Social Media Audit Template to Analyze and Improve Performance

A social media audit is a systematic review of all your social media accounts and their performance. It goes beyond just looking at follower counts. It assesses profile completeness, content effectiveness, audience demographics, engagement rates, and competitive positioning to give you a 360-degree view of your social media health.

Conducting an audit quarterly or biannually is crucial for several reasons. First, it moves you from guesswork to data-driven decision making. You'll know exactly which platforms deliver the best ROI, what type of content resonates with your audience, and where your weaknesses lie. Second, it ensures brand consistency across all channels, which is vital for building trust and recognition. An inconsistent profile can confuse potential customers. Finally, it helps you reallocate resources effectively. You might discover that the platform where you spend 80% of your time generates only 20% of your leads, prompting a strategic shift. This process is the analytical companion to your core strategy template.

Before you begin, gather your login credentials for all social media platforms and access to their analytics (Facebook Insights, Instagram Professional Dashboard, Twitter Analytics, LinkedIn Page Analytics, etc.). Prepare a spreadsheet or document to record your findings. The goal is not just to collect data, but to interpret it and turn it into an actionable improvement plan.

Your social media profiles are often the first point of contact with potential customers. Incomplete or inconsistent profiles create a poor first impression and reduce credibility. This section of the audit ensures every profile is optimized to convert visitors into followers and customers.

This is the heart of the audit, where you move from qualitative checks to quantitative analysis. You'll examine key metrics to understand what's working and what's not. Focus on metrics tied to the goals in your social media strategy (awareness, engagement, conversion, etc.).

For each platform, pull data for the last quarter (or the period since your last audit). Organize it in a dashboard-style table. Look at both absolute numbers and rates (e.g., engagement rate is more meaningful than total likes). Pay special attention to trends over time. Is your follower growth accelerating or plateauing? Is engagement rate declining despite posting more frequently?

Identify your top 5 and bottom 5 performing posts for the period. Analyze what made the top posts successful. Was it the content format (Reel vs. static image), the topic, the posting time, or the use of a specific hashtag? Similarly, understand why the bottom posts failed. This comparative analysis provides the clearest direction for your future content strategy. For example, if all top posts are video tutorials, you know to create more of that format.

Your social media doesn't exist in a vacuum. Understanding your competitive landscape helps you identify opportunities and threats. A competitor analysis reveals what's resonating in your industry and where you can differentiate.

Select 3-5 key competitors or brands in your niche with a strong social presence. Analyze their profiles using a similar framework to your own audit. Look at their content mix, posting frequency, engagement rates, and audience growth. What are they doing that you're not? Perhaps they're effectively using Instagram Stories highlights for customer testimonials, or they host a weekly Twitter chat that builds community.

More importantly, look for content gaps. These are topics, formats, or audience segments that your competitors are not addressing but that your target audience cares about. This is your opportunity to own a niche. For instance, if all competitors focus on advanced tips, you could carve out space by creating beginner-friendly guides. Document these gaps and opportunities. This intelligence should directly feed into the "Insights" section of your performance dashboard and influence your next content calendar planning session.

The final step of the audit is synthesis. You've collected a lot of data; now you must turn it into a clear, prioritized action plan. Without this step, the audit is merely an academic exercise.

Start by summarizing your key findings in three categories: Strengths (what to continue doing), Weaknesses (what to fix or stop), and Opportunities (what new things to try). For example, a strength might be "High engagement rate on Instagram Reels explaining product features." A weakness could be "Incomplete business information on Facebook Page." An opportunity might be "Competitors are not using LinkedIn Carousels; we can test this format."

Then, create a 90-Day Improvement Plan. List 3-5 high-priority actions based on your findings. Each action should be specific, assignable, and time-bound. For instance: "1. By [Date], update all profile bios to include new value proposition and primary keyword. 2. In Q3, increase video content output to 40% of total mix, focusing on tutorial format. 3. Test running two Instagram Story Polls per week for the next month to increase direct engagement." This plan becomes the agenda for your social media activities until the next audit, ensuring continuous, data-informed improvement and closing the loop on your strategic planning cycle.