11 Unique Approaches to Analyzing and Acting On Social Media Metrics

In the dynamic world of social media, strategic decision-making is pivotal for success. We’ve gathered insights from eleven professionals, including Marketing Strategists and CEOs, to share their unique methodologies. From implementing a 90-Day Review Strategy to tailoring content with engagement insights, discover how experts analyze and leverage social media metrics.

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Implement a 90-Day Review Strategy

The algorithm doesn’t lie. The approach I suggest is a 90-day plan built around your sales schedule. Then, review. Don’t sway your plan with the metrics from one post, but look cumulatively back over a 30-90-day period. Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t. Yes, it gets to be that simple.

Annelise Worn, Business and Marketing Strategist, Annelise Worn

Analyze Full-Funnel Conversion Rates

Use a full-funnel approach, understanding that the ad-viewer relationship has a number of typical, distinct clicks. 

Examine the number of clicks through to the number of link clicks. What is your ‘in-ad’ conversion rate? Use this as an additional metric to compare campaigns. 

Does one campaign have a lower cost per result but a higher “in-ad” conversion rate? This suggests a great trust-building component and a call to action. Perhaps combine those elements with the headline/hook elements from another campaign—look for an average to good cost per result with a lower “in-ad” conversion rate.

Timmy Brown, Marketing Strategist, The Asset Ad Agency

Employ Sentiment Analysis Techniques

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, and businesses have started to recognize the importance of leveraging these platforms for strategic decision-making. With billions of users on social media, it provides a vast amount of data that can be analyzed to gain valuable insights. 

One unique approach that has proven to be effective in analyzing social media metrics is the use of sentiment analysis. This involves using natural language processing (NLP) techniques to identify and extract emotions, opinions, and attitudes expressed by users on social media. 

By understanding the sentiment toward a particular brand or product, businesses can make informed decisions about their marketing strategies, product development, and customer service.

Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV

Focus on Engagement-to-Follower Ratio

Social media metrics can absolutely act like a compass for your decision-making. One unique approach that’s really paid off for us at Catalyst RVA Marketing Agency is focusing on the engagement-to-follower ratio, rather than just obsessing over the number of followers.

Here’s the breakdown: A high number of followers might look impressive, but if they’re not interacting with your content, it’s no good—especially today, with how limited reach can be without paying to play. We started analyzing which posts got not just the most likes, but which ones sparked conversations, shares, and, importantly, conversions to website traffic or inquiries.

We then took it a step further by initiating direct conversations with those who engaged the most. This wasn’t about selling, but about understanding what drove their interaction. Was it the content style, the topic, or something else? These insights directly influenced our content strategy, making it more tailored and effective.

This method turns traditional metrics on their head. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, it’s about building genuine connections and understanding the ‘why’ behind the data. This informed our decisions on content creation, ad spend, and even product development, ensuring our resources were being directed where they’d make the most impact. It’s a more labor-intensive approach, but the payoff in engagement and conversion rates has been well worth it.

Andrew Jenkins, Owner, Catalyst RVA Marketing Agency

Refine Messaging with Impression Data

In our marketing efforts for insurance clients on social media, Stratosphere relies on metrics, like impressions, to drive strategic decisions that yield tangible results. Recently, while analyzing impression data from Facebook image ad campaigns targeting various demographics and geographic regions for one of our clients, we observed a concerning trend: Despite high impressions; the ads were generating low clicks. This data analysis prompted us to reassess our messaging strategy. 

By addressing identified pain points, we refined the messaging, aiming to enhance engagement and improve click-through rates (CTR). Within just one month of implementing these changes, our client experienced a remarkable 15% increase in impressions, accompanied by a notable rise in CTR from 1% to 4%. This translated into a significant uptick in website visits and lead generation. 

This data-driven approach not only boosted brand visibility but also substantially improved conversion rates, showcasing the effectiveness of leveraging impression data for strategic decision-making in the insurance industry.

Nitin Bajaj, CEO, Stratosphere

Test Content on Social Media First

Our business sells through many channels, including social media. One tactic we like to use to “test” our content, images, videos, etc., is through social media. Before using them in our email and SMS campaigns, we like to test them out on social media to see which see the highest engagement. 

The content from the highest-performing social media posts is then used in our SMS and email campaigns. It’s sort of a test run before we launch our campaigns to over 50,000 subscribers. This gives us the best chance at grabbing their attention and getting them to click through.

Jeff Michael, E-Commerce Business Owner, Moriarty’s Gem Art

Utilize Social Media Listening

Social media has become vital for businesses, as they utilize various platforms to connect with their target audience. Analyzing the wealth of data from social interactions is crucial for informed decision-making. Companies employ social media analytics tools to monitor KPIs like engagement, reach, and sentiment, gaining insights into audience preferences and behaviors. 

A standout strategy is social media listening, which involves active monitoring of conversations about a brand. By understanding public opinions, businesses can pinpoint areas for enhancement. Sentiment analysis is another valuable tool, deciphering emotions in online content. This understanding aids in identifying growth opportunities and potential crises.

Brian Hemmerle, Founder and CEO, Kentucky Sell Now

Track Engagement and Uncover Trends

Social media metrics are like a direct connection with your fans. Track likes, comments, and shares to see what’s going viral. Strong engagement shows they’re genuinely interested, and clicks show you where to take them next. 

You can also analyze what people say about your competitors and develop a winning strategy. But here’s a nice twist: By searching comments, we can uncover hidden trends and learn how people feel about our brand. It’s like cracking a secret code to connect with people on a deeper level.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

Consider Target Audience Resonance

Whether it’s social media metrics or even internal metrics across your website, I think it’s important to consider your target consumer before you make decisions based on platform-specific data. For example, chasing certain social media trends just because of the potential for views and follower counts… But is it actually going to resonate with your target audience?

Wendy Makinson, HR Manager, Joloda Hydraroll

Conduct A/B Testing for Content Optimization

To analyze and leverage social media metrics effectively, I focus on engagement rates, reach, and conversion metrics to understand how well our content resonates with our audience and drives desired actions. 

One unique approach I’ve found effective is conducting A/B testing on different content formats and posting times, then using social media analytics to identify patterns and trends that inform our content strategy. This data-driven method allows us to optimize our social media campaigns for better engagement and ROI, making strategic decisions based on what truly works for our audience.

John Frigo, E-Commerce Manager, Best Price Nutrition

Tailor Content with Engagement Insights

At Startup House, we believe in the power of social media metrics to guide our strategic decisions. One unique approach we’ve found effective is to track engagement levels on different platforms and use that data to tailor our content strategy. 

By analyzing which types of posts generate the most likes, comments, and shares, we can better understand what resonates with our audience and adjust our messaging accordingly. This allows us to create more targeted and impactful campaigns that drive results. Remember, it’s not just about the numbers, but about the insights they provide for smarter decision-making.

Alex Stasiak, CEO and Founder, Startup House

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