The other day I read about the impact of telling stories. Stories can help people feel emotions, empathise, and relate to your situation.

A social media pitch deck could be like telling a story. One packed with data, one that has a very intricate plan at its core.

In what follows, I’ll showcase everything you need to know about how to put together a social media pitch deck when you need to show executives something is not working and needs to be changed (including asking for a budget increase for your marketing stack).

What is a social media pitch deck?

A social media pitch deck (for pitching new strategies, not selling) is basically your “Hey, leadership, we have a problem and we can’t keep pretending everything’s fine” document.

It’s not a glossy sales deck.

It’s not a mood board with pastel slides.

It’s the thing you use when you need executives to stop nodding politely and actually understand what’s going on. Think of it as your company’s social reality check.

It’s the place where you show people:

• what’s working (usually less than they think)
• what’s broken (usually more than they think)
• and how you’re gonna fix it before the competitors lap you… again.

David from WPP Media had this exact moment. His social media analytics tool flat-out couldn’t show TikTok numbers in his region. Imagine explaining to a CFO why one of the biggest social platforms “just kinda… isn’t in the report.”

So he pulled together a mini competitive analysis during a trial of Socialinsider, plopped the data into a deck, and the CFO basically went, “Oh. Yeah. We need this.”

“The big issue when we got the subscription was they were limited in Ireland on TikTok.” — David, Head of Invention at WPP Media

That’s what a pitch deck does internally—it gets the room to stop arguing opinions and start reacting to facts. You’re not performing. You’re not selling. You’re pointing at the fire and saying, “We should probably fix that.”

How to build a social media pitch deck

Irrespective of the type of business you have, learning how to build a social media pitch deck can really ease your work.

Know your audience

Do your homework when it comes to the people you’re presenting to. Find out more about their background, expectations, daily tasks, struggles, KPIs, and more to be able to personalise the social media pitch deck in a way that speaks to them.

A CEO, CFO, and Head of Marketing will respond to widely different stimulents. A CEO might want to know they’re losing market share, a CFO might be more inclined to increase your tool stack budget if they realize not doing so will actually cost the company more long-term, and a Marketing Manager might want to know how your competitors have double your engagement rate on TikTok when they’re posting less. Write your pitch accordingly.

Do your competitors research

When developing your social media pitch deck, it is also time to spill the tea. Yes, you have competitors and yes, you need to show everyone that you are aware of them. So include industry benchmarks in your pitch to paint the whole picture of your social media performance.

And speaking of painting the entire picture, no matter how engaging your social media pitch deck is, stakeholders won’t automatically take your word for it. You need to support the claims you’re making with case studies, customer stories, and testimonials.

Make your case for social media changes

Start with the moment that made you realize things had to change.

For Alfonso at NoxSport, that moment came when he realized his tool simply didn’t support TikTok. At all. And for his company, TikTok wasn’t just “nice to have”—it was the platform his competitors were using to grow. The company needed visibility there, and he couldn’t give it to them.

So he did what many teams quietly do: he patched together a messy workaround. Screenshot by screenshot. Account by account. Until it became obvious that leadership needed to understand how impossible the current setup was.

“Semrush had a dashboard… what I did was I made some screenshots of the tool and put it in the PowerPoint. We had to manually add the TikTok information because there was no data. To know what worked best on TikTok, we had to go manually account per account and check it.” — Alfonso, Marketing Manager at NoxSport

This section of your pitch deck should feel like that.

Not panicked, but honest.

Not polished, but clear.

Not “here are 10 reasons we could consider a change,” but “here’s the reality, and here’s what staying the same will cost us.”

Tell stakeholders the actual pain point in plain language:

• We’re blind on TikTok.
• We’re guessing on LinkedIn.
• Our competitor posts twice as often as us and somehow has time to eat lunch.

Your job here is to make them feel the gap.

Present the current position/situation

Once you’ve made the emotional case, drop the receipts. Show the brand exactly as it is.

This is where Alfonso’s reporting reality says everything. When your “data source” for a key platform is a stack of screenshots and late-night manual checks, something’s off.

“We had to manually add the TikTok information because there was no data… we had to go manually account per account and check it.” — Alfonso, Marketing Manager at NoxSport

And sometimes the problem is even simpler: the data literally doesn’t exist.
That was the case for David from WPP Media. His analytics tool simply didn’t support TikTok in his region.

“The big issue when we got the subscription was they were limited in Ireland on TikTok.” — David, Head of Invention at WPP Media

Once executives see the real picture—strengths, weak spots, and blind spots—it becomes a lot easier for them to understand why the strategy needs to shift.

Create a new strategy plan

Now, it’s time to shift from “here’s what’s broken” to “here’s the plan.”

This is NOT the place for a 42-page audit. Keep it simple and simply explain the pivot:

• We need LinkedIn visibility, not because it’s trendy, but because that’s where industry leaders are gaining ground.
• TikTok is no longer optional. Not having data is the same as having bad data.

Then, show what happens when the team does have proper visibility. Executives don’t need inspiration, just proof that your plan isn’t a gamble.

Social media pitch deck best practices

The best internal social media pitch decks aren’t pretty. They’re honest.

The worst mistake you can make is hiding the truth under “strategy speak.”
Executives hate that. It feels slippery.

You don’t need 20 slides. You need a narrative spine: Here’s the issue → here’s the impact → here’s the fix.

Speak in the metrics executives care about (this goes back to knowing your audience, knowing whom you’re presenting to). Use plain English. Use short sentences. Use contrast. Use silence if you need to.

And above all: keep it relevant! There is nothing more painful than watching a room of executives glaze over because someone decided to read engagement rate definitions out loud.

You know the metrics that matter:

• Growth
• Reach potential
• Competitive position
• Risk of staying blind
• Efficiency of the team

Everything else? Optional.

Free social media pitch deck template

Finally, let’s go over what your social media pitch deck should include, slide by slide. You can of course take this model and adjust it according to your own needs.

Slide 1 — “Here’s what we need to talk about.”
A blunt, one-sentence statement of the problem.

Slide 2 — “Here’s where we actually stand.”
Your current numbers, but without the corporate gloss.

Slide 3 — “Here’s the platform gap that’s hurting us.”
Insert the TikTok/LinkedIn/YouTube blind spot moment.

Slide 4 — “Here’s what competitors are doing while we’re guessing.”
The wake-up call slide.

Slide 5 — “Here’s the cost of staying the same.”
Executives perk up here.

Slide 6 — “Here’s the strategy shift.”
Short. Human. Clear.

Slide 7 — “Here’s proof this works.”
Case studies, benchmarks, internal wins, whatever shows this isn’t a moonshot.

Slide 8 — “Here’s what we get if we do this.”
Near-term and medium-term outcomes.

Slide 9 — “Here’s what I need from you.”
Budget, tool approval, team resources—don’t be shy.

Slide 10 — “Timeline + next steps.”
Keep it simple. People love simple.

Executives don’t want to be impressed, they want to be convinced. So make the deck feel like the truth, not a performance.

How to develop your social media pitch deck with Socialinsider

To make sure your social media pitch deck is complete, you will have to include performance data for both yourself and your competitors.

To collect accurate and in-depth infos about your previous campaigns’ performance, you need a trustworthy analytics tool.

Socialinsider is a complex tool, providing social media analytics and reporting, campaign reporting, competitive analysis, and cross-channel data.

In what follows, I will show you how to perform a competitive analysis.

First, I created a new project where I developed a head-to-head comparison between Semrush and Ahrefs. I added the Twitter and LinkedIn profiles for both brands.

By going to Benchmarks, I was able to run a comparison between both brands' LinkedIn metrics for the last 6 months.

In the benchmark section, you can choose exactly what KPIs you want to see in the dashboard.

By scrolling down, you will get insights about top 3 posts for both brands, average engagement per day, average number of posts per day, distribution of engagement, distribution of posts, changes in fans, and many more metrics.

Including all these insights in your marketing pitch deck helps executives get a clearer picture of your performance and how you compare with your rivals.

Moreover, all the data provided by Socialinsider’s social media analytics tool will provide you with tons of actionable insights to help you improve your strategy before pitching your ideas.

Final thoughts

Drafting a social media pitch deck for executives isn’t about showmanship. It’s about telling the truth clearly enough that people finally stop hand-waving and start deciding. When you strip away the fluff—the fancy templates, the buzzwords, the “here’s our content pillars again” slides—what you’re really doing is saying, “Here’s what’s happening, here’s why it matters, and here’s how we fix it.”

That’s it. That’s the job.

And yes, it can feel uncomfortable to point out gaps. But the alternative is worse: staying silent while competitors outrun you simply because your team never had the tools or visibility to keep up.

FAQs about social media pitch decks

What should be included in a social media pitch deck?

Here are the infos you should include in your social media pitch deck:

• Map the field and assess competitors
• Explain your process
• Add infos from your case studies
• Keep things concise
• Add visuals
• Personalize your pitch deck and proposal

In many organizations today, social media has rapidly shifted from a “nice-to-have” to an essential business channel. And when that happens, the pressure lands quickly on the people responsible for showing what’s working, what’s not, and where resources should go next.

If you’re stepping into a role where social has suddenly become an important channel—or where leadership is now asking for real accountability—the first metric that helps you demonstrate clarity, control, and credibility is the engagement rate.

Think of engagement rate as the currency of social performance.

It’s what reveals whether your content resonates, whether your audience is paying attention, and whether your strategy is aligned with actual behavior, not just assumptions or vanity metrics.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What engagement rate really measures
• Why it’s the fastest way to show value when social becomes a priority
• How to calculate it correctly across every major platform
• And how to use it to build trust with leadership, clients, or teams in your first weeks on the job

What is an engagement rate?

Engagement rate measures how actively people interact with the content you publish (likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, replies, and more depending on the platform).

When social suddenly becomes an important channel inside a business, engagement rate becomes the quickest way to understand whether your content is resonating or falling flat. It gives you an honest read on audience behavior, which is essential when you need to make smart decisions quickly.

Why is it important to calculate your engagement rate on social media?

Marketers look at follower growth, reach, and impressions, but engagement rate is the metric that leaders pay closest attention to when they start taking social seriously.

Why?

Because engagement shows interaction, not just visibility.

When you’re in a role where leadership is asking for clarity or accountability, engagement rate:

• reveals which content actually works
• proves audience interest
• gives you a defensible, data-based argument for your recommendations
• helps you show immediate value in your reporting

Implementing social media best practices (such as consistent posting, high-quality visuals, and real community management) strengthens engagement and demonstrates progress quickly (you will see a boost in social media interactions).

For example, the education industry enjoys surprising amounts of engagement because organizations follow best practices, and this is easy to spot because the audience seems to really resonate with the content shared by educational institutions. We talk about this at length in our article about social media in education.

Here at Socialinsider, engagement stands at the center of our reporting philosophy, because it’s often the clearest, fastest signal of whether your content strategy is aligned with audience expectations.

When you’re responsible for proving that social matters, having clean engagement dashboards and competitor context helps you present insights with confidence, even if your organization had no prior analytics structure in place.

Given its importance in social media reporting, we always give engagement a top spot in our dashboards and feature it in our top metrics, as you can see for yourself in the screenshot below.

Engagement, in all its variations, also has a place in competitors analysis.

Through the Benchmarks feature in Socialinsider, you can always find competitive data for engagement highlighted in the Profiles Overview section.

When engagement becomes a KPI, tracking it across channels helps you prioritize where to invest your time, budget, and creative resources.

Here’s an example. On the cross-channel engagement dashboard, you may find certain platforms consistently outperforming others. When social becomes a strategic priority, this makes it easy to recommend where the business should double down.

Judging by this data, LinkedIn has both the highest engagement and engagement rate out of the two platforms added, so it makes sense for this brand to focus its efforts on that channel for even better results.

Keep in mind: Relevant as it may be, by itself, engagement only counts the reactions you receive when sharing social media content (likes, comments, shares etc.) What it doesn’t do is take into consideration your audience size.

If you want to get a highly precise bird’s eye view perspective of how invested your audience is in the content you share, always check the engagement rate.

Get detailed social media analytics

Understand what are your best performing platforms and how each of them contributes to creating deeper relationships with your audiences.

Start your 14-days FREE Socialinsider trial!

If you’re in a role where people are suddenly asking for reports, benchmarks, or explanations, knowing how to calculate engagement rate for each platform lets you speak the “language of social performance” clearly and confidently.

How to calculate your engagement rate for each social media platform

How to calculate your Facebook engagement rate

When social becomes an important channel, Facebook often remains a core platform for established audiences. That’s why calculating the Facebook engagement rate by followers and reach helps you present both a high-level view (followers) and a more precise assessment of content quality (reach).

And if you want to compare yourself to your competitors, then you should definitely look into what this metric is telling you.

Facebook’s definition of post engagement is the following:

The number of times that people engaged with your posts through reactions, comments, shares, and clicks.

Now, let’s turn to the algorithm that Socialinsider uses for Facebook:

The sum of reactions, comments, and shares received on the posts published in the selected time period.

And since the average value is the one that we’re interested in, here’s how Socialinsider calculates the average engagement rate on Facebook:

The average engagement rate per post by followers on Facebook is calculated as the total engagement (reactions, comments, and shares) divided by the number of posts the page published. The result is then divided by the number of followers, and all multiplied by 100.

But, if you want a more in-depth look into your performance, you can always take a look at your average engagement rate by reach.

The average engagement rate per post by reach on Facebook is calculated as the total engagement (reactions, comments, and shares) divided by the number of posts the page published. The result is then divided by the total reach, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The sum of reactions, comments, and shares received for the posts published in the selected time period.
• Average Engagement = The engagement of the posts (reactions, comments, and shares) divided by the number of posts published in the selected period.

To get advanced insights about Facebook engagement beyond what Meta Bussiness Suite can offer, you need to explore some of the top Facebook analytics tools on the market.

Wanna know what your Facebook engagement rate is? Use our free Facebook engagement calculator.

How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

Instagram is often the first platform leadership wants updates on when social starts receiving more internal visibility.

Clarifying the difference between engagement by followers (for competitor benchmarking) and engagement by reach (for performance precision) helps you deliver cleaner, more trusted reporting, especially when you’re building credibility early on.

That’s why you should consider both average engagement rate by followers and average engagement rate by reach, depending on the data that you want to report.

