There are so many social media analytics tools on the market that marketers are spoilt for choice.
The result is marketers behaving like kids in a toy store. They want to try and take away each and every tool.
According to research by HubSpot, the typical marketer is using more than 12 different tools on average with some using more than 30 tools to manage campaigns and data. This is a quite simply a dizzying amount of tools to learn, use and keep track of on daily basis.
We are not saying that using many tools is wrong, it’s just that it becomes difficult to have a clear view of the big picture.
Thankfully, this is an opportunity for marketers to get more value out of their marketing technology.
The following are three ways that marketers can get the most value from their social media analytics tools.
How to Get The Most Out of Your Social Media Analytics Tools
1. Integration.
Many social media analytics tools have a specialized purpose. Some examples include; post scheduling, tracking brand mentions, optimizing advertisements and much more.
Even with tools that have a narrow purpose, there are still dependencies between the various systems and opportunities to simplify workflow.
Integration is one of the ways to simplify workflows. This is possible through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). With APIs, various tools can “speak” to each other and share data. Distinct processes can then be run together.
In the past, one had to choose between specialized products or all-in-one solutions and, each had pros and cons. With APIs you can create seamless solutions with your current tools. A good example is Webdam customers who are able to use an API to connect marketing tools to other tools such as Hootsuite.
2. Invest in Training and Foster Acceptance.
Choosing technology is only the first step. Many businesses fail to get the most out of their analytics tools because the tools were introduced to staff in the wrong way.
First and foremost, the end-users of the tool must concur that the tool is needed in the first place or at the very minimum they must be convinced that they need the tool. Forcing tools on people is never the way to go. If employees perceive social media tools for small business as just another extra headache, then your social media campaign has failed even before it starts.
After there is a meeting of the minds between management and the end-users of the tools, the next thing is training. Training must be thorough and comprehensive.
Select social media analytics tools that don’t have a steep learning curve. And, never ever assume that your staff will figure it out as they move along.
3. Have Clear Goals and Measure Performance.
Starting out with clear goals is critical to getting the most out of your social media analytics tools.
Some of uses of social media analytics that can help you meet your goals include:
- Identifying amplifiers – finding influential people and micro-influencers who spread the word about your content or brand.
- Identify watering holes – Most businesses focus on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn but your audience might actually hanging out at Snap, Instagram or another social network.
- Tracking sentiment – what does the audience really think about your content and brand?
- Innovation – mine the fan base for ideas on content that could interest your audience.
- Tactical advantage – leverage data to come up with new products that satisfy needs faster than the competition.
- Brand tracking – understanding how much people really know your brand and the concept they have about it.
But even with great planning and execution, something could always go wrong.
Track the outcomes and determine if your efforts are paying off. If you find that the actual results differ from the intended outcome, take remedial action immediately.
Success lies in the ability to quickly spot your mistakes and learn from them.
Conclusion
Marketing technology or martech as it is now referred to, is the norm in social media marketing. You simply cannot do without it.
But, seeing the big picture from a variety of social media analytics tools is difficult because each tool has its own way of formatting and presenting data.
At the end of the day, there doesn’t exist a silver bullet for social media analytics tools. The key to success lies in getting the best out of your existing technology.
