It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway. In an era where digital interaction shapes consumer behavior, organizations must embark on social media strategic planning and analysis to maintain a competitive edge. Social media marketing is far more than just pointing, clicking and posting. You need a well-thought-out posting strategy and to regularly monitor key metrics to tie your social media efforts to real business goals, proving success. On the flip side, tracking metrics can help you identify downward trends, signaling that it’s time to switch up your strategy.  

Now, Meta changes algorithms and key metrics faster than Taylor Swift puts out new albums, so smart organizations prepare to adjust their social media strategy from year to year (sometimes even from quarter to quarter). Keep reading for a sampling of top social media metrics to track in 2024. 

Engagement 

High engagement – likes, comments, shares, saves, etc. – boosts a post’s visibility due to algorithms favoring content that resonates with users. Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) definitely prioritize quality over quantity and focusing on high-quality, engaging posts can organically lead to greater reach and exposure for your business. 

Don’t forget about Stories! Instagram Stories are here today and gone tomorrow, lasting only 24 hours. However, Stories have recently risen in popularity, receiving more engagement than static feed posts. With the ability to include links, polls, interactive stickers, tags and more, understanding your Story performance will help you pinpoint top-performing content amongst your follower base. 

Follower growth (or decline) 

While it’s important to keep track of the number of total followers your Meta platform has, it’s equally as important to keep a pulse on how many new followers you gain and lose. If you’re continuously gaining a steady amount of followers, that’s great! Continue your posting strategy while keeping a pulse on new trends and changing algorithms. 

On the other hand, if you notice you lost a large amount of followers in one month, take a look at your posting strategy. Are you posting too many times in one day, causing audience fatigue? Are you posting content that’s stale and uninteresting to your audience, causing them to jump ship? Don’t be afraid to pivot! 

Video completion rate 

While video views measure everyone who watched your video (even if it’s just for a few seconds), the video completion rate shows how many viewers watched the entire video. A high completion rate suggests the content is engaging and resonates well with your audience.

Click-through rate (CTR) 

No matter your industry, the goal of most social media campaigns is to encourage your audience to take action, such as clicking on a link to learn more or to purchase a product or service. Your post’s click-through rate indicates how many people engaged with and actively responded to your message. 

Follower demographics 

Understanding who your audience is and where they come from allows you to shape your tone of voice, your visuals and your overall message. Meta allows you to track gender, age, location and even top pages your consumers follow. This information will help you determine your overall social media strategy. You may even find that your audience demographic isn’t best suited for a Meta platform like Facebook or Instagram and that you should focus your efforts on other social sites, like LinkedIn. 

And this is just the beginning! Several key metrics can be tracked to inform your organization’s social media strategy. If your company is looking for further expert advice about analyzing analytics to establish a strong reputation in the digital landscape, Obsidian is one phone call away!