Instagram’s formula for engagement is the sum of likes, comments, and saves that you receive on the posts you publish.

However, Socialinsider doesn’t use this formula because Instagram API doesn’t offer access to the saves metric for competitors’ profiles. In this way, without adding the number of saves, you’re able to perform a quick social media competitors analysis and get insightful Instagram benchmarks.

Digging deeper, the average engagement rate will be defined as follows:

The average engagement rate per post by followers on Instagram is calculated as the total engagement (likes and comments) divided by the number of posts the profile published. The result is then divided by the number of followers, and all multiplied by 100.

The average engagement rate by reach will be indeed similar to what we’ve seen on Facebook.

The average engagement rate per post by reach on Instagram is calculated as the total engagement (likes and comments) divided by the number of posts the profile published. The result is then divided by the total reach, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The number of likes and comments received for the posts published in the selected time period.
• Average Engagement per Post = The engagement of the posts (likes and comments) divided by the number of posts published in the selected period.

Wanna know what your Instagram engagement rate is? Use our free Instagram engagement calculator.

How to calculate your X (Twitter) engagement rate

X/Twitter engagement becomes especially important when leadership wants proof of brand relevance, thought leadership, or customer interaction.

Because Twitter surfaces impressions so prominently, being able to explain both engagement per follower and engagement per impression gives you a more confident, executive-ready story.

Twitter defines its engagement as the total number of times a user interacted with a Tweet, including retweets, replies, follows, likes, links, cards, hashtags, embedded media, username, profile photo, or Tweet expansion.

We should note that Twitter calculates the engagement rate by impressions, as follows: Number of engagements divided by impressions.

Socialinsider defines Twitter engagement as the sum of likes and retweets received for the tweets published in the selected time period.

For more insights, you should look into the average engagement rate.

The average engagement rate per tweet by followers on Twitter is calculated as the total engagement (likes and retweets) divided by the number of tweets the profile published. The result is then divided by the number of followers, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The number of likes and retweets received for the tweets published in the selected period.
• Average Engagement = The engagement of the tweets (likes and retweets) divided by the number of tweets published in the selected time period.

However, if you’re interested in calculating your Twitter average engagement rate by impressions, you can use the following formula.

Stay tuned! Our free X (Twitter) engagement calculator is coming soon.

How to calculate your LinkedIn engagement rate

Engagement is one of the most important LinkedIn metrics. That’s because, when social becomes strategically important inside a company, LinkedIn is often the first place executives look.

A high LinkedIn engagement rate by impressions can:

• validate your content strategy
• help you explain competitive positioning
• support leadership’s need for industry visibility

LinkedIn defines its engagement as the sum of clicks, likes, comments, shares, and follows, while the engagement rate on LinkedIn is calculated by the number of impressions.

In Socialinsider, you’ll find the LinkedIn engagement as the sum of likes, comments, clicks, and shares received on the posts published in the selected time period.

Going back to the metrics, here’s how to measure the engagement rate on LinkedIn.

The average engagement rate per post by impressions on LinkedIn is calculated as the total engagement (likes, comments, clicks, and shares) divided by the number of posts the profile published.

The result is then divided by the number of impressions, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The number of likes, comments, clicks, and shares received for the posts published in the selected time period.
• Average Engagement = The engagement of the posts (likes, comments, shares, and clicks) divided by the number of posts published in the selected time period.

Stay tuned! Our free LinkedIn engagement calculator is coming soon.

How to calculate your YouTube engagement rate

If your team invests in video, YouTube engagement metrics help you quickly show where your content actually drives reactions, not just views.

When you’re trying to prove channel value to leadership, engagement per subscriber is one of the clearest ways to show audience investment. And this means that we have to turn to data so we can do the magic.

According to its insights data, YouTube engagement metrics (views, likes, dislikes, and subscriptions) reflect how many times a video or channel has been interacted with.

With Socialinsider, your YouTube engagement will be the sum of likes, comments, and dislikes received on the videos published in a selected time period.

For extra precision, you should always check the average engagement rate, which will give more insights into your performance.

The average engagement rate per video by subscribers on YouTube is calculated as the total engagement (likes, comments, and dislikes) divided by the number of videos the profile published. The result is then divided by the number of subscribers, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The number of likes, comments, and dislikes received for the videos published in the selected time period.
• Average Engagement = The engagement of the videos (likes, comments, and dislikes) divided by the number of videos published in the selected time period.

Wanna know what your YouTube engagement rate is? Use our free YouTube engagement calculator.

How to calculate your TikTok engagement rate

If your organization is exploring TikTok for the first time, the engagement rate becomes the primary signal that your content resonates beyond trends or virality assumptions.

Because platform APIs restrict access, having reliable engagement rate formulas helps you deliver stable, data-grounded reporting even when metrics fluctuate.

TikTok analytics presents the engagement formula as the sum of video views, profile views, likes, comments, saves, and shares.

Unlike the other social networks that are oriented towards the idea of community (where an account’s follower count is probably the number one indicator of its popularity), TikTok’s case is rather particular.

Because TikTok is a platform where going viral is the endgame, here, the most relevant metric is not the follower base but the number of views, which is exactly why the platform’s engagement formula is connected to this metric.

One thing that every social media manager must know is that TikTok’s API is highly restricted. Therefore, a social media analytics tool can’t have access to all the data.

That’s why Socialinsider defines engagement on TikTok as the sum of likes, comments, and shares received on the videos published in the selected time period.

To calculate the average engagement rate per video for TikTok, you should take the total engagement (likes, comments, saves, and shares) and divide it by the number of posts the profile published. The result is then divided by the number of views, and all multiplied by 100.

Keep in mind:

• Engagement = The number of likes, comments, saves, and shares received for the posts published in the selected time period.
• Average Engagement = The engagement of the posts - likes, comments, saves, and shares - divided by the number of posts published in the selected time period.

Wanna know what your TikTok engagement rate is? Use our free TikTok engagement calculator.

How to use engagement rates in your Social Media strategy

When social becomes an important channel in the company, engagement rate helps you:

1. Optimize your content quickly

Find fast wins by studying high-engagement posts. This helps you build early credibility in your role.

2. Prove campaign success clearly

Pair engagement with conversions to show both interaction and business value.

3. Adapt to each platform’s algorithm

When you exceed platform benchmarks, you can argue persuasively for resource allocation, something leaders love when a channel is becoming strategic.

Final thoughts

When you’re in a role where social is newly important (or where leadership wants stronger performance insights), engagement rate becomes one of the most reliable indicators of whether your strategy is working.

A social media analytics tool like Socialinsider gives you fast clarity, competitor context, and leadership-ready reports without manual spreadsheets. This helps you show value early, make confident recommendations, and build the trust you need to drive strategy forward.

Frequently Asked Questions about Engagement Rate

1. What is a good engagement rate?

That depends on the platform. 1% can be a great engagement rate on Instagram, but not so good on TikTok. Check out our social media benchmark reports to find out the average engagement rate for each platform.

2. Is engagement rate a good metric?

Engagement rate is one of the key metrics that measure content performance. Social media strategists track engagement rate to understand how much their audience resonates with the content they share.

3. How do you benchmark engagement rate?

There are multiple ways to do so: you can benchmark your engagement rate against yourself to see how your content performed over time, you can benchmark your engagement rate against your competitors using platforms like Socialinsider, or you can benchmark your engagement rate against your industry or the average engagement rate for that platform (check out our Resources section for more details).

4. Can engagement rate be more than 100?

The engagement rate cannot surpass 100 as it is a metric designed as a percentage (out of 100).

5. What can influence engagement rate?

Many factors can influence engagement rates, such as content quality and relevance, audience demographics and preferences, posting timing and frequency, as well as platform specific factors.

If you’re set on making a splash on social media through short-form video, you’re facing a choice: Instagram marketing or TikTok marketing.

Both channels have massive potential and an ever-expanding user base, so the key is to figure out which one is the right match for your brand.

TikTok vs Instagram: platform focus and main differentiators

TikTok and Instagram might seem alarmingly similar at a glance – like two sides of the same coin — especially with them sharing so many features related to short-form video.

But when you start exploring the differences between TikTok and Instagram, you'll notice unique features and characteristics that give each platform its own personality and make them stand out from one another.

On the one hand, you have Instagram, a heavily visual platform that prioritizes curated, polished, aesthetic content, whether that’s carousels, Stories or Reels.

So then what type of content is most popular on TikTok? Well, TikTok is a social media space that completely embraces authentic, spontaneous, low-production content, so that’s what performs best on this platform.

Essentially, one platform leans into the art of storytelling, the other is all about the heat of the moment.

How effective your social media marketing is depends on understanding these differences, by using Instagram for well-planned content and TikTok for the spontaneous.

To see many other ways in which TikTok and Instagram are different, take a look below:

Demographics and performance data for TikTok vs Instagram

Since the two platforms have rather distinct styles, it’s no surprise that they also attract different crowds.

The Instagram users vs TikTok users dynamic plays a huge role in how content is received. That’s why the same message will never land in the same way on both platforms, and that is why social media strategists and social media managers have to be careful how to plan and deliver their messages across these platforms.

Instagram tends to attract a more mature audience and it’s generally considered a Millennial hotspot. According to the latest demographics data from Statista, 28.3% of U.S. users fall into the 25-34 range. Gen Z is not far behind, making up 26.5% of the user base as of January 2025.

TikTok, on the other hand, is basically every Gen Zer’s first choice when it comes to social media. While other age groups are slowly starting to see the appeal of this platform, its core audience is still made up of users between 18 and 24 who enjoy highly dynamic, experimental content.

The target audience segmentation is a significant difference between TikTok and Instagram, but it’s not by far the only one.

Engagement comparison

Before we look at the social media analytics data, take a second and ask yourself: whenever you hear that something’s gone viral, what platform do you think of first? Is it easier to go viral on TikTok or Instagram?

Data in our latest social media benchmarks report indicates that more often than not, the answer is TikTok.

And we’re not just talking about sudden spikes of engagement and visibility correlated with virality, but a consistent high engagement rate that speaks volumes about how active users are on this platform and how much they like to interact with the content that’s shared. This applies across TikTok content types.

In 2026, the TikTok engagement rate sits at a whopping 3.70%.

Switching over to Instagram analytics, the engagement rate on this platform is noticeably lower, and it’s been steadily declining year after year. But this doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of activity or interest

. People are still sharing tons of content, which suggests that Instagram might be focusing more on maximizing reach instead of driving engagement.

The Instagram engagement rate as of 2026 is 0.48%.

Comments & shares comparison

TikTok consistently outperforms Instagram in engagement, especially when it comes to comments and shares.

When we compare TikTok vs Instagram social media analytics we see that TikTok content gets more comments on average than any other platform, which speaks volumes about its content’s power to spark conversations and turn people from casual scrollers to invested followers.

Same goes for shares. TikTok videos tend to be more shareable, which makes them spread far and wide and gain visibility faster than on any other social media platform.

As you can see from the charts, this trend is not new. In fact, TikTok has been topping the engagement charts for the past two years, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

Views comparison

TikTok is not only leading in terms of engagement, but also visibility. The average views TikTok posts get far surpass Instagram posts.

In 2025, TikTok averages about 6268 impressions per post, while Instagram only goes up to 2635. That’s because this platform’s algorithm favors discoverability and puts engaging social media content in front of the right viewers, whether they follow you or not.

So when you post to TikTok and Instagram, know that TikTok's algorithm actually makes it easier to reach new audiences and increase your content's exposure.

So what does this all mean?

While it may seem like TikTok takes all the prizes, leaving Instagram with little space to shine and evolve, the reality is more nuanced.

When we consider the popularity of TikTok vs Instagram, along with demographics, engagement, and impressions data, here’s what we suggest:

• If you are looking for a high-energy space to share brand content, a platform with massive viral potential and high engagement, TikTok might be your best bet.
• If you want to create a more polished brand presence that appeals to a more diverse, non-Gen Z exclusive audience, in this case, Instagram remains a strong contender.

Social media analytics comparison

Instagram and TikTok each have their own tools, insights, and quirks.

Whether you’re on a mission to improve your content strategy or simply curious about what’s working and what’s not), understanding how each platform measures success – from engagement rates to audience behavior – is key.

Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Key Metrics

Account Overview:

• Instagram: Followers, profile visits, views
• TikTok: Followers, video views, profile views
  

Engagement Metrics:

• Instagram: Likes, comments, saves, shares, DMs
• TikTok: Likes, comments, shares, favorites
  

Performance Indicators:

• Instagram: Engagement rate by followers (typically ~0.50% in 2025)
• TikTok: Engagement rate by views (typically ~3.30% in 2024)
  

Video Metrics:

• Instagram: Views, average watch time, video length
• TikTok: Views, average watch time, total play time, video length
  

Reach Metrics:

• Instagram: Reach, impressions, audience growth
• TikTok: Reach, video views
  

Audience Demographics:

• Both Platforms: Age, gender, location, active hours
  

Content Performance:

• Instagram: Best-performing posts by engagement
• TikTok: Best-performing videos by engagement and watch time

Analytics Dashboards

In-app Analytics:

• Instagram: Instagram Insights (limited historical data)
• TikTok: TikTok Analytics (more comprehensive)
  

Desktop Analytics:

• Instagram: Creator Studio
• TikTok: TikTok Creative Center
  

Historical Data:

• Instagram: Typically 30-90 days depending on the metric
• TikTok: Up to 60 days for most metrics
  

Social media analytics tools such as Socialinsider

• Instagram: in-depth Instagram analytics, content performance analysis and competitive benchmarking, history posts and followers data.
• TikTok: comprehensive TikTok analytics, content pillars performance, history posts and followers.
  

