How Google Analytics Social Media Reports Help Digital Marketing

Google Analytics social media reports may just be the best friend you didn’t know you had. Most marketers have a decent to fair understanding of what it is and how they work but there are plenty out there who find the stats and figures quite daunting.

You don’t have to be a maths boffin to read the reports and come to meaningful conclusions on your own – Google Analytics does the tough stuff for you. All you have to do is to understand the influence that social media has on your business, and realise how those reports can really help, especially when it comes to dealing with a crisis.

A Quick Response

When it comes down to a crisis, communication is key – timely communication. Knowing the best channel through which to reach your customers is paramount to staying ahead of a crisis. Google Analytics makes that choice simple for you, by letting you know what percentage of your traffic comes from each of your social media channels.

You can find this information by heading to the acquisition section in Google Analytics, selecting the ‘social’ tab, and looking at the overview. If Facebook gives you your most traffic, it would be a silly choice to respond to a crisis via Twitter. So, you would want your widest audience to receive your response first.

Preparation is Key

A crisis is largely out of your control, but you can learn from it. One lesson is that we need to prepare for it; you’re bound to experience one at some point. Your crisis management will benefit from using social media reports to make informed decisions amidst a crisis, as well as any and all regular strategic decisions.

The overview report also details your social media channels and their conversions, which can direct your crisis responses in the future. Facebook might be your largest audience, but what if Twitter produces your most ecommerce conversions and you had to recall defective products? Having planned ahead of a crisis, you would know to communicate on Twitter for this specific issue.

Another useful tool for crisis management is the network referrals report which can be found below ‘overview’ in the Google Analytics menu. Here you’ll be able to compare traffic that came directly from a specific social media platform against your overall traffic. The great thing about this report is that you can pinpoint a time period to learn how various platforms affected your traffic during a time of crisis. A spike in social referrals would suggest something (positive or negative) went viral. Knowing what type of content, which platform to use, and at what time may help you understand your audience that much better.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

You don’t need Google Analytics to make choosing to study through DSM any easier. Take your social media skills to new heights with our Social Media Marketing Course, or find another DSM Marketing Course that’s just right for you.