If you’re posting consistently but not sure what’s actually driving results, it’s time for a social media audit.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to run a social media audit, plus give you free templates to make it simple.
Key takeaways
- A social media audit is essential for making intentional decisions about content, budget, and priorities.
- When measuring your social media performance, consider key metrics like engagement rate, post frequency, and audience growth.
- Use your audit to confirm that all social profiles align with your brand’s style and voice guidelines.
- Compare your performance against competitors to identify benchmarks and opportunities.
- Hootsuite’s free social media audit templates can help you run a faster, more efficient audit.
A social media audit is a structured review of all your social media accounts that compiles and analyzes your performance across platforms.
Think of your social media audit as a report card: it identifies strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps. It also helps marketing leaders evaluate social ROI, updated content strategy, and make smarter budget decisions.Want to learn more? Check out our video:
What can a social media audit tell you?
A social media audit helps you make better strategic decisions, including:
- Which platforms deserve more (or less) investment
- Which content formats drive the most engagement or conversions
- Where your target audience is most engaged
- What’s underperforming and needs to change
- Where to focus your efforts next
Ready to get started? Use our handy social media audit checklist and make sure you don’t miss a single step.
If you’re ready to get into the audit (or want your own version of this checklist), download the free audit templates below:
To conduct a social media audit, follow these steps:
- Create a list of all your social media accounts
- Check your branding
- Identify your top-performing social media content
- Evaluate each channel’s performance
- Understand your audience on each platform
- Update your social media marketing strategy
1. Create a list of all your social media accounts
Jot down all your social media accounts to start, from the platforms you use daily to ones you may have neglected. Active or inactive, it’s important to catalog your online presence as part of your social media audit.
In addition, think about the accounts you don’t have yet. For example, are there any social platforms you haven’t considered? Should you be there?
You don’t need to be active on every network, but an audit is a good opportunity to add new ideas to your future social media strategy.
Where to find this info:
Search each major social network for your brand name (and even your products). Not only might this uncover long-forgotten Facebook groups, but it’s also a chance to catch any imposter or misleading accounts that you can then shut down or report.
Pro tip 💡: Set up a social media monitoring program to catch any future fake accounts.
2. Check your branding
Check each of your social media accounts to see whether they align with your current brand style guidelines.
Review the following areas for each social account:
- Profile and cover images. Do your images reflect your current branding and adhere to each social network’s image size requirements?
- Profile/bio text. Is every field in your social media profile filled in accurately? Does the copy match your tone and voice guidelines?
- Username. Try to use the same username across all social channels, though having more than one account per network is okay if they serve different purposes. (For example, we have X accounts like @Hootsuite and @Hootsuite_Help.)
- Contact information and links. Does the URL in your profile go to the correct website or landing page? Are your phone number and contact email still correct?
- Pinned posts (if applicable). Evaluate your pinned posts to ensure they’re still appropriate and up-to-date.
- Verification. Is your account verified with a blue checkmark badge? If not, should you try? We have guides on how to get verified on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) if you want to pursue this.
Where to find this info:
Visit each of your social profiles and see how you’re showing up online. Be sure to click on any links to see if they need to be replaced.
3. Identify your top-performing social media content
Next, audit your social media content. For each social platform, list your five top-performing posts. Include links to each post so you can easily review them later.
But wait — what makes a “top-performing post?” That depends! A good place to start is ranking posts by engagement rate to see what your audience responds to.
That said, you may want to focus on a different metric, like link clicks, video views, or conversions, depending on your unique goals for each platform.
Look through your top posts for patterns. For example:
- What type of content is getting you the response you want? Photo posts? Videos? Feed, Stories, or Reels?
- What style of content has the highest engagement metrics: Candid, behind-the-scenes content, or polished and professional posts?
- Are people responding in the same ways across all networks? Does specific content perform better on one platform than another?
- Do people engage with your posts if you ask a question?
- Are your top posts aligned with your current brand voice? (If not, but they’re performing well, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate that voice.)
Record your thoughts in the notes column of your audit document. (We’ll come back to these notes later!)
Where to find this info:
You can use each social platform’s built-in analytics tool to find your top posts based on specific metrics.
Not sure how? We have complete guides to using all of them:
But hold up: That could take forever. A faster option is with Hootsuite Analytics, which offers more comprehensive social media reporting.
With just a few clicks, you can find the top posts for all your social accounts in one place. You can even schedule regular custom reports that are sent straight to your email.
4. Evaluate each channel’s performance
In this step, evaluate how each social channel contributes to your overall marketing goals.