Metric Granularity:

• Instagram: Daily, weekly, monthly views
• TikTok: Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly views
  

Export Options:

• Instagram: Limited export options
• TikTok: More robust export capabilities
  

Real-time Data:

• Instagram: Limited real-time insights
• TikTok: Better real-time performance tracking

Content-Specific Analytics

Post Analytics:

• Instagram: Separate metrics for feed posts, Reels, Stories
• TikTok: Focus on video analytics with detailed performance
  

Key Content Metrics:

• Instagram: Engagement by post type, best time to post
• TikTok: Video performance, sound usage, trending topics
  

Content Lifespan Tracking:

• Instagram: Focuses on first 48 hours of performance
• TikTok: Tracks longer content lifespan with resurface data
  

Hashtag Analytics:

• Instagram: Basic hashtag performance
• TikTok: Detailed hashtag trends and performance
  

Sound/Music Analytics:

• Instagram: Limited sound performance data
• TikTok: Comprehensive sound usage and trend analytics

Audience Insights

Follower Growth:

• Instagram: Daily/weekly follower changes
• TikTok: Detailed follower acquisition sources
  

Audience Behavior:

• Instagram: Content preferences, active times
• TikTok: Content preferences, watch patterns, interaction habits
  

Custom Segments:

• Instagram: Limited audience segmentation
• TikTok: Better audience interest categorization
  

Competitor Analysis:

• Instagram: Not built-in (requires third-party tools such as Socialinsider)
• TikTok: Not built-in (requires third-party tools such as Socialinsider)
  

Audience Loyalty:

• Instagram: Returning followers metrics
• TikTok: Follower vs. non-follower view breakdown

Content creation tools and capabilities

Both platforms include massively powerful content creation tools and features, but the differences between Instagram and TikTok lie in how these tools can be used on each platform.

Video creation: length, editing tools & effects

TikTok initially set a 60-second limit for all its videos, but has now grown to support videos of up to 10 minutes. Its built-in editor is quite powerful and intuitive, allowing you to trim clips, add transitions and special effects, use trending songs, all without the need to use a third-party app.

One of the benefits of using TikTok is that this platform boasts a massive library of effects and templates. One of its standout features is AutoCut, an AI-powered tool that auto-edits your video based on the song or template you choose (similar to Instagram's auto-editing feature for Reels).

In response to TikTok’s influence, but also largely due to the rising popularity of Reels, which prompted the demand for longer content, Instagram now allows videos up to 3 minutes long.

Instagram’s editing tools have improved much over the past few years, and include everything from quick trims to special effects, popular sounds, auto-captions and more.

However, they are not as intuitive as TikTok, which sometimes forces creators to look to external editing tools like CapCut or InShot before uploading.

Photo capabilities and filters

Despite introducing photo-based slideshows (aka TikTok carousels) and templates, TikTok is still a video-first platform, which means its photo-editing capabilities are pretty basic (at least, compared to Instagram).

With that in mind, why might you use TikTok over Instagram? Well, if you're more focused on creating engaging, short-form video content rather than polished photos, TikTok is the right choice for you.

By comparison, Instagram was built for sharing photos, which means it comes equipped with many flexible photo-editing options, from customizable filters to advanced tools for color correction, contrast – in other words, it gives much more creative control over your images.

Music and sound integration

TikTok thrives on music and trending sounds – and these play a massive role in making posts achieve massive visibility and even go viral.

You can browse its vast sound library to find thousands of trending songs, viral sounds and original (user-made) audio clips. Having access to this ever-growing library of trending songs is one of the greatest advantages of TikTok.

Some would argue that Instagram is on par with TikTok when it comes to music and sound integration.

However, one of the main weaknesses of Instagram lies in its sound library, which, although huge, is subject to more copyright restrictions than TikTok.

On the plus side, users can tap into the same music library to add songs to their Reels, Stories and standard feed posts.

AR features & effects

TikTok includes a wide variety of interactive AR features like face filters, custom background and green screen effects.

To allow for full creative freedom, the platform also allows users to create their own filters in the TikTok Effect House (soon to be powered by an AI assistant!).

So why use TikTok over Instagram? If you love experimenting with creative tools, TikTok’s wide range of customization options makes it an obvious choice.

Instagram is not lagging far behind, offering many AR features like 3D effects and face filters for creators to spice up their content. However, by comparison, TikTok’s library is growing faster by keeping up with the trends.

Creator Studio vs TikTok Creative Center

TikTok’s Creative Center is packed with useful data on real-time trends, ad inspiration and insights and everything else brands and influencers need to know about what’s buzzing on the platform and what’s happening in their niche.

By comparison, Instagram’s Creator Studio is a go-to hub for analytics, monetization tools and post scheduling features. It’s great for managing content and getting performance reports, less useful for keeping up with trends.

Algorithm and content discovery comparison

While TikTok and Instagram do share some similarities, it's important to compare the TikTok algorithm vs the Instagram algorithm and see where they diverge so that you can build a specific strategy that works for each platform.

How each algorithm works

TikTok’s algorithm is highly dependent on what you interact with. It tracks your engagement – likes, comments, shares, watch time – and uses that information to create relevant content recommendations.

When considering what are the pros and cons of TikTok, one major upside is that the algorithm doesn’t favor big creators over small ones – each has their chance to show up in your feed as long as they’re relevant.

Instagram, on the other hand, leans more into established accounts and people you already interact with on a regular basis. This is great for building stronger connections with your audience, but it doesn’t do you as many favors in terms of discoverability.

For You Page vs. Explore Page

Since the For You Page (FYP) is a direct result of how the TikTok algorithm works, you can expect this space to be filled with many videos that match your interests – which includes new and established creators alike.

So if you're asking what is TikTok good for, one clear answer is content discovery.

Instagram’s Explore Page works similar to TikTok’s FYP, in that it is a great place to find fresh content.

However, it’s much more focused on popular posts and accounts you’ve already interacted with (or similar accounts from the same niche) and it doesn’t as much to push new creators compared to TikTok.

Virality

Whenever someone talks about going viral on social media, TikTok is the first thing on their mind. This platform is designed to thrive on trends, snappy clips and shareable content. So why is TikTok better than Instagram? Its virality potential is unmatched.

Due to its tendency to rely on existing audiences and connections, going viral on Instagram is slightly trickier.

Your best chance to get the algorithm to notice your content and eventually go viral is to have a strong push from your followers (aka high engagement, plenty of views and/or shares).

Content lifespan and shelf life

What do people use TikTok for? Many enjoy it not just for trending content but also for its ability to keep older posts in circulation. That’s right – despite the platform’s preference for fresh content, on TikTok, your content may stay relevant and gain traction for a while after you post it.

Long after the initial surge in engagement or TikTok views, older videos may resurface after a while if they get a bit more attention, which extends their shelf-life.

On Instagram, your content’s fate is usually decided in the first 48 hours. Most of the engagement and visibility a post can gain on Instagram happens within this timeframe.

Although it can still generate likes or views, its chances of staying relevant decrease significantly after the first couple of days. So that might be why you prefer TikTok over Instagram.

Business features comparison

Using TikTok and Instagram as a business requires a strategic approach, where the key is to know what tools to use in order to connect with relevant creators, sell products, and measure your progress.

Brand partnership opportunities

If you're wondering what are the pros of TikTok for businesses, one major advantage is the variety of partnership opportunities. TikTok makes it easy to find influencers to partner with through its Creator Marketplace.

Using filters based on audience demographics or engagement levels, you have a good chance to find a great fit for your brand. Outside of that, there’s also the option to create branded hashtag challenges where other brands or creators can join – which can turn into collaboration opportunities in a more organic way. On

Instagram, paid branded partnerships are very common and can be easily marked with the branded content tool, while collab posts are a great help for influencer marketing, helping brands tap into new audiences without having to be too salesy.

So is it easier to grow on TikTok or Instagram? It depends. TikTok, with its highly engaging algorithm and viral potential, can give brands a quicker growth spurt, while Instagram requires a more strategic approach but more access to quality partnership opportunities.

In-app shopping features

How is TIkTok used for brands to practice social selling you might ask. Well, TikTok keeps social commerce booming with TikTok Shopping. This in-app shopping feature makes it easy for brands to showcase their products, create shoppable posts and even sponsor live shopping events.

When comparing Instagram Live vs TikTok Live, TikTok’s live shopping feature definitely stands out for its interactive and spontaneous vibe.

Instagram is also going strong in the shopping departments. Their Instagram Shops feature allows brands to create a full-functioning storefront – with product tags and checkout options – which people can visit and interact with without leaving the app.

Advertising

On TikTok, you can experiment with a few ad formats, such as TopView ads (which offer prime real estate on the For You Page), in-feed ads and Spark ads (a way to boost existing content), and monitor their performance through the TikTok Ads Manager.

Fueled by the Meta engine and its powerful targeting tools, Instagram’s ad system is expected to be more precise. You can create ads that pop up just about anywhere, from Stories, to Reels, and carousels, and track how well they’re doing via Meta Ads Manager.

ROI

Why do people use TikTok for massive ROI? Well, TikTok helps brands who aim for massive reach and big virality potential succeed.

Even smaller brands have a fair shot at success and can hope to get a good return on their investment because the algorithm favors engaging content, no matter where it comes from.

Instagram also offers good ROI, if your goal is based around conversion, lead generation and brand positioning. In other words, while it might take longer to see a strong ROI compared to TikTok, the payoff can be worth it.

Community and social dynamics comparison

Both Instagram and TikTok have a reputation for building a sense of community, but they do so in slightly different ways.

Interactive features

Both platforms are good at creating a community-driven experience where users feel like they’re actively shaping the content they see.

From live streams to interactive stickers in Stories (be sure to consistently check your Stories analytics to measure meaningful interactions), there are many ways in which you can make people interact with your content in a way that’s convenient and meaningful to them.

Duets/Remixes vs. Instagram Collabs

Stitches and Duets are a crucial part of TikTok’s culture, and an easy way to create user-generated content. Through these features, users can build on existing content, either by collaborating or reacting. This is part of what makes TikTok unique.

Instagram’s Collabs and Remixes serve a similar purpose but aren’t so engrained in the platform’s culture. With collabs, two accounts essentially share ownership of the same post, while Remixes are closer to TikTok’s Duets.

Culture and content trends

If someone were to ask how is TikTok different from other social media platforms, I’d say it's a space where experimentation and humor are essential, where brands can afford to be more human and spontaneous. TikTok is all about trend-driven, casual, non-polished, authentic content.

Instagram, on the other hand, favors more curated, aesthetic content and places a larger emphasis on storytelling. Trends are a big part of this platform’s culture as well, though they don’t spread as quickly as they do on TikTok.

So why use Instagram over TikTok? Well, if you're into creating a more polished, cohesive vibe, Instagram might be the right space for you.

Privacy, safety and content moderation comparison

Content guidelines and restrictions

Both TikTok and Instagram have established strict guidelines around sensitive content and misinformation, although Instagram is more often criticized for abusing its shadowbanning policies.

When looking at TikTok compared to other social media platforms, I’d say its approach to content moderation is more forgiving in terms of content reach compared to Instagram.

Platform-specific growth strategies

To get the most out of your marketing efforts, it would be best to follow the best practices for each platform.

Strategies for effective Instagram marketing

How often should you post: According to our latest social media benchmarks report, you should share about 5 posts a week for best results.

• Best content mix: Our Instagram benchmarks show that the best content mix for Instagram is 10 images per month (50% of all content shared), 4 carousels per month (20%) 6 Reels per month (30%).

• Ideal Reels length and format: In its current state, the algorithm favors shorter Reels, between 15 and 30 seconds. However, if you want to show something more complex, you can go up to 30-90 seconds. Anything over 90 seconds may hurt distribution. In terms of format, always aim for 9:16.

• How to boost your Reels with sound: Using songs marked as “Trending” from Instagram’s music library can give you a huge visibility boost.

• How to find the best sounds for Reels: To find trending sounds for Instagram, you can either explore the Reels tab and look for songs with an upward arrow next to them (or go straight to the Trending Reels section). Alternatively, you can save songs from Instagram creators who share sound upgrades.

• How to get more traffic via Instagram: On Instagram, organic/paid engagement, SEO and well-placed CTAs (in bio and posts) are bound to generate the highest amount of traffic. Collabs can give you extra exposure which may lead to more traffic in time.

Strategies for effective TikTok marketing

• The 3-second rule: TikTok moves fast, so you cannot waste any second getting your viewers’ attention. To stop them from scrolling, open with a statement hook (“This will change the way you look at…”), or with a question (“Did you know this crazy fact about…?”) and include bold visuals from the start.

• How to spot trending sounds: Similarly to Instagram, popular audio can be found by scrolling on the For You Page and saving any songs that come up more than a couple of times. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch trending sounds before they become a platform-wide sensation! You can also find some popular sounds by browsing through the TikTok Creative Center under the Trends tab.

• Original sounds for discoverability: To create an original, viral-worth sound, you should keep it short and loopable, and encourage people to stitch or duet with it to give some exposure.

• Loop-able content creation: On TikTok, people love to watch the same content multiple times. To use this in your favor, try circular storytelling (aka ending your video in a way that leads right back to the start) or use transitions to create a natural, barely detectable loop.

• Speedy storytelling: Stories still matter on TikTok, you just have to find a way to get to the point fast! Start with a strong hook, then build up curiosity or tension with an intriguing arc, and deliver a satisfying payoff at the end.

• Prioritize visual continuity: With so much content flooding TikTok daily, you need to make it so yours stands out. To make it easier for people to spot (and remember) your content, use similar colors, fonts, or filters across all your posts.

• Keep up the momentum: The more you post, the faster the algorithm will notice your content. For best results, aim for 1-3 posts again, especially if you’re just starting out.

When to choose each platform & ideal use cases

Influencer marketing comparison

Instagram is known for its high conversion rates and strong audience trust in influencers, while TikTok has positioned itself as a solid choice due to its virality potential, great amplification, and cost efficiency.

So how is TikTok different from Instagram? TikTok stands out with its laser-focus on short-form, shareable content that often goes viral quickly.

Platform-specific influencer vetting criteria, Instagram versus TikTok edition:

For Instagram:

• Engagement rate: should be above 2%, even higher for micro- or nano-influencers
• Audience fit: you can check their follower demographics using a tool like Influencer Marketing AI
• Content style: in classic Instagram fashion, content should be more on the polished side, with high-quality visuals, catering to all age groups, especially Millennials
• Past campaign data: ask for data on past clicks, conversions, sales.
  

For TikTok:

• Average watch time & shares: in terms of engagement, watch time and shares mean more than simple likes
• Audience fit: aside from follower demographics, take a look at their audience interaction and comments quality
• Content style: high-energy, relatable, trend-driven content catering to Gen Z.

Case study: Glossier on Instagram vs CeraVe on TikTok

A prime example of how influencer marketing looks depending on the platform is the comparison between the makeup/skincare brand Glossier and the skincare brand CeraVe on TikTok.

