Effectively reporting your social analytics will help you showcase the impact of your social media strategy. A strong report gives leadership a clear picture of what did or didn't go well and how to optimize future efforts to meet the mission goals.
When crafting your report, the content should address key performance indicators (KPIs), discuss the social media evaluation findings and recommend manageable next steps. A good report requires several key components. Say "yes" to good reporting by following these tips.
Tell a story.
Provide an easy-to-follow journey from start to end. The goals and KPIs established before the campaign should guide the report's storyline. Consider what leadership needs to know and any subsequent questions they might ask. Begin with an overview of the strategy's goals, then highlight relevant data that addresses the KPIs and end with recommendations based on the evidence provided. Remember, every good story has a strong character. Weave the audience throughout your report to keep them at the forefront of the story and engage leadership.
Keep it simple.
Make the report understandable and clear to leadership. Leadership doesn't always speak social media analytics, so keep jargon to a minimum. While your report is expected to include quantifiable evidence, avoid delivering streams of useless and incomprehensible data. Consider creating an appendix to make details available to the reader that desires to drill down into the nitty-gritty.
Provide an overview of goals.
Give a high-level overview of the mission's goals. Explain how the campaign goals support the mission and outline the relevant KPIs. This overview of the goals establishes the measurement criterion for the wins and losses presented in the report.
Also, align what KPIs leaders are focused on to the data you are gathering. If you are giving them engagement numbers, and they want to know about tangible impacts, it will always be a tough conversation. Connect the dots to what they are focused on.
Highlight insights and relevant data.
Start by providing the top campaign metrics and top pieces of content based on engagement. This creates an easy way to launch a more in-depth look at data, such as conversions, trends and target insights by KPIs. Talk about your social media audience, who they are, their engagement rate and their general sentiment about your organization. Be sure to address any gaps in your strategy. Use graphs, charts, tables or other easy-to-understand visuals to present results. Remember, keep data details in your report to a minimum; those belong in the appendix.
Make recommendations.
To wrap up the report, provide the next steps to take to achieve future goals and overcome any challenges. It is critical to convey further tangible actions based on the evidence presented earlier in your report.
References
Bray, T. (2021, August 25) Measuring social media campaigns. DINFOS Social Media Forum.
Lovett, J. (2011) Social media metrics secrets. United Kingdom: Wiley.
Unknown, (2021) Influencer marketing measurement: how to create an effective report. Mavrck.