How I Learned to Love Data

Ever since that horrid day in third grade when I first heard the word “fractions,” I despised math and numbers. When I couldn’t understand the point of a mixed number, I knew that I wanted to get as far away from math scenarios as possible. I was almost positive that the number game wasn’t for me.

It wasn’t until college that I realized how wrong I was.

As I dove deeper and deeper into the field of public relations, finding a niche in social media, numbers began to reappear in my life. At first I felt lied to. I was in the journalism school! Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe haven for those who hate numbers?

Well it turns out I was wrong. Numbers are everything when it comes to social media. It’s not enough to just tell a story through our creative content; we have to prove the story had an impact and it’s the numbers that do just that.

Here are a few things you should know when it comes to social media analytics:

Use it to learn.

While we all want perfect posts right off the bat, it’s not likely to happen. Try testing out a few different posts (photos, videos, graphics, written content) and see what works for your followers. Always tailor your posts to your specific audience.

Figure out which platforms work.

Time is money and every business does not need to have a social presence.

ce on every single platform. Use social media analytics to figure out which platform you can afford to spend time on and which one you should push aside for a later time.

Monitor your hashtags.

Hashtags are synonymous with Twitter, but not every hashtag works. You can use analytics to figure out what hashtag resonates the most with your audience and which ones you can forgo.

Find the right tools.

Social media analytics isn’t just monitoring how many likes you get. It’s monitoring leads and link clicks to garner the most money. That means investing in platforms like Hootsuite, Business Facebook, Simply Measured, and Google Analytics, to name a few.

Focus on timing.

When it comes to social media, there’s a method to the madness. To get the most out of your posted content, you need to find the times where your followers are the most active. Some strategists might say to schedule your posts at times like noon or 8 a.m. While these can be great times to post, use your analytics to find the times that your specific audience is the most active. You might be surprised by what you find.