On Instagram, Glossier prioritizes collaborations with micro-influencers and even everyday users. All posts that fall under the influencer marketing category are highly aesthetic.

On TikTok, CeraVe often partners up with micro-, macro- and even celebrity influencers in the skincare industry to create “medutainment” content for their audience.

Pro tip: If you’ve started a collaboration with an influencer on TikTok or Instagram, and you want to take a look at their past campaigns data, or track your current influencer marketing efforts, Socialinsider can help you get a quick peek (or a deep dive, depending on your needs) into all the relevant Instagram or TikTok analytics.

All you need to do is add the brand profile into the app, navigate to the Posts tab and filter your search by a campaign (or influencer) specific keyword. I filtered my search using the “dermdoctor” keyword – the TikTok handle of a famous influencer often featured in CeraVe content.

Paid advertising

Instagram ads tend to be more effective during the consideration and conversion stages, due to the platform’s highly precise targeting capabilities and mature ad tools.

TikTok advertising lets brands tap into viral reach at lower costs, which greatly impacts small businesses that want to gain exposure fast without making a dent in their budget. But at the end of the day, paid TikTok vs Instagram marketing comes down to strategy.

TikTok’s ad platform use an auction-based model, with four primary bidding strategies:

• CPM (Cost per thousand impressions) - for reach.
• CPM (Optimized cost per thousand impressions) – for interactions, followers, lead generation, shop purchases.
• CPV (Cost per View) - for video views.
• CPC (Cost per Click) - for traffic, product sales, conversions.

Creative requirements and performance metrics by platform:

For Instagram:

• Ideal ad video length: 5-15 sec for Stories, up to 60 sec for Reels/in-feed video.
• Metrics to track: likes, comments, shares, saves.
• Preferred content style: Polished visuals with CTA or video.
• Audio: Trending songs boost engagement.
• CTA: Text-based CTA, swipe-ups, shopping tags.
  

For TikTok:

• Ideal ad video length: 15 sec maximum.
• Metrics to track: watch time, shares, replays, comments.
• Preferred content style: trend-based, casual/authentic ads.
• Audio: trending audio is a must-have for maximum visibility.
• CTA: in captions or on video.

Case study: Airbnb on Instagram vs Chipotle on TikTok

When it comes to paid advertising on Instagram, Airbnb relies heavily on targeted ads (based on the audience’ location and search history). They’re also rolling more generic brand awareness ads for specific use cases – usually in video format.

Chipotle, on the other hand, takes a strategic approach to paid advertising on TikTok, choosing quality over quantity.

One of their biggest wins was the "TikTok Timeout" Super Bowl campaign in 2020, which was designed to go head-to-head with traditional TV ads.

Beyond paid promotions, Chipotle keeps the momentum going with viral challenges that bring them massive brand exposure and sales.

Social selling

With its solid shopping infrastructure and powerful product discovery system, Instagram seems to be a clear leader when it comes to social selling.

But can there be a world where TikTok is better than Instagram at social commerce? Well, one thing’s for sure, TikTok’s catching up fast by making shopping feel fun and spontaneous, and by capitalizing on impulse purchases.

Instagram Shopping

• Product tags: can be placed in posts, Stories, Reels and ads.
• Product discovery: easy, through the Explore tab, dedicated shop section, and targeted ads.
• Remarketing: precise remarketing through Meta Ads, plus abandoned cart reminders and brand DMs.
• Checkout experience: in-app checkout available in some regions, otherwise users get redirected to the seller’s website (which can add some friction to the path-to-purchase).
• Conversion: higher for planned/well-thought purchases and luxury/artisanal/unique products.
• Suited for: trusted brand purchases.
  

TikTok Shopping

• Product tags: most commonly be found in videos and livestreams.
• Remarketing: based largely on user interactions, livestream notifications.
• Product discovery: easy because the algorithm encourages exposure to new products.
• Checkout experience: in-app checkout (no friction).
• Conversion: higher impulse buys and live shopping.
• Suited for: viral products and real-time shopping.

Case study: Mejuri on Instagram vs Drunk Elephant on TikTok

As a luxury jewelry brand on Instagram, Mejuri has created an aura of exclusivity around their products.

The brand relies heavily on influencer collabs and shoppable content – which encourage and allow their users to browse and buy their products with just one tap. Their storefront is aesthetic and well-organized, primed for purchase.

Drunk Elephant, a skincare brand with a solid presence on TikTok, has a unique approach to social selling.

Instead of simply showcasing their skincare product, they turn it into a fun, interactive experience. They regularly host live shopping events and make it super easy to shop by linking straight to their TikTok Shop.

User-generated content campaigns (UGC)

UGC is thriving on both TikTok and Instagram, but if we’re talking about the difference between Instagram and TikTok, TikTok definitely takes the lead with its viral challenges and remix-friendly culture.

Instagram also embraces UGC, but its users often need a little push – either through contests, shoutouts, or brand incentives – to join in and start creating content.

Instagram

• Best fit: structured UGC campaigns
• Branded hashtags: used to track submissions and boost organic reach
• Reposting: brands usually repost top submissions for extra exposure and engagement

TikTok

• Best fit: viral UGC campaigns and challenges
• Trending sounds: key for boosting visibility
• Organic participation: anyone can easily join in trends started by influencers or brands

Case study: Aerie on Instagram vs Ocean Spray on TikTok

Aerie has built a reputation on Instagram for being an effortlessly cool, feel-good clothing brand. It thrives on authenticity and body positivity, and that extends to their UGC campaigns (or movements) on Instagram.

The #AerieREAL campaign is a prime social media marketing example of that. Through the branded hashtag, Aerie encourages its community to share unfiltered moments which not only builds brand awareness but also boosts meaningful engagement.

In the case of Ocean Spray, TikTok is good for tapping into viral UGC campaigns and challenges to expand their reach.

One of their breakout moments happened back in 2020 when Nathan Apodaca skateboarded his way into internet virality, sipping their Cran-Raspberry juice to the tune of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”.

Recognizing the potential of this UGC, Ocean Spray amplified it by turning into a campaign with the hashtag #DreamsChallenge.

Affiliate and sponsorship structures

Instagram’s powerful tracking tools and rich affiliate network give creators and brands a solid framework for affiliate marketing.

TikTok is slowly catching up but still lacking a strong attribution system. Why TikTok is better than Instagram for some, though, is its more organic approach, which allows for more creative freedom.

Instagram

• Integration and tracking: affiliate links can be easily shared in Stories (a great option for Instagram Story ideas that drive sales); affiliate traffic can be tracked using UTM parameters and Meta Pixel.
• Branded content: sponsorships can be easily marked as such, which allows brands to monitor engagement on those posts.
• Product tags: creators can simply tag products in their posts and get commissions based on sales.
  

TikTok

• Product tags: similarly to Instagram, TikTok creators can earn commissions by tagging products in their posts.
• Link in bio: clickable links are limited outside of ads, so many creators choose to add affiliate links in their bios.
• Promo codes: for the same reasons, many creators share discount codes and measure conversions based on their usage.

Case study: LTK on Instagram vs SoFi on TikTok

For any influencers looking to monetize their content, LTK is a real treasure trove. Through their Instagram platforms, creators can share shoppable posts with products tagged directly, and earn commissions based on the sales these products generate – a straightforward and profitable affiliate strategy.

On TikTok, SoFi uses sponsorships to collaborate with influencers in the finance industry, and create engaging TikTok-style content that breaks down complex financial topics.

Community building

Community building is a big priority on both TikTok and Instagram, however each platform approaches it differently.

Instagram's strengths and weaknesses come into play here – on Instagram, communities tend to be more stable and loyal, but grow slowly over time. TikTok’s highly-interactive culture encourages community growth and visibility, but that doesn’t always translate to long-term loyalty.

Still, those looking for faster growth will usually favor TikTok over Instagram.

Instagram

• Brand identity: on Instagram, brands aim to build a recognizable presence.
• DMs and Close Friends lists: brand-audience connections can be deepened through personalized interaction.
• Funnel stage strengths: Instagram shines in the audience retention stage, but also supports awareness, engagement and conversion.

TikTok

• Trend hijacking: brands that join trends or challenges get a massive reach of visibility and the chance to expand their community overnight.
• Duets/Stitches: these interactive features encourage co-creation and contribute to community-building.
• Funnel stage strengths: TikTok is a great driver of brand awareness, but also has great potential for engagement.

Final thoughts

Choosing between Instagram and TikTok comes down to understanding what each platform does best. Instagram leans into polished visuals and diverse content formats, while TikTok thrives on raw creativity and viral trends.

By examining user demographics and performance metrics like engagement, impressions, and shares, brands can better gauge where their content will resonate.

Add in each platform’s unique toolsets—from Instagram’s shopping and Stories features to TikTok’s algorithm-driven discovery and editing tools—and it becomes clear that success lies in aligning your strategy with the strengths of the platform—and your audience.

There’s no doubt that social media has become a cornerstone of most companies’ marketing strategy, driving more tangling results than ever before. However, without an expert eye to decipher the data - the social media team may struggle to understand why certain campaigns succeed while others fall flat, and what can be done to improve the situation.

The key is to not let any valuable data go to waste, and count on a social media analyst to make sense of the numbers and turn them into powerful insights. If you’re curious to see what defines the social media data analyst role, what these data experts do, how to become one, the skills needed and common tools of the trade – keep on reading!

What is a social media analyst?

A social media analyst is a key member of the social media team who’s tasked with monitoring, analyzing and making sense of social media data in order to help companies strengthen their online presence and improve their marketing strategies.

Since the vast amount of data generated from social media marketing can be quite overwhelming for companies to manage and interpret on their own, they usually rely on social media analysts to dive deeper into platform-specific analytics, analyze user engagement, perform competitor research, monitor web analytics, find patterns and trends, and propose new strategies based on their findings.

Data analysts often join efforts with social media strategists in their mission to improve social media performance. The analytical mindset and expertise of data analysts, combined with the strategic vision of social strategists, allows them to set realistic social media goals, build data-driven strategies, improve audience targeting, and adjust campaigns on the go.

What does a social media analyst do?

As it’s often the case in the marketing world, the social media analyst job description may vary considerably from company to company.

In smaller teams, where everyone often wears multiple hats, you might find social media managers stepping into the role of data analysts. In these cases, they're not just creating content and engaging with followers – they're also tapping into analytics, tracking social media metrics, and refining their strategies based on the insights that data provides.

Despite all the differences and nuances in job descriptions, several core responsibilities fall under the social data analyst's role.

Here they are:

Monitors social media metrics and trends

One of the key tasks on any social media marketing analyst’s to-do list is keeping an eye on social media metrics and trends, and making sure these align with the larger business objectives. These metrics may include:

• Engagement rate: to measure how actively the audience responds to different types of social media content
• Follower growth: to measure brand popularity and audience retention.
• Reach vs impressions: to track brand visibility
• Click-through-rate: to understand how compelling the content is (especially when it comes to paid ads)

Data analysts are responsible for tracking the social media evolution of these metrics and should be the first to spot spikes or dips. They play a key role in suggesting changes based on their discoveries.

For example, if an analyst sees a jump in social media engagement linked to user-generated content, they might flag it to the social media team, suggesting they prioritize this type of content to keep the momentum going.

However, some metrics are trickier to decode, and it’s the data analyst’s job to dig deeper and find out what is happening. Take follower growth, for instance. It’s not just about seeing numbers go up or down; it’s about understanding why. A skilled analyst will be able to connect follower trends with other factors like recent campaigns, engagement patterns, or even changes in social media algorithms.

Identifies patterns in content

Think of a social media data analyst as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, except instead of solving crimes, they're solving the mystery of what makes content perform well on social media.

They’re more than just data gatherers – they go beyond raw numbers to identify patterns in how content performs across various platforms. This often means diving deep into content formats, different themes (content pillars), and analyzing audience sentiment.

They might, for instance, discover that short videos such Instagram Reels constantly outperform static posts or that “behind-the-scenes” content really strikes a chord with followers on LinkedIn.

By going a step further and analyzing audience sentiment, analysts can also detect shifts in audience mood, like a surge in positive comments after a product launch, or address negative feedback before it escalates.

If they can prove a correlation between a particular format or content pillar and a change in content performance – then they can confidently offer recommendations for change in content direction, or even suggest a complete overhaul of the social media strategy.

At the end of the day, the social analyst's ability to identify these patterns is what makes it easy for the social media team to pivot quickly and stay ahead of the curve, in spite of algorithm changes and other external factors.

Analyzes the audience

One of the best ways for social media teams to level up their content is by really getting to know their audience. Understanding who your followers are is key to creating content that clicks with their preferences and behaviors, and this important task usually falls to the data analyst.

This social media analysis typically starts with a basic dive into demographics – age, gender, and location data – as well as behaviors such as online activity and engagement patterns. Even these surface-level insights can make a big difference.

If, for instance, the data shows the audience is predominantly young (think Millennials, Gen Z or even Gen Alpha), the analyst might suggest switching to a more casual, playful tone in content. They might propose experimenting with (or prioritizing) memes, fun challenges or short videos to grab their attention.

If the majority of followers come from a specific country or region, the analyst can recommend tweaking the content to reflect that culture. This could mean adjusting posting times to match their time zones, highlighting local holidays or events, or using references that resonate more with that audience.

Beyond demographics, a data analyst’s focus should also be on online activity data and engagement patterns. Using a tool like Socialinsider, for instance, they can track and identify best posting times based on user engagement. Armed with these social media insights, the analyst can collaborate with the social media team to adjust the posting schedule, making sure content goes live when it’s most likely to be seen.

Audience analysis is key for creating an accurate social media persona – an ideal customer profile that represents the behaviors, interests, and interactions of your audience on social platforms.

Conducts competitor analysis

A day in the life of a social media data analyst wouldn’t be complete without a healthy dose of competitor analysis. Studying the competition is one of the smartest strategies a brand can use to gain a competitive edge – and who better to take on this detective work than a skilled data analyst?

Competitive analysis is like peeking into your competitors' playbook, understanding what’s working for them and how that information helps to improve your social media strategy.

This involves taking a good look at their engagement rate, follower growth, and seeing how their audience is interacting with their content. With a professional competitor analysis tool, a data analyst can uncover their most liked, shared, and commented-on posts, identify their main content pillars, most frequently used hashtags and more.