If you still need to create a mission statement and a few key goals for each social account, now’s the time.
Several accounts may have similar goals, like driving website traffic and increasing conversions. Others may be exclusively for customer service or brand awareness.
For each channel, list out its goal(s) and track your progress toward them.
For measurable goals like traffic or conversions, write down the actual numbers. For example, how many website visits came from Instagram? How many sales came from Facebook Page visitors? If the goal is customer service, write down your CSAT score and see if it’s improving over time. Be specific.
For goals without quantifiable data, record supporting evidence. If your Facebook account is for brand awareness, has your follower count increased? Have you increased your organic or paid reach?
You want to get clear on the purpose of each of your social channels and measure their effectiveness.
Where to find this info:
Finding relevant information will depend on the goals you set for each channel.
Tracking customer service or brand awareness goals? Try using social listening tools to gather data from real customers. For traffic and conversion goals, use Google Analytics.
Tracking conversions from social media isn’t an exact science, though it’s easier on some channels than others.
For Meta (Facebook and Instagram), you need to set up Meta Pixel to track website actions. Most brands now use Meta’s Conversions API along with the Pixel to get more accurate data.
Other social networks have their own tracking codes. Many e-commerce platforms also include built-in social tracking tools. Going platform by platform can be tedious, but you can make this step easier by using a social media management tool like Hootsuite Analytics.
You don’t have to take our word for it, either — our own social team uses Hootsuite to conduct their own social media audits.
Running a social media audit through native platforms takes an eternity. But running a social media audit in Hootsuite Analytics takes less than an hour.
I have custom reports built for each of our networks and one master report that covers them all. These reports make it so simple and quick to scroll through our content and gain insights into what’s working and not working.
– Trish Riswick, former Social Team Lead at Hootsuite
Optional: Go one step further and compare each channel’s performance against your top competitors with social media industry benchmarks.
If you’re a Hootsuite user, we’ve got good news: Hootsuite Analytics makes benchmarking a breeze.
Hootsuite Analytics can run an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter competitive analysis for you. You can track up to 20 competitors per network and get a clear view of your strengths and weaknesses — plus actionable insights on the top posts, hashtags, and content formats in your niche.
Competitive analytics in Hootsuite go as far as telling you the average caption length and number of hashtags used per post.
Hootsuite also offers a handy industry benchmarking tool that helps you compare your performance against averages across your industry.
To get social media industry benchmarks, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Hootsuite dashboard and head to Analytics.
- In the menu on the left side of the screen, scroll to Benchmarking and click Industry.
- Pick an industry that best describes your business.
That’s it! You can set up custom timeframes, switch between networks — including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok — and look up benchmarks for the following metrics:
- Profile impressions
- Profile reach
- Followers
- Audience growth rate
- Engagement rate
- Video plays
- Posting frequency
- Clicks
- Shares
… and more.
You’ll also find resources to improve your performance right in the summary section.
And, if you need to present your results to stakeholders, you can easily download your comparison report as a PDF file.
If you want to conduct an even more thorough competitive analysis, check out this related blog and free template.
Check out this social media competitor analysis guide and free template.
5. Understand your audience on each platform
Next up: dig deeper to understand exactly who you’re reaching on each platform.
Audience demographics are a good starting point. For example, Facebook is the most popular platform for men aged 25-34, but YouTube is the place to be for the 18-49 group.
While your audience may differ from the norm, we’ve compiled all the top demographic data for each social network to get you started:
Learn the demographics of your unique audience on each platform and use that, along with the types of posts they prefer, to create buyer personas. (Don’t worry; we’ve got a free buyer persona template here.)
Where to find this info:
You can find demographic information within each platform’s native analytics. It’s a lot faster if you use Hootsuite’s social listening tools, though.
Search for any topic or keyword, then filter by date, demographics, location, and much more. You’ll be able to identify thought leaders or brand advocates, understand your brand’s perception in the market, and get immediate alerts if and when your mentions spike (for good or for bad).
6. Update your social media marketing strategy
Now that you know where you stand, think about ways to improve your social media metrics. It’s time to revisit the notes you made earlier.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Which platforms are driving the most results?
- Are there any new social media platforms you should be using?
- Are you neglecting any platforms? Do you even need them, or would it be better to ditch them and focus on your higher-performing ones?
- What content types are working best right now? How can you make more of this?
- Is your content resonating with your expected audience demographics, or has a new potential persona emerged?
Think about new content and campaign ideas, building off what you learned from your top content in step three.
