{"id":36889,"date":"2020-04-15T21:12:32","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T01:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialmediaexplorer.com\/?p=36889"},"modified":"2020-04-15T21:13:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-16T01:13:13","slug":"how-to-conduct-a-social-media-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socialmediaexplorer.com\/social-media-marketing\/how-to-conduct-a-social-media-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Conduct a Social Media Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Times like these are a reminder of why social media is such an important business tool. If it weren\u2019t for social media, thousands of businesses would have no meaningful way to connect with their customers, engage their audiences, and implement cost-effective and organic branding strategies during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n

Yet despite the opportunity <\/em>social media provides small businesses, only a small percentage actually realize their full potential on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.<\/p>\n

But how do you know if you\u2019re succeeding? A social media assessment is a good place to start.<\/p>\n

The Difference Between an Assessment and an Audit<\/h3>\n

Before we dig into the details of how you can conduct a proper social media assessment, let\u2019s get clear on one thing: We aren\u2019t talking about an audit. (Which is the phraseology most businesses use.)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to note that an assessment is not an audit,\u201d mentions PinnacleART<\/a>, a leader in comprehensive asset reliability and integrity programs.\u201d An audit, in its simplest terms, is a pass or fail result that must be documented and enforced. An audit is built from the outcome of an inspection and demands actions from findings. An assessment refers to an evaluation.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all you\u2019re trying to do here. You\u2019re trying to assess<\/em> whether or not your current approach to social media is working. And if it\u2019s not, the assessment gives you an opportunity to make some constructive changes.<\/p>\n

5 Tips for a Proper Social Media Assessment<\/h3>\n

Okay, now that we\u2019ve laid the groundwork and set the expectation, let\u2019s explain how you conduct a social media assessment.<\/p>\n

1. Compile Your Info<\/h3>\n

Start by creating a spreadsheet with a few different columns. In one column, you copy and paste the account URL to your profile. This gives you a dedicated row for each platform (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc.).<\/p>\n

The other columns contain information that you deem to be important \u2013 like followers, engagement, demographics, and other important KPIs and metrics.<\/p>\n

This spreadsheet provides a basic overview of your channels. It can be updated over time so that you can track your performance with each new assessment.<\/p>\n

2. Check the Basics<\/h3>\n

There are certain basics<\/a> that need to be analyzed during every social media assessment. You\u2019re checking the following items just to be sure that nothing has slipped through the cracks:<\/p>\n