By analyzing competitors, the social media intelligence analyst can also discover their blind spots. If they are missing out on certain topics or content pillars, the data analyst can signal to the team that they need to step in and fill that void, allowing the brand to position itself as a leader in that niche.

Competitive research isn’t about copying what others are doing – it’s about understanding the social media landscape and its opportunities, and staying one step ahead of other players in your niche or industry.

Measure the success of social media campaigns

Although analysts play their part in the social media campaign planning, their real work begins once the campaign is launched. Their main responsibility is to measure campaign performance and track metrics such as conversions and engagement.

Ideally, campaign results should be in line with the brand’s social media goals and the larger business objectives.

A big part of campaign measurement is calculating the social media ROI, that is, determining whether the results of the campaign (e.g. sales, leads or brand awareness etc) were worth the investment.

If, for instance, a paid Instagram ad generates a lot of website traffic but fails to drive conversions, the analyst might dig deeper to see if the targeting (visual, copy, video etc) is reaching the right audience, or there is a bigger issue with the landing page or the product itself.

Companies that do a lot of paid marketing often hire a paid media analyst to oversee the performance of their campaigns. This expert is tasked with making sure every dollar spent returns maximum value by tracking metrics such as impressions, click-through rates (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Beyond crunching numbers, the data analyst also collects insights that the social media team can use to refine their future social media campaigns. They might identify which elements of the campaign, such as certain content formats or social media platforms, are leading to great results.

On the flip side, if certain aspects aren’t hitting the mark, they’ll flag them and suggest tweaks in strategy.

Develops data-backed strategic recommendations

As you might have noticed already, a social media data analyst’s role is deeply collaborative. They work closely with other team members and even across departments to turn raw data into actionable insights, and create the most effective and well-rounded social media strategy possible.

This role puts analysts in a unique position to see the bigger picture and easily connect the dots.

By seeing what patterns form across different performance metrics, audience behavior, and campaign results, they understand and show others what’s working, what’s not, and what it will take to achieve the brand’s goals.

For instance, an analyst might spot a growing interest in sustainability among the brand’s followers and suggest prioritizing more eco-friendly messages in upcoming campaigns. Or they might notice that a particular platform isn’t exactly driving results despite significant investment, and decide to suggest a switch to another platform with better potential.

Create social media reports

All the detective work performed by the data analyst typically culminates in a detailed social media report, which covers key metrics, trends, and insights gathered in a specific timeframe. Although they are the experts on data, by drafting reports analysts make data visible and accessible to everyone.

A well-crafted performance report does more than present data – it tells a story, helping team members and upper management understand what’s working and what’s falling flat, and how close or far is the team from reaching the established social media goals.

A social media analyst always keeps one eye on the past and the other on the future, and their reports reflect that. They look at past performance to figure out what has worked and where there’s room for improvement. At the same time, they’re looking ahead, making predictions to help shape the marketing strategy and reach better results.

A standard report drafted by a data analyst in social media will likely include a summary of social media brand performance (brand audit), key results and their impact and visually engaging charts to present the data in a clear, actionable way.

Analyzing trends and forecasting social media goals

If anyone needed to know the latest trends in social media use, the latest platform algorithm changes, or the latest shits in audience behavior - they would need to ask the social media data analyst. This data expert is the one in charge of analyzing trends and understanding when it’s time to shift priorities in terms of social media goals.

Part of their job is keeping a close eye on social media platforms and figuring out how new features or updates might impact audience behavior or content performance.

For example, if a platform all of a sudden starts favoring video content over static posts, the analyst will be the first to spot that, and recommend more video content to keep engagement levels high. Or, if there’s a growing interest in topics like AI among the brand’s followers, they’ll suggest tweaking the brand’s content to join the conversation.

Experienced data analysts will be able to look at current trends and see where they’re headed in the future. By anticipating these changes, they help the team prepare for future shifts and stay ahead of the curve.

Collaborate closely with senior social media team members

In a social media team, the data analyst acts as the bridge between numbers and strategy. Their insights are highly valuable, which is why they are a part of nearly every decision-making process.

You’ll often find them collaborating closely with the team, especially senior team members and the Head of Social, making sure that every strategic move is deeply rooted in solid social media data analytics.

Manage teams in larger companies

Data analysts can also take on leadership roles where necessary. In larger companies, they may be asked to manage a team of junior analysts, mentoring them and helping them develop the necessary skills for taking on more complex projects.

For instance, they might assign junior analysts to create basic reports or monitor social media trends while gradually easing them into more challenging responsibilities, such as forecasting or campaign optimization.

How to become a social media analyst?

Becoming a social media data analyst is all about carefully combining the relevant education, key skills, and a genuine passion for making sense of numbers and data. A background in data science, marketing, or business analytics can give aspiring analysts a headstart, but hands-on experience is where the real learning happens.

When I was young, Myspace was an exciting way to connect with people I didn’t know but who shared my interests. Over time, I discovered my passion for self-expression and saw how social platforms and brands could connect with audiences to reach their full potential.

I took a course in advertising strategy, which led me to college, and while studying, I worked full-time at an agency, collaborating with major brands like Jeep, M&M's, and Mercedes-Benz. I developed their media presence cross-functionally, extending content across platforms and adapting it for social media.

Coincidentally, the instructor of my first advertising course was a strategist at the same agency. Through his mentorship, I learned the importance of social media analytics to create standout, groundbreaking metrics that drive success. This experience has since led me to work with brands like the NBA, collaborate with nonprofits, speak at Google, and even answer questions at TikTok HQ.

Reflects Mabel Velazquez, social media strategist on her path to becoming a social media analyst.

With that in mind, let’s see what it really takes to become a social media analyst.

Earn a relevant education

As mentioned before, some degree of education is recommended, as it will help analysts stand out in the hiring process and influence their social media analytics career evolution moving forward.

Here are some of the most relevant field of study for future analysts:

• Data science/statistics – great for developing an analytical mindset, learning how to analyze data and turn it into meaningful insights
• Marketing or communications – great for understanding consumer behavior patterns, and branding psychology
• Business – great for combining data analysis with a strategic mindset

Aspiring social media analysts can build their skills and boost their credibility for future employers by taking courses and earning certifications that show they have practical knowledge. Here are a few areas to focus on:

• Data visualization – Learning to use tools such as Tableau or Power BI to create insightful visuals for reports.
• Social media analytics – Mastering the art of tracking social media performance to get valuable insights.
• Google Analytics – Understanding website traffic and how it correlates with campaign performance and social media goals.SEO & content marketing – Exploring the connection between search engine optimization and organic results.

I don’t believe formal education is a must, but when you have a strong passion and want to understand the science behind your results to turn data into actionable insights for future campaigns, you’ll find yourself studying—maybe even independently. – Mabel Velazquez, Media Strategist

Build the right skillset

Having the proper set of skills for a career in data analysis is key. These usually include:

Analytical skills:

• Having a deep understanding of the nuances of social media platforms and their individual algorithms, and how they play into the development of the brand’s social media strategy.
• The ability to interpret metrics and spot patterns in engagement and audience behavior, identify opportunities and draw meaningful insights.

If you're passionate about connecting with audiences and uncovering the "why" behind trends, markets, and behaviors, and if you enjoy helping companies capture that magic, then you're on the right path. - Mabel Velazquez, Media Strategist

Technical skills

• Leveraging data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI to create custom charts and social media dashboards, and make data accessible to everyone on the team.
• Knowing the basics of SQL (for handling databases) and Python (for data cleaning and analysis) for being able to process and manipulate data without external support.

Communication and reporting skills

• Presenting data clearly, making sure no insights are wasted because of poor communication.
• Simplifying complex metrics or topics to make them easily digestible for non-technical team members.
• Telling compelling stories with data, instead of simply showing numbers.

As a part of my function as a social media specialist at media companies and with my scientific background I had to learn how to do the social media insights analysis, which opened the doors for me to gain the skill of data analysis. – Osama Hadba, Content Strategist

Master social media platforms and analytics tools

Someone who plans to work as a social media analyst has to have solid, hands-on experience with the various social media platforms, and a deep understanding of how they work. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, or YouTube, every platform has its own quirks, audiences, and rules that shape how content performs.

Since the analyst is the team’s expert on everything data related, they are expected to crack the secret code of social media algorithms (or at least come close), and have a deep understanding of the main social media best practices.

Aside from the native apps, social analysts should also get familiar with and even master third-party tools such as Socialinsider or Brand24 to help them gain complex social listening insights.

Monitor social media trends & changes

Another key aspect of being a social media analyst is staying on top of trends and algorithm changes – even before stepping into the role officially.

Aspiring analysts should keep an eye on new themes, platform updates, and algorithm overhauls that have the power to reshape content strategies. This not only teaches them about the intricacies of social media algorithms, but it also helps them get used to the ever-changing nature of social media.

Understanding how platforms prioritize content is a big part of this training exercise. For example, they might notice that Instagram is favoring Reels over static posts or that LinkedIn is adopting TikTok-style short videos. By tracking these shifts, analysts can predict the type of content that is more likely to succeed.

Gain practical experience

Any practical experience, from personal projects to internships opportunities and freelancing gigs, can count towards becoming a skilled data analyst. Tracking one’s own social media accounts, for instance, diving into metrics such as engagement, reach and audience demographics can train an aspiring analyst to connect the dots and identify patterns.

Internships can provide real-world experience, allowing analysts to build connections and see how businesses operate at scale. Freelancing gigs can teach them to adapt to different industries and challenges, thus becoming more versatile.

Build a portfolio

Data analytics in social media can be an extremely competitive space, so standing out amongst a sea of candidates can be tough. To gain credibility and offer proof of work, analysts can create a portfolio showcasing their skills and experience.

The type of portfolio can include case studies of campaigns, reports, custom dashboards, even from personal projects or internships – describing the analyst’s approach to different real-world situations and their creativity in interpreting data.

Networking

Finally, aspiring analysts should seize any opportunities to attend social media marketing conferences, workshops and webinars where they can meet fellow social media professionals and build lasting connections.

However, networking is more than meeting new people – it’s about gaining fresh perspectives from others in the industry, getting advice, sharing experiences, and even unlocking doors to new job opportunities.

Key skills every social media analyst needs

In order to stand out from the crowd and be in demand, analysts must learn to wear many hats and build a diverse skillset. Here are some of the main skills that define the social media marketing role of data analyst.

Analytical mindset

One of the key skills any successful analyst must possess is an analytical mindset, which allows them to look at data through the eyes of a detective, discovering patterns and making sense of numbers.

They should be able to dig in the details – analyzing performance metrics such as engagement, impressions and click-through-rates – but also see the big picture and understand the ripple effect of industry trends and algorithm updates.

This mindset is usually rooted in natural curiosity, supported by the right education and plenty of hands-on experience.

Most importantly, a data expert with a sharp analytical eye knows how to cut through the noise, focusing on the insights that truly matter and guiding their team to do the same.

Strong research skills

Great analysts are never satisfied with surface-level information, they will also want to dig deeper and get to the bottom of every metric, trend and user behavior.

Whether that means studying competitors and understanding what works for them and what opportunities they’re missing, or figuring out what makes the brand’s audience tick – a strong dedication to research is needed to unlock the best insights.

Marketing know-how

While analysts are not directly responsible for creating social media strategies, writing content, or engaging with the audience, they should have a good grasp of marketing concepts such as audience segmentation and brand positioning. This implies being familiar with all the different marketing channels (offline and online) that can be used to reach audiences.

Social media analysts know their way with marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) and how these tie into bigger business goals. Being comfortable with tools like Google Analytics is also a must, as it helps them track user engagement, behavior, and traffic sources.

It’s also key for analysts to understand sales funnels and the role they play in acquiring customers.

Basics aside, analysts should also explore other related areas such as social media SEO. A social media SEO analyst has a deep understanding of how SEO principles apply on each individual platform, and how both individual posts and full-scale campaigns can be optimized with relevant keywords and hashtags in order to gain more visibility.

Project management

If there’s one thing that defines the social media analyst role, it’s multi-taking. These data experts are usually juggling multiple tasks, from tracking social media performance to creating reports, diving into audience insights and collaborating with team members, or other departments.

Having good project management skills helps them stay on top of their responsibilities, keep their priorities straight and be good team players.

Organizational skills

With so much data to collect, filter and interpret – analysts are faced with one of the biggest social media marketing challenges. Strong organizational skills are thus essential for any analyst that wants to achieve peak efficiency. That means maintaining clean datasets and using every tool at their disposal to create accurate dashboards and reports, so that they can confidently pull the right numbers when they’re needed.

Part of being a well-organized analyst is having a strong attention to detail, making sure there are no errors in data that can lead to missteps in strategy.

Excellent communication skills

In order to do their job right, data analysts need to be skilled communicators – whether that means interacting with their team members, managers or stakeholders. This means being very clear and concise when presenting insights, and handling the difficult task of translating raw data into concepts non-data savvy people can understand.

More than that, analysts should also be natural storytellers who can build a compelling narrative around data. Their job is to inspire action by showing why certain metrics matter more than others depending on the strategy, why some ideas might simply not work on social media, and what is the actual impact of social media on business.

Sometimes, all the strategy in the world doesn’t work—until you communicate genuinely. When you know how to harness that authenticity and amplify it, something truly impactful happens. – Mabel Velazquez, Media Strategist

Tools any social media analyst should master

A social data analyst’s toolbox matters just as much as their skills. With the right tools at their fingertips, they can properly collect and analyze data, and turn it into valuable insights.

Here are some of the key tools any social media marketing analyst expert should master.

Social media platforms

Obviously the first set of tools analysts should master are the native social media channels themselves.

This means knowing how each platform’s algorithm works and what type of content it prioritizes, but also being able to navigate native analytics with ease in order to do proper social media measurement without needing any third-party apps.

Social media analytics tools

The second best type of apps that belong in a data analyst’s arsenal are social media analytics tools, which allow them to track brand performance across multiple channels and do in-depth competitor analysis and benchmarking, but also dive deeper into each individual metric and notice the smallest dips or spikes that might be worth a shift in strategy.

Compared to similar social media analytics software like Sprinklr and Dash Hudson, Socialinsider offers a much richer set of features, included but not limited to in-depth competitive data, content tagging, AI content pillars analysis, reports scheduling, Looker integration and much, much more!

