Carry out social media analysis

Performing social media analysis sounds like "having a quick look at the insights". But it's not. An analysis is not a look at figures, but a process that should ultimately enable a decision to be made. Otherwise it's just scrolling with an Excel feel. This article is deliberately dry, structured and implementation-oriented. No glossy gloss, no tool advertising, no "5 secret hacks". Instead: step-by-step instructions on how to carry out a proper social media analysis. Dead internet SEO, but functional.

Content

What is a social media analysis?Why conduct social media analysis?Carry out social media analysis: Step by step Social media analysis method - a simple framework Social media analysis example (simplified)Typical mistakes in social media analysis FAQ - Frequently asked questions Conclusion: Conducting social media analysis means preparing decisions

What is a social media analysis?

Social media analysis explained simply

A social media analysis is the systematic evaluation of social media data in order to answer the following questions

What works?
What is not working?
Why?
What do we do next?

This is the difference to "looking at statistics".

Why conduct social media analysis?

Social media analysis marketing & business

You should conduct an analysis because otherwise you:

Optimize by feel
evaluate campaigns incorrectly
waste resources

With analysis:

you recognize patterns
improve content performance
you can measure social media success

Especially in marketing and in companies, this is the basis for planning and reporting.

Carry out social media analysis: Step by step

Step 1: Goal definition

There is no analysis without a goal.

Examples of goals:

Increase reach
Increase engagement
Generate clicks
Measure conversions

The goal determines which key figures are relevant.

Step 2: Determine the time period

An analysis needs comparability.

Typical time periods:

7 days (operational, fast)
30 days (standard)
90 days (trends, strategy)

Important:

Compare the same period
Do not overestimate individual days

Step 3: Select KPIs

Social media analysis KPIs

Choose a few suitable KPIs. Examples:

Visibility

reach
Impressions

Interaction

Likes, comments, shares
Total interactions

Total quality

Engagement rate
Content performance

Action rate

Clicks
Conversion rate (if measurable)

More KPIs do not mean more insight.

Step 4: Collect data (without losing yourself)

Analyze social media data

Data sources can be

native platform insights (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn)
dashboards
Reporting tools

Collect only:

what you need
in the right time frame
in a standardized form

If your data set is unclear, the analysis will be too.

Step 5: Consider platforms separately

Instagram is not TikTok. LinkedIn is not Facebook.

Each platform has

different mechanics
different KPIs
different user logic

Social media performance analysis only works if you don't blindly compare platforms.

Step 6: Cluster content (instead of evaluating individual posts)

Now it gets specific.

Group content by:

Format (reels/stories/posts)
Topic
campaign
Target group

How to recognize:

what works consistently
what was a coincidence
what is systematically weak

A single "outlier post" is rarely a strategy.

Step 7: Set a benchmark

Benchmark - internally instead of externally

Do not immediately compare with "industry values". These are often useless.

Better to use

Your own average of the last few months
median instead of max
Trend instead of peak

Your account is your most useful benchmark.

Step 8: Interpretation (the really important phase)

Ask yourself:

Why has reach increased/decreased?
Which content generates saves or shares?
Which formats generate clicks?

Example:

Reach decreases, engagement rate increases → less visibility, but more relevant target group

This is analysis. Not a numbers show.

Step 9: Derive measures

If you don't derive any measures, everything before that was employment.

Examples of measures:

Prioritize topics with high engagement rates
Separate formats (reels vs posts)
Test posting frequency
Adapt call-to-action

An analysis without next steps is just documentation.

Social media analysis method - a simple framework

If you only want one model:

Target
KPI
time period
Comparison
Conclusion
Measure

Everything else is decoration.

Social media analysis example (simplified)

Period: 30 days

Reach: -12 %
Impressions: -8 %
Engagement rate: +1.1
Clicks: +9 %

Interpretation:

less visibility
but better relevance
more action (clicks)

Measure:

Analyze content with a high click rate
Expand similar topics/formats

Typical mistakes in social media analysis

No target definition
Too many KPIs
Evaluate individual posts
Compare platforms
not deriving any action

Most analyses fail not because of data, but because of focus.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

How do you carry out a social media analysis?

Set a goal, select KPIs, collect data, compare, interpret and derive measures.

Which key figures are important for social media analysis?

Reach, engagement rate, interactions, clicks - depending on the objective.

How often should you carry out a social media analysis?

Operationally weekly, strategically monthly.

Do you need tools for social media analysis?

Helpful, but not essential - the method is more important.

What is the difference between analysis and reporting?

Analysis interprets, reporting communicates results.

Conclusion: Conducting social media analysis means preparing decisions

Conducting social media analysis is not a ritual for reports. It is a process that creates clarity.

If you:

define goals
use a few KPIs
compare trends
derive measures

... social media becomes controllable. Not perfect. But better.