on the journey to track social media analytics effectively, your choice of an analytics tool is pivotal. Opt for a comprehensive platform that aligns with your specific needs. Look for features that offer cross-platform tracking, real-time data and in-depth analysis capabilities. Make sure that it provides the flexibility to customize metrics and reports to suit your business objectives.

2. Integrate your social media channels

To streamline your social media analytics, integrate all your social media channels into your chosen analytics tool. This integration simplifies data collection, allowing you to monitor and analyze all your platforms on one centralized dashboard. It's a time-saving approach that provides a holistic view of your social media presence.

3. Set up tracking metrics

Effective social media analytics tracking begins with setting up tracking metrics aligned with your business goals. Define the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter the most to your specific objectives.

Whether it's measuring engagement rates, reach, click-through rates or conversion rates, ensure that your tracking metrics are specific, measurable and relevant to your goals.

Deep Dive: 7 key social media metrics to track

4. Add main competitors

Monitoring your competitors is a strategic move in the realm of social media analytics. Add your main competitors to your analytics tool. By benchmarking your metrics against theirs, you can gain insights into their strategies and performance. This competitive intelligence allows you to identify opportunities and refine your strategies accordingly.

Also Read: Consumer Insights

5. Monitor and analyze 

Consistent monitoring and analysis are the lifeblood of effective social media analytics. Regularly check in on your analytics dashboard to monitor ongoing performance. Keep an eye out for trends, spikes and drops in your metrics.

Dive deep into the data to uncover insights about your audience, content effectiveness and campaign success. This continuous process allows you to stay agile and make data-driven decisions in real time.

6. Create custom reports

To communicate your social media analytics effectively within your organization, create custom reports. These reports should showcase your tracking metrics, insights and trends in a clear and visually appealing format.  

Utilize data visualizations, like charts and graphs, to enhance the report's impact. Regularly sharing custom reports with stakeholders fosters transparency and supports data-driven decision-making.

7. Optimize your social media strategy

The ultimate goal of tracking social media analytics is to optimize your social media strategy for maximum impact. Based on the insights you gather, make strategic adjustments to your content, posting schedule and engagement tactics.

Test new approaches and tactics, and measure their impact using your tracking metrics. This iterative process ensures that your social media strategies stay relevant and effective in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

3 tips for effective tracking

Here are three tips to help you make the most of social media analytics tracking.

1. Decide which metrics you'll focus on and track 

When it comes to social media analytics, clarity is your best friend. Start by deciding which metrics align with your business goals. Are you aiming to boost engagement, increase brand visibility or drive conversions?  

Select specific, measurable metrics that directly reflect these objectives. It's about quality over quantity. Focusing on a few KPIs ensures that you're tracking what truly matters, and it streamlines your analysis efforts.

2. Determine the social media analytics tools you'll use

The right tool can make all the difference in your social media analytics journey. Consider using a comprehensive platform, like Sprinklr, which offers a suite of products tailored to meet your needs.

Third-party tools, such as Sprinklr Social, provide a holistic approach to tracking and optimizing your social media efforts. These tools enable you to monitor conversations, schedule and manage content, supercharge your advertising and delve into in-depth performance metrics — all in one place.

3. Measure the success of your social media analytics efforts  

Effective tracking doesn't end with data collection; it extends to measuring the success of your analytics efforts.  

Regularly assess whether your chosen metrics are aligning with your goals. Are you seeing improvements in engagement rates, reach or conversions? 

Evaluate the impact of your social media strategies and make adjustments as needed. Keep in mind that success in social media analytics is a dynamic process. Be agile in your approach, test new strategies and measure their effectiveness.  

Adapt and refine your efforts based on the insights you gather, ensuring your social media strategies remain on the path to success. 

The effective tracking of social media analytics involves a deliberate selection of metrics, choosing the right tools and a continuous cycle of measurement and adaptation. By following these tips, you'll not only gain deeper insights into your social media performance but also empower your business to make data-driven decisions and achieve remarkable success in the ever-evolving world of social media.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, any business seeking to thrive in the digital age needs to master the art of social media analytics. You can define clear objectives and identify key metrics to stay focused on your business' success. 

The built-in analytics tools of major social media platforms provide a quick and efficient way to gauge your content's performance and understand your audience better. 

However, to truly drive your social media analytics tracking, consider leveraging the AI-driven power of Sprinklr. From social listening and publishing to advanced advertising and in-depth analytics, you’ll get assistance on everything you need to succeed in the competitive world of social media. 

So, embrace social media analytics with Sprinklr and take your business on an exciting journey toward success. Your brand's future awaits – start your free trial today!