Social media. It is something that the majority of society consumes every day, whether it be firsthand for our own personal use, hearing about it from other people, or other means of communication. If we are not scrolling, we are hearing something about it. It has become a staple in our lives and revolutionized about it constantly
There are also so many ways that social media can be utilized. Many of us have social media for personal engagement and entertainment, and communication. It is a way to engage with content that we enjoy, stay up to date on trends and pop culture, keep in touch with friends & family, and more. Many of us may know that social media can also be used as a branding tool. Large corporations, companies, and small businesses use it to engage with consumers, and even celebrities use it to their advantage. It is the perfect way to be seen and gain a following to match that digital visibility.
But did you know there is even more whole to the ins and outs of social media? It’s the less glamorous, behind-the-scenes side of our favorite platforms. That is social media analytics – the ability to gather and find meaning in data gathered from social channels to support business decisions. I will go into further detail on what this means later in this blog post, but right now I’m going to start by analyzing an actual social media post. This will give a clear picture of all there is to the numbers behind the content, the many layers of analytics, and how social media is truly measured.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch_G3lBNo5A/
I decided to take a look at White Claw’s most recent Instagram post as of September 1st. This post was a reel video posted on September 1st around 9:30 PM. So far it only has 117 likes and no comments. But if it ends up on par with the brand’s previous reels, it should receive anywhere from 700-1,000 likes and possibly up to 600+ comments. White Claw’s engagement and interactions vary depending on the type of media they release and the context of the posts. I am not sure exactly what time they typically post reels, but after over an hour there hasn’t been too much interaction on this one. I saw this reel as I was scrolling through my social media. Surprised to see they posted rather late in the evening, I thought I could take a closer look at the post and analyze it.
The reel is focused on White Claw-sponsored summer festivals and promoting a final festival to wrap up the season. While it currently doesn’t have any comments yet, I predict that there will be at least a handful of people engaging with the post who may be interested in attending. Based on reels made by White Claw in the past, this one will most likely be filled with users tagging and sharing with their friends. Additionally, White Claw has had giveaways and sweepstakes in many reels to encourage more post interactions and engagement. In another recent reel, White Claw had a free festival giveaway opportunity if users tagged a friend and commented specific hashtags. One random lucky winner would be selected and given the chance to attend the Life Is Beautiful festival in Los Angeles.
So, while White Claw doesn’t have the strongest engagement overall on their Instagram, it is clear that they are looking to change this. Offering users something that will benefit them sparks more brand interest and boosts user involvement. This is all so important to consider when looking at the analytical side of social media.
Social Media Analytics Explained
Earlier I said that would go into more depth about social media analytics – well that time is now! As I said previously, social media analytics involves gathering and interpreting data from social platforms and then utilizing this data to make educated, professional decisions about a brand, business, etc. But how does this apply to the world of social media? And what is the significance of these decisions made based on certain data?
Basically, these social media analysts first take this data and decide what parts of it are of value and what parts are not. Having good judgment is extremely important when analyzing any kind of data, particularly on social media. Something you think may be completely different than what someone else thinks, so it is important to have good judgment and be able to analyze what is useful versus what is useless in the grand scheme of things.
Social media analytics help to measure the performance of actions taken based on the educated decisions made through social media.
Breaking it down
There are a few different types of social media analytics. And within these different types, there are also multiple layers, but I won’t get into that just yet. There are both reactive and proactive forms of social media analytics.
Reactive types analyze “what happened” and “why”. The first reactive form, descriptive analytics, analyze data in visual forms to understand a problem or opportunity. They take data from, say a report, and analyze what could be done with this data, covering the “what” aspect. Diagnostic analytics, the second reactive form of social media analytics, covers the “why” aspect. They analyze the root of an issue and what could come of it, essentially a cause-and-effect investigation. Diagnostic analytics also give a closer look into what works and what doesn’t for social media campaigns, while descriptive analytics only give a general overview.
Proactive forms of analytics involve larger numbers of data. They help prepare for the worst (or the best!) that could happen before it does and avert crises, essentially stopping them before they start. The first type, predictive analytics, is exactly what it sounds like it is. It involves accumulating a lot of data to determine a prediction of a future event and why it may occur. Prescriptive analytics, the second proactive form, provides the best way to handle situations based on previous data gathered. Taking what you know from what already happened, prescriptive analytics help decide the best action(s) to take.
While all of these types are a little different, they all go hand in hand. And while every social media channel utilizes these analytical forms in its own way, the principles all remain the same. At the end of the day, social media analytics are all about understanding the data behind social content and measuring its performance, whether that be measuring clicks, impressions, engagement, conversions, you name it. Utilizing social media analytics is a great way to take a deeper dive into the data of your content, whether it be for a business or for your own personal brand image.