Social media listening tools

Social listening tools are essential for monitoring the pulse of online conversations. These tools help the analyst go beyond the raw numbers and understand customer reactions, spot potential issues or discover success stories as they happen.

Using these tools, they can track mentions and analyze any spikes or dips to understand what content or event sparked higher interest or engagement.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a must-have tool for connecting the dots between social media performance and website traffic.

By tracking traffic sources, user behavior and measuring sign-ups and purchases, an analyst can understand which social media campaigns actually generate website traffic, increase conversions and lead to sales.

Tableau / Power BI

Data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI help turn numbers into stories, by allowing analysts to create visually-pleasing, interactive reports and dashboards that clearly trace performance trends and make it easy for any one else on the team to follow along – even the non- tech-savvy folks.

Basic programming (like SQL or Python)

Mastering even the basics of programming languages such as SQL and Python helps analysts automate some of their most time-consuming tasks (such as weekly reports).

SQL comes in handy for pulling historical data from databases (such as audience growth) and comparing it with current performance. On the other hand, Python serves to automate data cleanup, perform sentiment analysis and even create custom data visualizations.

Useful courses for social media data analysts

For any analyst that wants to build a strong foundation of knowledge, or sharpen their skills, there's no shortage of online courses taught by industry experts.

Here are some of the most relevant courses for social media data analysts.

Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate

Platform: Coursera

This beginner-friendly course covers the basics of social media marketing, such as how to build a strong online presence and analyze campaign results. It’s a solid starting point for those new to the world of social media data analysis.

Introduction to Social Media Analytics

Platform: Coursera

This beginner program introduces key metrics and shows how to turn raw data into actionable marketing insights.

Social Media Analytics Specialization

Platform: Coursera

This program teaches advanced social media analysis techniques like sentiment analysis and text mining, giving analysts the tools to better understand and predict audience behavior.

Digital Marketing Analytics

Platform: MIT Executive Education

This advanced course combines strategic marketing insights with the latest analytics techniques, making it a perfect choice for data analysts who are ready to be more involved in high-level decision-making.

Social Media Data Analytics

Platform: Coursera

This program teaches analysts how to study and understand audience behavior, as well as how to present their insights using data visualization tools and techniques.

Agency social media analyst vs in-house social media analyst

There are some key differences in the way in which agency analysts and in-house analysts approach their role.

On the one hand, agency analysts have access to a richer set of resources, which helps them create highly detailed social media audits for clients, showcasing results, presenting insights and offering relevant recommendations. They apply different tactics and strategies across various brands, which makes their work varied and exciting.

In-house social media analysts, on the other hand, typically have fewer resources at their disposal. They focus their efforts on making sure that social media performance results align with the larger business goals. Their reports serve to refine marketing strategies, prove ROI and optimize budget and resource spending.

These analysts are all about tracking progress over time and making adjustments to keep things on track.

Final thoughts

The day-to-day life of a social media analyst can feel like a rollercoaster ride. One moment they’re diving into data, the next they’re spotting emerging patterns and predicting the next big trend.

It's like being a rogue detective, piecing together clues and connecting the dots with that classic red thread across a map.

But the path to becoming an analyst is just as exciting and important as the job itself. It’s not just about the skills they build or the tools they choose to rely on, it's also about the teams they work with and the role they get to play in the shaping of social media strategies.

FAQs about social media analysts

What is the difference between a social media analyst and a social media strategist?

A social media analyst’s main focus is data. They are tasked with collecting, tracking and analyzing key social media metrics, identifying patterns and trends, and essentially turning historical data into valuable insights for the social media team and other interested parties.

The social strategist, on the other hand, is more forward-looking. They use the data analyst’s insights to craft brand strategies that align with the business goals. They define the social media goals, decide on content pillars, prioritize top platforms and essentially shape the overall direction of social media efforts.

What’s the difference between a social media manager and a social media analyst?

The social media managers handle the day-to-day operations of social media marketing, including posting, community management and sometimes, even content creations. In contrast, the analyst’s role is more behind the scenes. They focus on measuring performance, creating reports and supporting the team with valuable insights based on data.

What is the role of an analyst in social media?

The role of an analyst in social media is that of a data detective. Their expertise consists of interpreting data, studying audience behavior and trends in content performance and translating their findings into actionable insights that help drive the social media strategy forward.

A decade ago, the notion of having an entire team in charge of social media management may have seemed absurd, but things have definitely changed since then.

Nowadays, the complexity of social media marketing warrants the existence of a team, however small, to handle the various aspects of a brand’s social media presence, from strategy to content creation, video editing and performance reports.

With so many tasks involved, it’s often difficult for one social media manager to handle all these responsibilities alone.

Looking to build a social media team from the ground up? Keep reading to see what it takes – from setting goals and KPIs, to defining roles, tasks and necessary skills and choosing the right tools to create synergy within the team.

What does a social media team do?

A social media team’s main purpose is to build, manage and grow a brand’s presence on social media. Ideally, the social team should be a well-oiled machine, working together to implement each and every technique and strategy available to them (e.g. influencer marketing, paid ads, etc) in order to reach business goals.

What a social media team does depends, largely, on its environment – whether they’re part of a company or an agency.

Most often they’re in charge of developing the social media strategy, creating content for all platforms, managing and growing the online community, gathering competitive intelligence, tracking performance and more – all with the ultimate goal to increase brand awareness and drive sales.

As a business grows, so do its needs—and this of course applies to the social media team as well. Managing a brand with 10k followers is vastly different from a brand with 100k followers, right? As the audience grows, so do the demands for more consistent content, better engagement, and more in-depth social media insights.

Sometimes, the social media team might just be a one-man/woman show, whereby one single person takes on multiple social media roles and responsibilities. As the brand gets bigger and more active, the social media “team of one” comes under a lot of pressure, especially when they’re lacking all the tools and resources to do the job properly.

Objectives & KPIs of a social media team

How do you know when it’s time to hire someone to manage social media?

If you feel like your business growth has plateaued despite your best efforts, that you’re missing social media engagement opportunities left and right due to the lack of time and resources or that you don’t have a clear roadmap for your social media strategy… It's time to start investing in a group of professionals with social media expertise.

Assembling a solid in-house team can eliminate the need for hiring project-based social media consultants, and help you build a strong foundation for long-term social media presence.

Once you’ve got your social media team all mapped out, it’s time to think about objectives, aka what you expect the team to achieve and how that will impact the larger business goals.

When setting KPIs and goals for the social media team, it helps to take a step back, zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

While individual team members are focused on daily tasks like creating content or engaging with the online community, the team's focus should be on larger goals, like driving leads, boosting sales and increasing brand awareness – goals that must always align with the larger business objectives. Every move the social team makes should, therefore, strategically contribute to the company’s growth.

With that mind, let’s have a closer look at 5 objectives and KPIs the social team should prioritize and track.

Generate brand awareness

Social media is a fiercely competitive space, where every brand and creator fights for their share of the public’s attention. Generating brand awareness is therefore the key to reaching more people and growing brand recognition.

The social media team plays a crucial role in driving brand visibility, and they should explore every strategy available to them in order to reach this goal. Luckily, there’s no shortage of ways in which this can be achieved.

From crafting engaging, shareable content that resonates with the target audience to running social media campaigns and partnering with influencers who can introduce the brand to new followers, marketing teams have a wide range of powerful tools at their disposal.

For brands who want to pursue more than one way of doing social media marketing, paid advertising is another effective option. By balancing organic vs paid social media, they can reach a wider audience on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

The end goal is to build a solid social media presence and cohesive identity across all channels, and create valuable content that people naturally gravitate towards.

Drive sales

One of the main objectives of any marketing team is to ultimately drive sales for the company, though of course, they do so indirectly. By boosting brand awareness and generating leads, they create opportunities that, if nurtured properly, have a high chance to convert into sales.

Social media creates a unique space for marketers to connect with the audience in real time and gently influence their purchasing decisions.

By creating content that showcases product benefits, and using persuasive copywriting techniques, the social media management team can encourage users to take any desired action (visiting the website, signing up for a newsletter or even making a purchase).

Sharing UGC (user-generated content) can also provide powerful social proof, while constantly engaging with new and returning customers alike can lead to short-term sales and long-term customer loyalty.

Sales generation is one of those KPIs that frequently pops up in discussions with upper management, especially when it comes to social media ROI. While the social team doesn’t directly manage the entire sales process, their contributions are essential for achieving this goal.

Provide customer support

For brands that are active on social media, the social media team is often the first line of defense. They are in tune with the real-time thoughts, feelings, and conversations of their audience about the brand. Their insights, paired with a solid social listening strategy, can effectively enhance customer support as we know it.

The social team can also assist the in-house support team by setting up dedicated support channels, consistently engaging with the audience, and actively listening to their concerns and feedback. They can also try to mitigate potential crises before they escalate.

By dedicating time to nurture relationships with customers, the team can easily create a sense of community and make customers feel more comfortable reaching out for help or sharing their thoughts.

Build a brand community

Speaking of community-building, the social media team’s other main objective is to create a loyal community around a brand. This is made possible by cultivating a sense of belonging among the brand’s followers.

The social media marketing team is in a unique position to create a safe and inclusive space for meaningful interactions with the audience. Over time, this builds trust and strengthens connections. When people feel heard and valued, they naturally start to feel like they're part of the brand’s story.

Being highly responsive and human goes a long way when it comes to building a rapport with online followers.

To that end, the social media management team should prioritize responding to DMs as soon as possible, and communicate from a place of empathy and understanding. This way, people will feel encouraged to engage with the brand again and again.

Get competitive intelligence

One last key objective for the social team is to gather competitive intelligence. This implies keeping a close eye on competitors, learning from their strategies, and figuring out how to use these findings to improve the brand’s own approach.

Through competitive analysis, the team can gain a better understanding of where the brand stands within its niche or industry, and share these insights with other departments in an effort to align overall strategies across the company.

The ultimate goal is to learn from competitors’ mistakes, spot any gaps in their approach, and find opportunities to outperform them.

The most effective way to get competitive insights is to use a social media competitor analysis tool like Socialinsider, but this analytical detective work can be doubled by manually observing competitors’ social media activity. This might include keeping an eye on their audience interactions, seeing how promptly they respond to comments, what kind of language they’re using and so on.

Social media team roles

When we’re talking about the social media department structure, there’s one key thing to keep in mind: no two social media teams look the same. There’s no marketing department structure best practice per se. Digital marketing team roles and responsibilities are divided differently depending on the team’s size and the company itself.

Smaller teams tend to wear multiple hats, with each person juggling different tasks like content creation, community management, and analytics.

Larger teams, on the other hand, may accommodate more specialized roles, such as a content strategist, social media manager, community manager, and paid ads specialist.

So if you’re ever wondering what does a marketing team consist of, the short answer is: it depends largely on its environment.

With that in mind, let’s explore some of the most common roles and their corresponding social media marketing responsibilities.

Head of social media

Let’s start from the top and work our way down.

The head of social media is the one that makes sure the efforts of the social media team are perfectly aligned with the brand identity and objectives. They know the brand inside and out, better than anyone else on the team.

The head of social media is typically responsible for overseeing the entire social media operation, from strategy and creative concepts, from content creation to community and brand reputation management.

Some of their core responsibilities include:

• Outlining a data-driven social media strategy;
• Approving creative concepts that align with the overall social media branding;
• Managing the budget for social media campaigns;
• Setting and tracking all relevant team KPIs;
• Making sure the team are aware of and follow social media best practices;
• Reporting to senior management and showcasing the social media ROI;
• Communicating with key stakeholders;
• Keeping an eye on the latest industry and platform trends

This role is a blend of leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on work, requiring a balance of both analytical and creative skills. The minimum experience required for this position is usually 3 to 5 years.

Social media strategist

Another key role in the social media creative department structure is that of the social media strategist. As the name suggests, this person is responsible for creating and guiding a brand’s social media strategy to meet the established social media goals.

Unlike the head of social media, whose focus is broader, the social media strategist is primarily focused on the day-to-day execution of strategies that align with the brand’s objectives.

Their main responsibilities include:

• Developing the social media strategy for every platform;
• Prioritizing top performing social channels;
• Defining content pillars for social media;
• Researching the audience and outlining social media personas;
• Doing market research;
• Monitoring trends to keep the brand relevant;
• Planning campaigns.

In teams where there is no head of social media, the social media strategist may step in and take on the leadership role. That means that, in addition to their usual responsibilities, strategists may also start managing budgets, coordinating with other departments and setting team-level KPIs. This requires a delicate balance between hands-on strategy planning and providing leadership and guidance to the team.

The minimum experience required for this role is usually 2 to 5 years.

Social media manager

When most people think about a social media team, the first role that comes to mind is that of the social media manager. That’s because, when companies first started hiring for social media positions, this was often the first position created.

Traditionally, the social media manager would, as the name itself implies, manage multiple social media channels, which meant creating social media content, developing the social media strategy and essentially handle any and all other tasks that the role called for.

Nowadays, as social media teams have expanded, social media managers can take on more specialized roles. In larger teams, this means focusing on specific skills, such as copywriting, and taking charge of the editorial planning process.

Keeping in mind that these vary greatly depending on the size and structure of each social team, here’s a look at some of the social media manager’s main responsibilities:

• Creating the editorial plan;
• Overseeing content creation and providing feedback;
• Ensuring a cohesive brand voice across all channels;
• Tracking social media metrics;
• Working with other departments to de-escalate any crises;
• Supervising junior team members and delegating tasks.

The minimum experience required for this role is usually around 1 year.

While I think the best social media teams involve a variety of specialists who are able to dedicate individualized skills to these areas, I think the best social media managers are those who understand enough about each of these skills to work most harmoniously among a specialized team. – Amy Peiffer, Social Media Lead

Content creator

Since content is the fuel that drives a brand’s social media presence, having one or more content creators on the team is crucial.

Ultimately, content creators are the ones that really know how to create content for social media in a way that drives engagement and makes people care about the brand.

The number of content creators depends on factors like the size of the company, how many platforms they’re active on, and their overall content strategy.

The person in charge of content creation can either be an in-house employee dedicated to crafting content full-time, or an external collaborator such as a freelancer, or even a project-based creator from a marketing agency.

Depending on the brands’ needs, content creators may specialize on a single platform, or produce content for multiple channels simultaneously.