For example, if video is a big hit, write down a specific strategy to work more video into your marketing. That could be “Post 3 new Instagram Reels per week” or “Repurpose existing long-form video into short, 15-second clips for social media.”
These decisions don’t have to be forever. Successful marketing depends on testing and experimenting to find what works for your audience.
For each new strategy and idea, write it down in your marketing plan. (Don’t have one yet? We’ve got you covered with yet another awesome template: this free social media marketing plan document.)
Remember: your marketing strategy is a living document, so keep it current.
Where to find this info:
Use all the data you’ve collected so far to generate new ideas. Have your goals for each platform in front of you and connect them to your updated marketing plan. Remember to let others know when you’ve updated the marketing plan, so your team is on the same page.
Once you’re done with your audit, plan the next one! Quarterly works well for most companies, although you may want to check in monthly if you run many campaigns or channels.
Regular audits connect your team’s day-to-day marketing work with your company goals. Over time, you’ll refine your social strategy and learn how to best connect with your audience.
Once your audit is complete, follow these steps:
- Prioritize a few high-impact changes: Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Pick 2–3 adjustments that will have the biggest strategic impact and execute those well.
- Reallocate resources and budget: Double down on the social media channels, formats, and campaigns that are driving real results. If something isn’t pulling its weight, it may be time to scale it back.
- Document and share findings: Create a concise summary that outlines what’s working, what’s underperforming, and where investment should increase or decrease. This turns your audit into a leadership-level conversation, not just a marketing exercise.
- Schedule the next audit: Audits are easy to postpone once things get busy. Put the next review on the calendar while momentum is high to keep your team accountable.
Consider your audit a reset button. With clearer priorities, your next steps should feel a lot more strategic.
Conducting a social media audit can be time-intensive without the right tools. Here are our top picks:
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite can power your next social audit with tons of customizable data in the Analytics dashboard (think growth, engagement, demographics, and more!).
It’s also a great tool for setting up social listening, investigating brand sentiment and mentions, and benchmarking competitors.
We’ve even got a free trial for you right here.
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is mainly used to track website performance. However, it can also help you measure how well your social media campaigns are working.
Use it to see how much traffic your social accounts send to your website, especially if that’s one of your overall marketing goals.
3. Talkwalker
Talkwalker is a social listening tool that helps brands track what people are saying about them online.
Its features are baked into Hootsuite’s social listening tool, but you can also use Talkwalker as a standalone platform.
It helps you monitor brand mentions across many social networks, including newer platforms like Bluesky. It also provides real-time insights, such as sentiment analysis and trending topics, so you can really understand how people feel about your brand.
4. Later
Later is a social media planning tool that helps you schedule and preview posts before they go live.
Beyond content planning, Later can help with your social media audit by providing insights into the performance of your posts and help optimize posting times.
However, the platform does lack some more advanced social media analytics features like competitive analysis and industry benchmarking.
5. Buffer
Buffer’s analytics makes it a valuable tool for social media audits, with insights into audience engagement, performance tracking, and demographics.
Its user-friendly dashboard is simple and straightforward, but it doesn’t come with social listening features or competitive benchmarking.
FAQ: Social media audit
What is a social media audit and why is it important?
A social media audit is a structured review of all your social accounts and how they’re actually performing. A social media audit is essential for making intentional decisions about budget, content, and priorities. It helps you understand what is working, what needs improvement, and where to focus next.
How do you conduct a social media audit step by step?
To conduct a social media audit, first list all your social media accounts and review your branding and profile details for each platform. Next, analyze your top content and measure how each platform supports your goals. Lastly, use your findings to update your strategy and create an action plan.
What metrics should be included in a social media audit?
The metrics you include in a social media audit should match your business goals. Common metrics include engagement rate, reach, follower growth, clicks, and conversions. If customer service is a goal, you should also measure response time and satisfaction scores. The key is measuring what actually moves your business forward, not just vanity metrics.
What should a social media audit checklist for businesses include?
A social media audit checklist for businesses should include a review of all accounts, branding, and profile details. It should also cover content performance, audience insights, and goal alignment. Think of it as quality control for your social presence. A checklist keeps the review structured so nothing important slips through.
How often should enterprises perform a social media audit?
Enterprises should run a social media audit at least quarterly. This keeps large teams aligned and prevents strategy drift. If you’re running frequent campaigns or major launches, monthly performance check-ins can give you even sharper insights.
Save time by managing all your accounts in one place with Hootsuite. Plan content and campaigns, schedule posts, manage conversations, and see all your analytics and ROI data with quick, automated reports. Power up your social marketing today.
