Social behavior is in a constant state of flux. And it may be time to revisit what’s working and what’s not. If your engagement is in its “flop era,” what you’re posting may not be connecting with your audience anymore — or algorithms may have changed, trends could be shifting, or there might be something else amiss.
Enter the social media audit.
Think of a social media audit as a GPS for your brand. It can help you see if you’re on the right path or identify roadblocks, detours, and faster routes you might have missed. It’s a data deep-dive that separates the content that’s driving results from content that’s just sucking up resources.
At a glance, here’s what you can uncover with a social media audit:
- Spot gaps and opportunities
- Compare performance with peers and competitors
- Evaluate your goals, results, and business alignment
- Turn insights into action
Ready for a social strategy, not just tactics?
It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day hustle of social media. But every now and then, it’s worth hitting pause to ask a few honest questions.
What’s working (and what needs to go)
If you’ve been tossing content out there without a strategy, this is where your data comes in. Your metrics are an invaluable resource, and an audit is your chance to step back and take stock by providing visibility into:
- Content performance: What’s working, what’s not, and where?
- Audience insights: Who is your audience and when are they most active?
- Engagement: How often are people interacting with your content? How many people are seeing it? And what channels drive traffic and lead to sales?
A social media audit helps you stop guessing, so you can double down on the content your audience loves — when and where they want it.
Your move: Start with metrics you can tie directly to business goals and monitor those weekly. Create monthly and quarterly dashboards to prove that you can tie your brand’s social media efforts directly to ROI.
Is your brand’s voice clear and cohesive?
How you say something on social matters as much as what you have to say.
Your brand’s voice is its personality — but it can be hard to know if that’s clear without a good look at all of your content. If your tone, design, and/or messaging are inconsistent, it can cause confusion and dilute your brand identity.
Consistent branding across channels can increase revenue 10-20%, according to Marq’s State of Brand Consistency report. When your content has consistent tone, messaging, and visuals, there’s no room for confusion.
A warm, nurturing brand shouldn’t have a cold persona. A cutting-edge company can’t be read as out of touch. For a business, a well-defined and clear voice not only helps you stand out in a crowd, it humanizes your organization.
An audit helps you understand where you’re consistent and where you’re sending mixed signals.
Your move: Review and analyze your content across platforms — and compare your actual messaging with your ideal brand voice. Based on the audit’s findings, create a plan and set of guidelines to close the gap between where you are and where you need to be.
Are competitors stealing the show?
It’s frustrating to feel like you’re playing catch-up. A social audit is your chance to do a little recon — aka competitive analysis. With an audit, you get to:
- See what is and isn’t working for your competitors
- Take a peek behind the curtain at their approach (content, frequency, audience, etc.)
- Find gaps in their strategies
- Determine what sets you apart
- Identify clear benchmarks to measure your performance
- Unearth market trends or customer preferences
Your move: Getting noticed in a saturated space means you can’t just be another carbon copy in your industry. You must understand what it is that makes you different. Why should customers choose your brand in a sea of unlimited options? The answers are in the stuff you don’t see at the surface. Dig deep; analyze your competitors, benchmark your progress with meaningful metrics, listen to your customers (engage with them on your social channels!), and tap into opportunities that already exist at your fingertips. Once you can see the full picture, you may be surprised how easy it is to stand out.
What’s the buzz on your brand?
Whether it’s mentions, sentiment scores, or recurring themes, evaluating chatter about your brand can give you greater insight into:
- How people feel about your brand
- Your audience’s opinion about products or services
- What’s driving reactions
A social media audit that includes brand sentiment analysis doesn’t just tell you how many times your brand was mentioned; it helps you understand why. And a reliable social media partner can give you instant access to tools and resources that provide those insights.
Context matters, and auditing social sentiment can spot emotional cues that indicate trust, concern, sarcasm, or joy. If your brand was mentioned 100 times last quarter, you can determine which were positive, which were negative, and get big ol’ hints about what people actually think about your business.
Your move: A richer understanding of your audiences’ opinions and reactions allows you to respond quickly and make smarter marketing decisions for better business. Invest in the right tools or work with a social media partner to monitor core areas like brand sentiment, social mentions, and share of voice.
Ready to hit ‘refresh’ on your social media strategy?
Whether you’re launching a new product, shifting your business focus, or considering a brand refresh, it’s important to ensure your social media presence will reflect those changes.
A social audit shows you what about your content and approach is resonating with your audiences and what’s holding you back, so you can shape your brand confidently. It gives you the baseline you need to make intentional adjustments.
Your move: Sometimes change is necessary for growth, innovation, or survival — but the stakes can be high. When preparing for change, stay conscious of how your brand is resonating. Leverage the data your audit gives you to build on existing “wins” and use your expanded understanding to plan and prepare for what’s next with confidence.
Your data matters, and it’s critical to ensure you’re tracking the areas that matter. According to Hootsuite’s 2025 Social Media Trends Survey, organizations rank social analysis and listening at the top of their priorities, only outranked by audience engagement.
If you’ve made it this far, chances are you’ve already got content out there. Teaming up with a social media audit partner is your chance to step back, figure out what to tweak, what to keep, and (just maybe) determine whether you should embrace the #AutumnCozyChallenge to drive conversation or take a pass. But you probably know the answer to that already.