Social Media Audits

Social media is buzzing with excitement. Consumers take to social media platforms to make their small mark on a brand by exclaiming what they like, dislike and would like to see. Brands are provided with valuable customer feedback by simply talking to the right people in the right places.

Having a well-constructed social media strategy is just as imperative as performing a thorough social media audit.  According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, consumers tend to trust social media messages more than advertising or news articles about the brand, hence, it is the responsibility of the brand to know which messages are having their intended effect. Search engine optimization (SEO) can only be established by knowing what works for you. In order to create useful social media strategies, brands need to know first and foremost how to reach current and potential consumers organically.

What is a social media audit? 

·         An examination of social data in order to assist marketers in knowing what consumers are saying about a brand and their competitors

What is the main objective of a social media audit?

·         To analyse what type of content is gaining the most traction for a brand and on which platforms

Why is it necessary to investigate social media platforms?

·         A platform analysis is performed in order to determine where pertinent audiences (target markets) are interacting with content  

What does my company gain from a social media audit?

·         You will gain key performance indicators that not only display your social media performance but provide real-life insights that can be adopted in your business marketing strategy

My company is an SME, is this still relevant to us?

·         Yes – regardless of whether your business is in its infancy or well-established, this audit is necessary to make decisions that optimise consumer-brand experiences

How can Digital Republic help?

·         We can provide a social media audit that both analyses your personal data, using a highly intelligent programme called Tracx, and provide key social media insights that are customised to your business objectives

What information does Tracx provide?

·         Tracx provides comprehensive social media data which includes some of the following key aspects:

-   Audience demographics

-   Influencers

-   Sentiment

-   Reach

-   Share of the voice

-   Competitor analysis

Are you attracting more males or females? How old is the average person engaging with your content? Where are your audience members predominantly based? All these types of questions are answered through a thorough and accurate analysis of your social media channels. Social media audits provide you with the little hidden gems of online data that can help make your business’s future even brighter.  

For more information about Tracx, go to: https://www.tracx.com/

Reference: https://hbr.org/2015/11/conducting-a-social-media-audit

Written by Claire King – Content Specialist

Brands vs. Consumers... The social war.

Let’s face it; consumers are evolving faster than brands. Much like natural selection there will always be those people who struggle to adapt to the rapid changes, but for the most part, consumers are complaining “better” and the truth of the matter is that consumers have evolved, but brands have remained, generic. Sure, a personal touch takes a bit more effort, but with rife competition in most industries, brands should start to evolve their customer service and not just their service and product offerings.

Does it often feel as though brands are fighting this fight by launching a new website or app or some fancy service that is relevant to a niche? Instead of “improving” they are fighting their battles with “more.” Brands are, inevitably, spreading themselves very thin.

It is not simply about customer service and keeping up to date with the latest trends in digital with an ever expanding digital strategy that one cannot manage, but rather about really understanding what works and what does not work. Having multiple platforms also confuses people, especially with varying response rates from each platform. Can you say inconsistent?

Digital Republic is conducting social intelligence studies across industries in South Africa to determine the “culture” of customers so that brands can better understand their consumers, their frustrations and with that learning we strive to assist brands in incorporating what really matters into their culture and not only their strategies. Consumers know when they are being lied to and brands do not always realise that staff represent their culture in a very influential way. You do not only want customer loyalty, but you want to be sure that your staff are excited to be part of your brand.

With Tracx, any brand can have access to this insightful and robust data. Through Digital Republic you can have access to people with the knowledge and experience to translate the data into actionable next steps.