CPG marketing on social media just isn’t as effective if you don’t check your work. That’s where a social media audit can help. What is a social media audit and why do you need it?
Understanding the Social Media Audit for CPG Marketing
CPG branding on social media is challenging because of the ever-changing nature of the venue. A social media audit is a measured process to evaluate and optimize your CPG branding on social media. This benchmarking process can help you understand:
- If your Twitter presence is cutting through the noise.
- If your CPG branding efforts are actually attracting customers to your Facebook page.
- If you have any CPG marketing social media posts that are out of alignment with your brand standards
Any CPG marketing effort, no matter the channel or tactic, should include a regular evaluation of its effectiveness. The formula is simple: Evaluate and course-correct, but the questions you ask and the research you gather is complex in the social media space. That’s because these venues change rapidly, along with trends that affect your brand.
Performing An Effective Social Media Audit
To perform a social media audit, you must:
1. Identify Your Profiles
Locate all your profiles across social media channels. It’s easy to lose track of these representations! Look for any profiles on venues or channels that may have grown less popular over time, such as Google Plus, Tumblr, Snapchat, or Instagram. Don’t forget employment websites like Indeed or Monster.
2. Record Each Profile for Tracking
Create a spreadsheet to record each URL and platform, along with who controls that social media venue or post. How often are these sites updated? How often do followers participate in the post? Is engagement trending up or stagnating?
3. Gauge Consistency and Accuracy
Look at each of these profiles to determine if they are complete. Are your webpages, profile pics, and bio information up to date?
4. Correct Any Issues
Correct any inconsistencies across each channel. You may want to eliminate any superfluous venues that are no longer relevant to your brand strategy. Check the postings themselves to see if they follow the most important rules for each channel. For example, shorter videos are more appropriate for Facebook but more detailed videos work well on YouTube.
5. Evaluate Your Channels
Now, weigh each of these venues against your target audience. Are you in the right channels that they frequent? Do your posts measure out as a match to the needs, wants, and priorities of your customers? Certain consumer markets gravitate toward specific social platforms. For example, Pinterest has mostly women in its user base, and Instagram gravitates toward a younger user base.
6. Measure Results Against Goals
Finally, reset your strategic imperatives and review these in light of your social media priorities. What are your goals for each venue? Increasing followers? Increasing click-throughs on a pay to play campaign? Engaging consumers in your brand? Driving traffic to your website? Make these goals measurable and concrete so that, during your next social media audit, you will be able to gauge the success of your CPG marketing efforts.
Conducting a social media audit each quarter is the bare minimum to improve your online CPG branding.
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Topics CPG Trends