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The current business environment presents a situation in which those who have not taken advantage of the power of social media to boost their sales are missing out on a significant opportunity. To create a social media campaign, it is not enough to simply share content; you must also actively monitor key metrics in order to evaluate how successful your efforts have been.
Metrics for social media serve as essential data points that are used to analyse the impact that social media campaigns have on the amounts of revenue generated by a brand or company. The use of sophisticated monitoring tools by social media marketers allows them to keep a close eye on these metrics and remain informed about the trends in the data, which is essential for achieving true success in the contemporary digital realm.
The ultimate goal is not limited to figures; rather, it is to acquire profound insights into the manner in which the general public perceives the brand. By utilising this understanding, businesses have the ability to actively work towards improving the reputation of their brand and expanding the number of followers they have. Not only does adopting a holistic strategy for social media increase sales, but it also helps to cultivate a constructive and long-lasting connection between the brand and the people who consume it.
Best Social Media Metrics Comparison Table
When you use social media, you have to be both creative and analytical at the same time. But if creativity is the interesting cherry on top, then social media metrics are what make the whole thing come together. There isn’t a single “magic” way to measure something.
| Feature | Keyhole | Sprout Social | Brand24 | BuzzSumo | BrandWatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Social listening, influencer marketing | Social media management | Social listening, brand monitoring | Content discovery, social media analytics | Social listening, brand insights, consumer research |
| Key Capabilities | Track brand mentions, analyze competitor activity, identify influencers | Schedule & publish posts, track engagement, generate reports | Monitor brand sentiment, track keywords, manage alerts | Discover trending content, analyze social media performance, identify influencers | Analyze conversations, understand consumer opinion, measure brand impact |
| Strengths | Strong competitor analysis, advanced influencer search | Comprehensive social media management, user-friendly interface | Real-time monitoring, sentiment analysis accuracy, strong integrations | Content research insights, competitor benchmarking, social media trend tracking | Granular consumer insights, advanced reporting, social listening expertise |
| Weaknesses | Limited reporting features, less focus on sentiment analysis | Primarily focused on management, not deep listening | Lacks some automation features, can be expensive for advanced plans | Limited social listening capabilities, primarily content-focused | High learning curve, complex interface |
Best Social Media Metrics
These are the numbers that show how well your social media strategy is working and help you figure out how to make it better. They keep track of how many people saw, liked, shared, or commented on your posts and interactions online, like scorecards. Metrics for social media also show how much time and money you’re putting in and how much you’re getting back.
Keyhole
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Media Monitoring | Real-time tracking of social media mentions across various platforms |
| Hashtag Analytics | In-depth analysis of hashtag performance and reach |
| Influencer Tracking | Identify and engage with key influencers in your industry |
| Campaign Tracking | Monitor the success of your marketing campaigns in one dashboard |
| Competitive Analysis | Analyze and compare your brand’s performance against competitors |
| Visit Website |
With Keyhole, you can get lost in the lively world of online conversations about your brand and those of your competitors. Think of this as your unique key to a treasure chest of real-time social insights on sites like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Keyhole is a great tool for making winning social strategies based on real experiences. It can track hashtags, watch for brand mentions, and look at influencer campaigns.
The Good
- Real-time monitoring for instant insights
- Comprehensive hashtag analytics
- Effective influencer tracking for brand collaborations
- Streamlined campaign tracking
- Robust competitive analysis tools
The Bad
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Advanced features may be overwhelming for smaller businesses
Sprout Social
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Media Scheduling | Plan and schedule posts across multiple social media platforms |
| Analytics and Reporting | Track performance metrics and generate detailed reports |
| Social Listening | Monitor brand mentions and industry trends in real-time |
| Collaboration Tools | Facilitate team collaboration and communication |
| CRM Integration | Integrate customer relationship management for enhanced engagement |
Sprout Social goes above and beyond by giving you a single platform to manage all of your social media accounts. As an all-in-one garden, it’s where you can not only listen but also plan posts, interact with followers, and get detailed information on how your content is doing. With the personalised scheduling, engagement, and analytics that Sprout Social gives you, your social media efforts will grow and bloom.
The Good
- User-friendly interface for easy navigation
- Robust analytics with detailed reporting
- Powerful social listening capabilities
- Seamless team collaboration features
- Efficient CRM integration for a holistic approach
The Bad
- Pricing may be on the higher side for small businesses
- Advanced features may not be fully utilized by all users
Brand24
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Mentions Tracking | Monitor and analyze brand mentions on social media |
| Sentiment Analysis | Gauge the sentiment behind mentions for brand reputation management |
| Competitor Analysis | Analyze and compare your brand’s online presence against competitors |
| Influencer Identification | Identify influencers for potential collaborations |
| Data Export | Export data for further analysis and reporting |
Want to know what people around the world think of your brand? Here comes Brand24, a platform that turns every online whisper into a resonating orchestra. It gives you a big picture view of how people feel about your brand and its online reputation, acting as your personal loudhailer. Find influencers, handle crises, and track the success of your campaigns in real time to make sure that your brand’s voice fits perfectly with the right audience based on your own experiences.