Their tasks usually include:

• Writing copy for social media;
• Creating video content;
• Designing visuals for social media or collaborating with a design team;
• Following the social media content calendar;
• Making sure the content adheres to the branding guidelines/content briefs.

This role can be filled by someone with little to no experience, however, having some technical skills or certifications is highly encouraged.

Community manager

Community managers are often considered the bridge between a brand and its social media community. They serve as the voice of the brand, while also listening to and advocating for the interests of the people. Their goal is to build meaningful connections with followers in a way that helps the brand community grow and prosper.

Out of all the members of the social media team, the community manager is the most direct link to the audience, and the one responsible for creating an inclusive, welcoming space where followers feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and reaching out for support. By doing this, they help build trust and brand loyalty.

In a nutshell, the community manager is tasked with:

• Building and moderating online communities (such as Facebook or LinkedIn groups);
• Engaging with followers and initiating conversations when needed;
• Responding to both public and private messages (comments, DMs);
• Encouraging the creation and sharing of user-generated content (UGC);
• Organizing online events to boost social media engagement;
• Monitoring brand mentions and tracking user sentiment;
• Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all interactions.

The minimum experience required for this type of role is usually between 1 to 3 years.

Data analyst

Every social media team that aims to create a strategy based on real-time data – both on their performance and their competitors – needs a skilled data analyst. This expert dives deep into KPIs and social media benchmarks and spends time analyzing trends. They make sure to find the most useful tools to help the team understand the digital landscape and improve results.

A data analyst's work doesn’t stop at collecting raw data; they interpret patterns, identify opportunities, and suggest actionable insights to refine current content strategies.

With that being said, these are some of the key responsibilities of the social media data analyst:

• Tracking key performance metrics in a centralized social media dashboard;
• Gathering audience insights;
• Analyze competitive performance to uncover new growth opportunities;
• Spotting patterns in the brand performance evolution;
• Reporting to the social media strategist and head of social media.

Paid social specialist

When a social media team decides to branch out into paid advertising, they typically bring in a paid social specialist to manage this aspect. This person focuses on creating, optimizing, and tracking paid campaigns across multiple social platforms, making sure that the social media ROI remains high.

Paid social specialists are usually responsible for:

• Developing ad strategies that align with the brand’s social media goals;
• Employing best practices to create targeted ads;
• Managing the advertising budget to optimize spending;
• Monitoring the performance of ads and adjusting them to improve results;
• Reporting on paid campaigns performance.

Their expertise enables the social media team to tap into the power of paid ads, expanding social media reach and brand awareness in a way that complements the organic social efforts.

For this role, an experience of at least 1-3 years is usually needed.

Influencer marketing specialist

Finally, the influencer marketing specialist is the team’s go-to expert for anything related to influencer marketing. This role typically involves researching potential influencer collaborations (influencer scouting), identifying the right fit for the brand, and recommending partnerships for campaign collaborations.

Also, this person is often the one to determine the most effective content formats for influencer campaigns—whether that’s TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts.

An influencer marketing specialist’s task list usually includes:

• Building and maintaining relationships with influencers
• Negotiating contracts and agreements for collaborations
• Coordinating influencer campaigns, from planning to execution
• Monitoring influencer content closely to make sure it aligns with the brand values
• Analyzing the performance of influencer campaigns

The influencer marketing specialist’s work is key in extending brand visibility and credibility with new audiences.

Usually, influencer specialists are expected to have at least 2-4 years of experience in social media to be considered for this role.

People and departments working closely with the social media team

Depending on how large the social media team is, and the complexity of their projects, there may be other people or departments that often collaborate with the team to make sure that the business goals are met.

By working together, these teams can pool their expertise and amplify the impact of their efforts.

Brand Manager

This is the so-called guardian of the brand’s voice. Their role is to ensure that all published content is consistent with the brand's identity, which means they can approve creative concepts and contribute with audience and market insights.

Fun fact: In some organizations, roles typically linked to the social media team, like the social media strategist or manager, may actually be found in the brand marketing team structure.

Copywriter

Some social media teams may opt to work with one of more external collaborators on copywriting-related tasks. These could range from writing descriptions for video content to creating copy for social media posts. By bringing in freelance or agency writers into content creation teams, businesses can explore fresh perspectives, and become more flexible.

Graphic designer

For brands that rely heavily on visual assets such as infographics, flow charts, stylized product screenshots and even memes, collaborating with a graphic design expert is a must. Given the importance of visual creatives on social media, consultation with experts in the marketing department is highly recommended.

Video editor

Likewise, if a brand prioritizes video content and has a solid video marketing strategy, then working with a professional video editor, whether in house or outsource, is very common.

Customer care department

When the customer care team and the social media team join forces, great things can happen. The social media team can identify customer issues in real-time, while the customer care department steps in to resolve them. As a result of this collaboration, both teams can exchange insights which can lead to improved products, services, and communication strategies.

Legal department

To make perfectly sure that everything that gets shared on social media adheres to the legal guidelines, the social media team benefits from having a direct line of communication with the legal department at all times. This helps the team prevent any copyright violations, misleading claims, or privacy issues.

Essential skills for a social media team

For a social media team to function like a well-oiled machine, certain key skills are needed. When most, if not all, team members possess these skills, they can collaborate more effectively, produce quality content consistently, and keep up with the fast-paced world of social media.

Let’s have a look at some of the most important skills for a social media team.

Good communication skills

There’s no wonder why every marketing job ad out there lists ‘good communication skills’ as a key requirement – without clear communication, nothing gets done properly. This goes both for internal and external communication (e.g. influencers or other project-based collaborations).

While social media needs a variety of skills, communication is 1,000% the most important in my opinion. Not only do you need strong written communication (as tone and emotion is often missed through text), you need strong verbal communication. - Julie Cappiello, Founder and CEO Pyxis Digital.

As the head of social media, you need to be able to clearly communicate with your team while delegating tasks, setting objects and offering guidance. As a content creator, you must be able to properly convey your message through text, otherwise the audience will miss your point and fail to engage with your content.

Community managers need strong communication skills to engage with followers and build meaningful relationships. Likewise, social media strategists must be skilled communicators in order to present data and insights to other departments in a way that’s both clear and easy to understand.

The bottom line is that, in every role within a social media team, communication is the foundation for success.

Strong communication skills are absolutely essential, not just for writing engaging content but also for interacting with followers, colleagues, and stakeholders. Clear communication helps ensure the brand’s message is consistently conveyed. - Courtney (Lane Maki) Larvadain, Account Supervisor, Social Media the JRT agency

Strategic thinking

Working in a social media team, you quickly realize it’s far better to be proactive than reactive. To keep up the pace—and, more importantly, to stay ahead of your brand’s competitors—you need to have a strategic mindset, and the ability to plan five or even ten steps ahead.

This essentially means that no social media objective, post or interaction should be random, but rather based on solid market research, audience insights and past results.

Strategic thinking is essential in order to remember business objectives and adapt to changing circumstances, and not get carried away with making things look good and not ensuring ROI. - Summer Browne - Marketing Executive - Alphatec Engineering

Creativity

Inspiration might not always be easy to come by, but every social media team member should always strive to be creative – no matter their role. Creativity can be cultivated by following trending topics, experimenting with new formats, or exchanging ideas with team members.

Creativity is key. Developing original and engaging content that stands out in a crowded social media landscape requires a lot of creative thinking.

Alongside creativity, analytical skills are important too. Being able to analyze data and interpret metrics allows us to measure campaign success and make data-driven decisions to optimize our strategies. - Courtney (Lane Maki) Larvadain , Account Supervisor, Social Media the JRT agency

Naturally, much of this responsibility falls on the content creator, who needs to develop engaging content that resonates with the audience. However, everyone else can contribute by sharing ideas and providing feedback, ultimately creating a safe space where creativity can thrive.

Creativity is key for graphics, video editing, creating interesting post both visually and textually and problem solving.- Summer Browne, Marketing Executive, Alphatec Engineering

Adaptability

Adaptability is all about seizing every opportunity but also preparing for any potential challenges.

Anticipating changes in platform algorithms, audience behaviors, or even shifts in your industry dynamics gives you a competitive edge and enables you to adapt to any potential roadblock and refine your strategy.

Every member of the social team should be willing to learn constantly (e.g. adopting new strategies or tools), take criticism and strive to improve themselves. They should also be prepared to work against the clock and meet tight deadlines, particularly when timing is of the essence.

Team collaboration, written and verbal communication, creativity, ability to collect and interpret data, continuous learning, ability to take criticism, understanding of areas outside of social media such as marketing/branding/sales, knowledge of marketing principles, flexibility, ability to deal with stress and fast-paced content turnarounds are essential in a social media department. – Geisha Garcia - Director, Digital and Social Media at University of Miami

It’s about being flexible enough to pivot when needed, but confident enough in your long-team goals to keep going no matter what.

Flexibility and adaptability are crucial because the social media landscape is constantly evolving. Staying updated with the latest trends, platform updates, and best practices, and being ready to pivot strategies quickly, is a big part of the job.

Excellent time management skills are also important as managing multiple tasks, campaigns, and deadlines is a daily challenge. – Courtney (Lane Maki) Larvadain, Account Supervisor, Social Media the JRT agency.

Copywriting skills

In order to create content that not only gets people to notice your brand but also makes them care about it, strong copywriting skills are crucial. This applies not just to written posts but also to video content, where a copywriter can help craft engaging scripts, compelling video descriptions and on-screen text.

A great copywriter knows how to blend creativity with clear communication to create great content that doesn’t just inform the audience but also inspires action and builds brand loyalty.

Strong copywriting skills are essential. Social media managers need to write concise, engaging, and persuasive content that captures the brand’s voice and engages the audience. Whether it’s a witty tweet or a heartfelt Instagram post, words matter. – Vanjela (Nela) Bellovoda, Social Media Strategist

Project management skills

The larger the social media team, the more projects it can take on. However, without proper prioritization, things can quickly become chaotic. That’s why it's essential for every team to have at least one member who is highly skilled in project management. This person helps keep everything organized, make sure that tasks are clearly defined, deadlines are met, and team members are held accountable.

With the right project management strategy, a long, overwhelming list of tasks can be turned into a clear workflow.

Prioritization skills are essential for managing multiple projects efficiently, ensuring high-quality work and seizing opportunities within the digital ecosystem. – Alyssa Greve, Director of Social, Influencer and PR

Design and video editing skills

Whether the social media team includes an in-house designer or video editor, or relies on an external collaborator – certain design and video editing knowledge is needed in order to create impact visual content.

By having an understanding of basic design principles and editing techniques, even non-designers can contribute to the creative process. They can create comprehensive briefs for the design / video production team, and they can provide feedback to make sure that the content aligns with the brand's overall identity.

The ability to translate complex ideas into accessible, concise, compelling creatives is very important in social media - Kate Meyers Emery, Social media scientist for nonprofits

In-house vs externalized social media teams

When talking about social media, and social media managers in particular, a distinction has to be made between in-house and externalized teams (typically managed by agencies) that offer professional social media services.

So how do social media marketing agencies work compared to an in-house team, you may ask.

As per the usual digital marketing agency team structure, agency social media managers work as part of a larger team, collaborating with marketers, designers, and strategists. They use a set of standardized strategies which they tailor to meet the needs of every brand. They manage several content calendars and follow brand guidelines to the letter.

Community management tasks are often divided, with junior team members handling day-to-day interactions under their supervision.

In-house social media managers are, on the other hand, fully focused on a single brand, gaining deep insights into its identity, audience, and goals. They handle content creation themselves, making sure it feels authentic and stays true to the brand's voice. They build strong relationships with followers and manage customer interactions, ensuring a consistent and genuine presence across all channels.

When it comes to social media reports, agency managers provide detailed, data-driven reports using advanced tools and analytics.

By contrast, in-house managers focus on how social media performance plays into broader company objectives. They typically report directly to leadership, using insights to demonstrate social media ROI and inform future strategies.

Tools for effective synergy within a social media team

In order to optimize their efforts, any social media team should take advantage of all the resources available to them, and that of course includes tools. The right tools can empower team members to communicate efficiently, store and exchange important files easily, manage their tasks, establish clear workflows and track their performance in real time.

Here are our suggestions for each category.

For team communication: Slack

Slack is ideal for quick, real-time messaging. With organized channels, direct messages and multiple app integrations, this tool can help the social media team stay connected and organized on a daily basis.

For file storage & sharing: Google Drive

It’s no surprise that Google Drive makes our list of top tools. This app is the go-choice for around 2 billion people when it comes to cloud storage, sharing, and file collaboration. Most importantly. Google Drive makes it easy for important documents to be easily accessible to all team members.

For task management: Paymo

When it comes to managing multiple tasks and projects, Paymo is a great solution. This tool empowers teams to keep track of projects, deadlines, and individual tasks. An added bonus lies in its customizable dashboards, which allow everyone to stay on the same page regarding priorities.

For content collaboration & scheduling: Buffer

Buffer allows teams to plan and schedule content across various platforms in advance, providing a visual overview of upcoming posts and enabling seamless collaboration. For a full review of Buffer, check out HotinSocialMedia to explore its features, strengths, and potential drawbacks, including how it compares to other social media management tools and what makes it a standout choice for individuals and small businesses.

For social media analytics & competitor research: Socialinsider

As a social media analytics and benchmarking tool, Socialinsider provides deep insights into performance metrics and competitor analysis, offering teams the means to track cross-channel data needed to refine their strategies and stay ahead of the competition.

By integrating these tools into their daily workflows, social media teams can become more efficient, boost their creativity, and focus on consistent content creation while tracking their performance effectively.

Final thoughts

Since their humble beginnings, social media teams have reached a point where they are essential for the long-term success of any brand, company, or business online.

With that in mind, it's important to understand how to build an effective team, what key skills to prioritize, what roles to map out and which tools are crucial for team synergy.

FAQs on social media teams

How to build a great social media team?

Building a great social media team can be challenging, but it ultimately comes down to prioritizing collaboration and growth opportunities. Hiring the right people for the roles is just the beginning – creating the proper environment that encourages development and learning is the key.

To this end, you could set up some training programmes that help your social media team members learn new skills, refine their existing ones, expand their networks, and apply their knowledge in practical ways.

