By Suzy Lins
January 21, 2024

Are you ready to be audited? Not by the IRS, but by yourself. It’s time for a social media audit! A social media audit is a review of all your business’s social media platforms, looking at various factors. I will break down the process here.

Make a List

Open a spreadsheet, Google Docs, or Notepad and write down all your social media accounts. List the name or handle of your account. The handle is your @[name of account]. It’s best to keep all your social media handles the same or as similar as you can. Sometimes that won’t be possible if your handle is taken on a specific platform. Consider changing any handle that does not match the others.

Brand Review

Next, write down how many followers you have and review the accounts for brand consistency. Look to see if you have the same information across all your profiles. This includes the profile photo, logo, bio, and any other information allowed in the profiles. Update accounts to create a uniform look across all your social media platforms.

Note any accounts that you do not post to or engage on. If you have an account you haven’t posted on in a while, consider deleting the account. If you’d rather not delete it, you can post to inform your followers that it’s not an active account and direct them to the platform where you are active. This allows you to keep the account handle if you decide to start posting to it in the future.

Content Review

Next up is to review the content of your social media accounts. Include the type of content you are posting and the frequency. Make note of the content that is getting engagement. This is not just the number of likes. Look at the comments and how many times a specific post was shared. Look for patterns. Are your video posts getting more engagement than a photo post, or is it the opposite? If you really want to see what’s working and what is not, take a deep dive into the metrics of each post to analyze the impressions, reach, and engagement.

Audience Insight

Check the insights on your account to understand your audience’s demographics and what type of posts resonate with them. You will be able to see your audience’s gender, age range, and top locations. You can also see what days of the week and times they are most active.

Once you have an idea of your audience, create a “persona” of your ideal client. A persona is a fictional character that represents a target client. Personas help you understand your customers’ needs, behaviors, and pain points. This persona will guide you as you develop your social media strategy and the types of posts you will create.

Competitor Review

Take a look at what your competitors are doing on social media. Identify what types of content are resonating with their followers and see if you can incorporate something similar into your social media content.

Goals

Once you’ve got a handle on where you are right now in your social media journey, you need to decide where you want to go. What are you trying to accomplish with your social media? Below are suggestions for types of goals that will help your career. Pick the ones that will help your business and that you will actually do. Then, develop your social media strategy around those goals.

Build a Strong Personal Brand

• Showcase your expertise and personality to stand out in a competitive market.
• Establish trust and relatability with their audience.

Generate Leads

• Attract potential buyers and sellers through engaging content.
• Use targeted ads or organic reach to expand their network.

Showcase Listings

• Highlight properties for sale or rent through visually appealing posts.
• Use video tours, before-and-after staging photos, or carousel posts to engage potential clients.

Educate Your Audience

• Share market updates, home-buying tips, and selling advice.
• Post content that addresses FAQs, such as “How to Get Your Home Ready for Sale.”

Engage with the Community

• Build connections by promoting local businesses, events, and neighborhoods.
• Position yourself as the community expert.

Increase Referrals and Word of Mouth

• Stay top of mind with past clients and encourage them to share content or refer others.

Establish Credibility

• Share testimonials, reviews, and success stories.
• Highlight certifications, awards, and years of experience.

Humanize Your Business

• Post behind-the-scenes content to show the human side of your work.
• Celebrate milestones or share personal stories to connect with the audience on a deeper level.

Foster Client Relationships

• Use direct messages and comments to engage one-on-one with clients and prospects.
• Offer quick responses to inquiries or questions in a professional and friendly manner.

Leverage Visual Content

• Use Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or Facebook Lives to showcase dynamic, short-form content.
• Post high-quality images and videos to make a lasting impression.

Ideally, a social media audit should be done quarterly if not monthly. I realize that sounds like a lot of work, but now that you’ve done all the heavy lifting, it’s just a matter of revisiting your content to see if it’s aligning with your goals and performing. If not, you can make adjustments to optimize your strategy. Incorporating this into your workflow or delegating it to an assistant will ensure that your social media is working in your favor and those “Likes” are turning into “Leads”.