The Good
- Comprehensive social mentions tracking
- Accurate sentiment analysis for brand reputation management
- Robust competitor analysis tools
- Effective influencer identification
- Convenient data export options
The Bad
- Interface design may feel slightly outdated
- Learning curve for some advanced features
BuzzSumo
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Content Discovery | Discover trending content and topics in your industry |
| Influencer Outreach | Identify and connect with influencers for content collaboration |
| Social Media Analytics | Track social media performance and engagement metrics |
| Competitor Content Analysis | Analyze the content strategy of competitors |
| Content Alerts | Receive notifications for trending topics and brand mentions |
What you post on social media is king, and BuzzSumo is your royal court advisor. Find topics that are popular right now, look at what your competitors are writing, and find formats that work well to help you start writing your own content. Think of BuzzSumo as your own personal beehive, full of ideas for making content that goes viral, engages your audience, and brings your brand to life through personal stories.
The Good
- Powerful content discovery for effective marketing strategies
- Seamless influencer outreach and collaboration
- Detailed social media analytics for performance tracking
- In-depth competitor content analysis
- Timely content alerts for staying ahead in the industry
The Bad
- Pricing may be a bit high for smaller businesses
- Interface may be overwhelming for beginners
BrandWatch
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Listening | Monitor social media platforms for brand mentions and conversations |
| Consumer Insights | Gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences |
| Image and Video Analysis | Analyze images and videos for brand-related content |
| Crisis Management | Detect and manage potential PR crises in real-time |
| Customizable Dashboards | Create personalized dashboards for specific metrics |
BrandWatch is your smart consumer intelligence partner that will help you get around in the fast-paced world of social media. It keeps you ahead of the curve on social media by being your social media watch. Find new trends, learn about your audience’s demographics, and guess what people will do in the future to stay ahead of their constantly changing tastes. You can use BrandWatch to help you make plans that include personalised experiences that fit with changing social media trends.
The Good
- Powerful social listening capabilities
- Deep consumer insights for strategic decision-making
- Advanced image and video analysis for comprehensive monitoring
- Effective crisis management tools
- Customizable dashboards for personalized analytics
The Bad
- Pricing may be prohibitive for small businesses
- Advanced features may require additional training
Future Trends in Social Media Metrics
As of my most recent knowledge update in January 2022, it’s hard to say for sure what the future holds for social media metrics. But based on how technology and social media have changed over the years, we can guess a few possible trends in social media metrics:
- Metrics Powered by AI: More and more, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being used to look at data from social media. AI can give you deeper insights, analyse your feelings, and make predictions.
- Analytics in real time: People are likely to want more real-time data and analytics. There may be more features on social media platforms and tools that give you instant information about ongoing campaigns, hot topics, and how your audience is acting.
- Focus on Video Metrics: Metrics for video engagement, completion rates, and interaction within videos will become more important as the number of videos available grows. Platforms could improve their video analytics tools.
- Metrics for Augmented Reality (AR): As augmented reality (AR) is used more on social media, campaign metrics like how engaged users are with AR content and how it changes their behaviour may become more important.
- Metrics that focus on privacy: As worries about data privacy grow, metrics may change to focus on gathering and analysing data that has been anonymized or combined in order to protect user privacy while still giving useful information.
- Analytics for Temporary Content: Metrics for ephemeral content (content that disappears after a short time) on Instagram Stories, Snapchat, or TikTok may get smarter, with a focus on how engaged people are with that content while it’s still around.
- Metrics for Community Health: There are ways to measure the health and activity of online communities, such as the number of positive interactions, the amount of mutual support, and the mood of users within groups.
- Integration of cross-platform metrics: Tools for measuring and analysing cross-platform performance that are better. Brands and marketers are likely to look for more complete metrics that show how their social media presence is spread across all platforms.
Questions and Answers
Despite the fact that the metrics change with each new social media platform, the metrics that are most frequently used and absolutely necessary to monitor are impressions and reach, engagement, conversion, response rate, share of voice, cost per click, and click-through rate, to name a few.
The abbreviation for “key performance indicator” is “KPI.” This is a term used in business, and it is not restricted to marketing through social media. However, the key performance indicators (KPIs) for social media will be the sole focus of this guide. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the numbers that you look at to determine whether or not your strategy is successful and whether or not it is meeting your goals. On their own, metrics and key performance indicators do not tell the whole story.