Lastly, by encouraging collaboration between departments and sharing knowledge, you can prepare and indirectly teach the team to approach problems from different perspectives, making them more flexible and creative.

What obstacles do social media teams face the most?

Some of the main social media marketing challenges teams encounter are related to limited budgets, poor communication, content fatigue, lack of standardized procedures and frequent algorithm changes.

If you feel like technology is way ahead of you, then you might not be the only one. You may have some issues with keeping up with everything tech, but there are also so many ways to learn anything you want.

Looker Studio is a good example. Trying to understand how everything works, I started to look for any type of article or tutorial that could introduce me to this world and show me how to create a Looker Studio social media dashboard.

I have gathered all the data needed, all the information from multiple sources, and I put it all together here in order to make the process easier.

The purpose?

To understand how Looker Studio works with social media data, what it does, how to use it, and how Socialinsider can help you with this entire process.

I will walk you through my own journey of learning Looker Studio in hopes that you’ll find some valuable information that could help you out as well.

1. What is Looker Studio?

In a just a few words, it is a data visualization platform.

If you want to have everything in one place, Looker Studio is the answer to your prayers. In other words, it is everything you need to keep up the good work.

This tool that will keep track of everything analytics and more. If you’re familiar with Google Sheets, then you might find this one easy to use. Or, at least, find the workflow to be pretty similar.

2. Benefits of using Looker Studio for social media reporting

As we said before, this tool turns the data you need into easy-to-understand dashboards and reports.

Well, first of all, I shall assume that you work with a lot of data. That would explain your interest in learning more about Looker Studio.

So, dear data geeks, be prepared to have an easier life with this platform. What’s the deal?

There are a few exciting things about Looker Studio that you should know about:

• Free tool

The first best thing about Looker Studio is that the tool is 100% free, and it is available for anyone.

Just like any other Google feature, you can use it without any cost. You just need internet access, that’s all.

• Everything is customizable

Looker Studio allows you to create custom reports, and it gives you a variety of designs, styles, and so on. There is actually an entire report gallery where you can find reports created by the community.

And there are many templates that you can choose from.

What can you customize:

• Page layout
• Text
• Graphs
• Metrics
• Style elements

• Interactive platform

What’s great about Looker Studio is that you don’t have to be very technical about it, and you don’t need to be good at graphic design.

With just a few clicks, you can create a fantastic dashboard that will be appealing and easy to read.

Google thought about the recipient of the report, giving him the ability to play around a bit. The viewer can:

• Control the date range
• Set different filters
• Sort by different metrics
• Select optional metrics
• Dig into data

• Automated reports

Any type of manual work can be really time-consuming. Google knows that time is everything, so it gives you access to more features.

You can create fully automated reporting dashboards with real-time data. This will definitely save you a lot of time.

• Shareable dashboards

Looker Studio encourages collaboration among people. This means that you can choose between the viewer or editor access and share your reports with your colleagues.

You can share them via link or email.

• Filters

The filters will let you adjust your data based on any dimension or metric. Here are some examples:

• Date range
• Account
• Campaign
• Location

You can apply the filters to your reports, and they can also include conditions such as and/or to go beyond the normal social media data.

• Exporting options

I personally love the freedom of choosing how to export the report I want.

Looker Studio gives you the following exporting options:

• PDF
• Excel
• Google Sheets
• Email

People have their own preferences, so the more options, the merrier. You can also schedule automated email exports if you want to.

• Looker Studio connectors

One of the best things about Looker Studio is that you can connect to a variety of data sources: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Google Sheets, SEO performance, Ads spend, mentions, etc.) all in just one dashboard.

More than that, you can also blend data from different sources to create the dashboard you want.

Accessing all the data you need at once will save you a lot of time and energy. And this is amazing.

3. Build a Looker Studio social media report

So now that we’ve gone through the basics, let’s see how to create Looker Studio social media dashboard from scratch.

As you saw before, you can use any template you want, but if you want to build it yourself there are a few elements you should be familiar with. Take a look at some of the existing templates to make an idea how it works.

When building a social media report from scratch, I strongly recommend you explore the platform a bit first. Play around with the features and see what you can like and what you don’t.

Now, click on Blank Report. Looker Studio then asks you where to get the data from.

I chose Socialinsider Analytics because there is the place where I pull all my social media data from.

Just go to the search bar and look after it.

After that, Google asks you to select what data you need to connect to Looker Studio. There are three drop-down buttons: metrics type, platform, and project.

This step gives you the option to add social media data to Looker Studio.

Decide on whatever option you need, and then a new report is created. Give your project a name, and feel free to play around.

You can click on Add Page if you want a report with more than one page. By clicking on Add Data, you can connect your data through different connectors in order to mix things up a bit.

You can also add a new chart. From tables, bars, pie charts to maps and geo charts, you will never get bored.

For example, I added a new chart (time series) that shows me the engagement, impressions, and reach for the last 28 days. What’s really interesting is that you can also compare your social media data with the results from another period of time of your choice.

If you want to see data like user counts or numbers, click on one of the Scorecard options.

On the right side, you will see two sections: Data and Style. Data will tell you where the element is getting its data from, while the Style section is the place where you can change the color and edit fonts to make everything look as close as you imagined it.

Let’s take a look at how you can change the style of your charts. Go to Style and explore that section a bit. As you can see, I chose to show you the before and after of the same chart.

Series #1, Series #2, Series #3 are the equivalent to the social media data: engagement, impressions, reach. These are shown as bars here because that’s what I selected for each of them.

You can also change the line/bars color, while for the line visualization, you can even change the line weight and show points for each peak in the chart.

More than that, you can change the theme and layout with just a few clicks for even more customization.

Add a text that you can change whenever you want in order to create a legend for your own dashboard. This way, it will be so much easier to read the data.

You are able to add an image, line, or shape if this will make your dashboard better. It’s your choice. Click on Insert and find everything right there.

4. Create next-level Looker Studio social media dashboards with Socialinsider

We like data just as much as our customers do, so we wanted to make everybody happy. You can now connect your Socialinsider data to Looker Studio and dig into your metrics.

Setting up the integration is very easy. Here’s how.

After following those steps, you will have to select:

• What metrics you want to add
• From what platform
• The project that you need

Previously, I have shown you how to integrate Instagram data into your dashboard through the Socialinsider connector. But this tool can do more than that.

Let’s create a new dashboard to show you what I mean by that.

You can add three types of social media metrics to Looker Studio:

• Post level metrics
• Profile times based metrics
• Benchmarks metrics

All these metrics are available for: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn.

In this example, I have added the benchmarks metrics for Facebook. In the project were included the Facebook pages for Nike, Adidas, and The North Face.

But I wanted more than that.

So I added more charts (Scorecard, Pie Charts) to have a better look at my social media data, and I also wanted to play with the edit options.

Of course, you can again change the theme, colors, and so on. Create the design that you want.

Here is another example of Socialinsider’s performance on Instagram. I have also added a date range control (go to Add Control - Date Range Control) to have the time range there.

There is a chart with the Instagram engagement by type of post, with another pie chart to make everything more visually pleasing.

The Scorecards show the total metric for each one of them during the selected period of time.

Let’s say that maybe you don’t want the message metric. Just go to Metric, click on message and change it to whatever you need.

There is a list with the Instagram metrics provided. Change any of them every time you want to.

Voilà! There it is - changed it into video_views.

Final thought

Learning to use Looker Studio in order to write this little article seemed a bit intimidating and challenging at first, but it turned out to be easier than I thought.

Of course, there are more things that I haven’t covered here, but there is always room for improvement, and don’t forget: Practice makes perfect!

Bring your social media data into Looker Studio and discover secrets every single day.

Get ready to create in-depth and visually Looker Studio social media reports by leveraging Socialinsider data.

Instagram continues to be a top priority for many marketers across the globe.

With more than 500 million accounts that are using Instagram stories, this feature is one of the main tools both people and brands are using to make their content visible and to engage with followers and audiences.

They are a great choice when you don’t want to post permanent content. Plus, they come packed with plenty of features like GIFs, stickers, hashtags, and many other fun add-ons.

While crafting the perfect Instagram stories might take time and energy, the reward is better engagement and a stronger connection to your audience.

Let’s see what it takes to edit stories before and after posting them and how to highlight them after 24 hours ⇣

How to edit your Instagram Story before posting

Once you enter the world of Instagram Stories, we promise you won’t get bored. With all these special add-ons, you’ll spend hours just to discover the right combinations for you and your brand.

• Use hashtags to gain more visibility

Hashtags have conquered a lot of social platforms since their debut. They are a combination of letters, numbers and even emojis added after the # symbol.

This feature allows you to categorize content and to be found by users that may not be following your account yet, but who have an interest in the hashtag topic you’re using.

• Add interactive questions, polls or quizes

Question, polls or quizes are great because they offer real-time feedback from your followers or people you’ve managed to reach through your Instagram Stories.

• Use the location sticker

The location sticker is a very useful tool for promoting your business and letting your followers know where your business is located.

It’s also helpful in defining a geographical area of interest for your audience.

For example, if you’re a local news brand and are publishing information that concerns mostly people from Toronto, adding a location might better target your audience.

• Add stickers or gifs

What is the best way to express a feeling, an emotion, a mood or a state of mind? Using stickers or gifs. They are there to make your posts stand out and to make your messages more human, not to mention they’re simply so much fun.

You can combine them with calls to action and other stickers such as poll stickers and they can deliver great results.

• Feature links to your website or store

The easiest way to invite your fans to visit your website, blog or e-commerce store is to include a link to these pages in your stories. You can add any link you want and customize the sticker text (url text) to your liking.

• Quick tips on creating engaging video Stories

Another highly entertaining option is to post some video stories. It's a great way to convey an important message to your audience.

Just keep in mind a few things:

• Try vertical posting - data shows that the most successful ones are created in the vertical format;
• The standard aspect ratio for Instagram Stories is 9:16;
• The video length is limited to 60 seconds, so try to summarize your ideas in this timeframe

How to edit your Instagram Story after posting

Well, let’s say you’ve posted a few Instagram Stories, but one of them is not quite what you wanted or you just spotted a typo. What’s to be done? What edits can you make? Well, there’s some great news and some bad news.

The great news is that you can make some changes, but the bad news is that you can’t drastically change it unless you delete the Story and recreate it from scratch.

To make any change, go to the Story you want to edit, tap the More button and choose Story Settings. You’ll bump into Story Controls where you can:

• Choose who can see your Story by hiding the people you don’t want to see it;
• Choose your Close Friends - You can pick a group of friends or followers to share private Instagram Stories posts;
• Decide who can reply to your posts - everyone, only people you follow or nobody;
• Avoid losing Instagram Stories by saving them to Camera Roll or to Highlights

How to edit Story highlights

Your favorite Stories can have a special place in Story highlights. Located just above your posts, right below your profile bio, this feature allows you to save your favourite Stories and make them permanent, instead of letting them disappear after 24 hours.

Here’s how to highlight Instagram Stories:

• Go to the story you want to highlight and press the Highlight button
• Enter a title
• Choose a thumbnail
• Done

You can edit, remove, promote or delete your highlights any time.

If you’ve already created Highlights but you want to add Stories to one of them:

• Go to one of the highlights and tap More
• Choose Edit Highlight
• Go to Archive and select one or multiple previous Stories
• You can Edit Cover and also change the Highlight’s name

You can also create a new Highlight and add multiple Stories at once. Here’s how:

• Go to your Instagram profile.
• Tap +New button.
• Select the Stories you want to add to your new Highlight or choose one of the Suggested highlights based on location
• Tap Next
• Name your Highlight and choose your Story cover
• Tap Done

Remember! The Stories you add as highlights will remain visible until you delete them, even after the original story disappears. Remember that people who can see your story will be able to see the landmarks as well.

Best time to post Instagram Stories

There are many factors you should consider when posting your Instagram Stories, but to summarize, you have to take into account:

• Your audience time zone - Look at your followers’ location, gender, ages and when they are the most active on the app. You can get all this info only if you have a business account;
• Keep an eye on your competitors - If your competitors are doing just fine on Instagram, it means they have a great strategy. It’s not recommended to copy their approach, but you can get inspired by looking at their top posting times by engagement (this data is available in Socialinsider)
• Post it when you’re 100% happy with the result - Don’t make quality compromises. If you invest a lot of time into your Instagram account, don’t be rushed when you create a Story. Be creative, be brave, be flamboyant.

How many stories should I post per day

You don’t have restrictions when it comes to the number of stories you can post a day, but remember a story will only last 24 hours, so you have to constantly update them.

They are more relaxed, and maybe less polished type of content so they’ll allow your company to communicate more informally and with a lot less pressure.

And who said there is no magic number when it comes to Instagram Stories? Well, research suggests two stories per day is ideal, but you can post anywhere between 1 and 10 depending on your needs.

If you've been posting on Stories for a while and haven't yet figured what the magic number is for your brand, you can take a look at your Stories performance in Socialinsider.

What to post on Instagram Stories

Now that you know how to edit your stories, it’s time to create engaging and attractive ones.

Here’s a short list of ideas for your next Instagram Stories:

• Create “How to” tutorials and spice them up with features - this is the best way to use videos.
• Announce an event or a special release - use the Countdown sticker. Users will be able to subscribe and turn on the reminder for themselves and share the countdown to their profile.
• Come up with the latest news and trends in your industry - people love to see you have expertise in your field and you’re willing to share it with others.
• Give special promotions or offers for a limited period of time.
  

Final thoughts

Instagram is an ever-changing platform and is constantly adding features and improves user experience. If you want your brand to thrive on Instagram, try to think of your profile page as a work of art you’re perfecting over time and at your Stories as your most powerful communication and feedback tool.

Let us know what are your favorite Instagram Stories features and if you had trouble finding the right features for delivering your messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I customize an Instagram Story?

You can customize your Instagram Stories using a variety of emojis, hashtags, location and link stickers. To make your stories really stand out, you can use Stories templates from third-party apps like Canva and stick to a consistent aesthetic for your brand.

2. Can I edit someone else's Instagram Story?

You can't directly edit someone else's Instagram Story, but if you're tagged in their stories, you can share that post to your stories and include any add-on you prefer.

3. How can I add closed captions to my Instagram story?

You can add closed captions to your Stories by uploading a video, tapping the sticker icon and selecting Captions. Once you've picked the size, font, color and location of the captions, you can publish your stories.