Social media gets overwhelmed sometimes. Posting content, trying hard to grow followers, checking likes and comments… it all seems like a full-time job. And you’ll just keep wasting your energy if you don’t take some steps to watch what’s actually working and what’s not. 

And that’s the point where the social media audit enters. Well, yes, it sounds quite complicated, but in reality, it’s less complicated than how it sounds. Just think about it like you’re cleaning your closet: you check what fits, what’s too old, and what you should focus on moving ahead. 

Let’s dive into a step-by-step guide in a very easy way for you to follow.

Step 1: List all your social media accounts:

In the first step, you just have to write down all the social media you’ve created. Not only those you use regularly—include the ones you had created before and now have forgotten about. This could be:

1. Instagram 
2. Facebook 
3. TikTok
4. LinkedIn 
5. YouTube 
6. Any other platforms you’ve created profiles on

If you forget about any of your accounts, then just search for it online by writing your brand name, and your account will pop up. You can update them, delete them, or start again if they make sense of your purpose.

Step 2: Make sure everything looks on-brand:

Go into each of your accounts and check:

1. Is your profile image clear and the same everywhere?
2. Is your account name the same everywhere?
3. Is your bio date?
4. Do all links work properly?
5. Is your contact information right?

Basically, you want someone to see your account on any platform and recognize you easily. This helps you in building trust among the people and also makes you look professional. 

Step 3: Check your numbers. 

Now, it’s time to check the progress behind the screen. For this, you have to go into the analytics section of each social media platform and then look at:

• How many followers have you earned or lost? 

1. How many people are engaging with your content?
2. What’s the reach of your posts?
3. What type of posts are getting the most attention and love from the audience?

To keep it easier, you can prepare a spreadsheet and note down the number of all platforms. Without using any fancy tools, you’ll get a feel for what’s working. 

Step 4: Know your audience:

It’s very important to know who you’re talking to and who are following and interested in interacting with you. Many platforms show information like:

1. Age
2. Gender 
3. Location 
4. Activity status 

With the help of this, you can easily figure out whether you’re interacting with the right audience or not. For example, if you’re a local makeup artist but your audience is mostly in another country, then you might need to modify your strategy. 

Step 5: Review your content:

Scroll from your recent posts. Ask yourself:

1. What type of posts do you share the most?
2. Which type of posts get the most likes or comments?
3. Are you posting often enough?
4. Is your content funny, helpful, motivational, or just random?
5. Are you replying to people who are commenting on your post and messages to you?

Try to point out patterns. Behind-the-scenes videos might do work well, or maybe your quotes get lots of shares. 

Step 6: Take a peek at your competitors:

Now, look towards other people or businesses who are doing the same thing as you. Check out:

1. What platforms do they use?
2. What type of content do they post?
3. What’s their engagement?
4. What’s your perspective towards their style?

See, it’s not about copying them; it’s about learning from them. By doing this, you’ll get to know about their strategy and what you can learn from them to improve your business. 

Step 7: Spot what’s missing:

Now, you have to start noticing a few things:

1.  You might have been ignoring LinkedIn, but most of your target audience is there.
2. Maybe the page you’re on on Facebook is not active, but people are still texting you there. 
3. Maybe you’re posting daily but not using proper hashtags or CTAs. 

Note down what you’re missing or what you could use for improvement. So, this step is concerned with finding some of the opportunities that help you in growing. 

Step 8: Set realistic goals

After having a clear picture, now it’s time to set some simple and easy goals. Try to keep these goals realistic and easy to measure. For example:

• Post 2 times a week on Facebook. 
• Reply to all messages within 24 hours. 
• Grow your followers by 100 on Instagram in the next month. 

• Increase views on the story by 25% in 3 months. 

Don’t panic. Just select 2-3 goals to focus on and monitor your progress. 

Step 9: Refresh your strategy:

Utilize what you learned to adjust your plan. 

Ask yourself:

1. Which platform should you focus on?
2. What type of content should you post?
3. How often should you post?
4. Is it good for you to try something new, like collaborating with others?

You don’t have to update everything. Even small adjustments can also make a big difference if you’re consistent and up-to-date. 

Step 10: Repeat every few months:

Social media actually changes very quickly. What became viral last week might flop this week. And that’s why it’s important to keep auditing your social media every 3-6 months. 

You can simply set a reminder on your mobile to stay on track. The quicker you identify the changes, the easier things will become for you.

Conclusion

A social media audit sounds like a boring activity, but in reality, it’s not. It’s genuinely one of the best activities you can perform to grow your online presence. Just like checking your progress at the gym! You see what’s working, work on what’s not working, and enjoy your wins. 

There’s no requirement of too many fancy tools or expertise. But just a little time, some interest, and a willingness to improve yourself. 

So move forward, pull out a notebook and all your social media apps, and start digging.