A Winning Social Media Strategy: Competition & Analytics

If you’ve read part one of this social media series, you have already identified your strategy and goals surrounding social media and the platforms best suited to achieve them. Now that you have those important pieces in place, you can begin to take into account what your competition may be doing, as well as begin measuring the success of your own efforts. So, let’s discuss these remaining elements of your social media battle and how they can help you succeed in the long run.

Considering the Social Media Enemy (A.K.A. - The Competition)

While your primary focus should be on mastering your own social media presence, you have now reached a point where you can give greater consideration to what your competition is doing. Are they successful in their efforts? What kind of content are they creating to reach audiences? Are they engaging with consumers? If they seem to have a formula that works, this can be significant insight to take into consideration as you move forward with content creation. It is also a great way to gain some inspiration if you are coming up short on creativity. Analyzing what is making them successful in their social media efforts can help your own process from start to finish.

For the record, I’m not telling you to go steal their ideas or copy exactly what they are doing. But as the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It’s just smart business to keep a close eye on what your competitors are doing and to use that information to stay ahead of the game.

Reaching the Social Media Champions’ Circle (A.K.A. - Measuring Success) 

Say hello to metrics. They are your best friend when it comes to measuring online success. Facebook and Instagram are both great at providing engagement metrics. Whether it’s an organic post or paid content, you can see the clicks, shares, reach, etc., and this can go a long way in seeing the type of content with which your audience is engaging. Take advantage of having these numbers at your disposal and use them to determine which content is most valuable and even the ideal timing of posts for maximum impact.

We often hone in on followers and likes as the barometer of our marketing efforts on social media, but there is so much more to consider. Take a step back and gauge the social metrics associated with your long-term goals, and use them to help build lasting, engaging relationships with your audience. 

There you have it – the steps you need to create the most effective social media presence for your business. Keep these in mind as you plan, create, and measure your social media efforts, and success is well within your reach. Now, go forth and bust out your new strategy!