So your bar or nightclub has been active on social media for a while now and you’ve established a good following on the right social networks. Though maybe you’re not quite sure if and how this translates into anything meaningful. Does it really get the word out there? Attract the right customers? Is it even worth it? It can be if you keep in mind that it’s not about the tools – it’s all about how they’re used.
To get a handle on your social media presence and gauge whether your efforts are paying off, you have to analyze your results. But there’s more to it than Likes, shares, and an uptick in fans and followers. Here’s a quick and easy guide to analyzing your performance on the most popular social networks as well as email.
Facebook Insights: Once you’ve reached 30 Likes, Facebook Insights can provide lots of great information. This includes the number of people who like your Facebook Page, how many people have seen a particular post and how many actually clicked on it. By taking a closer look at the Insights, you can better understand your audience, the type of content they’re most likely to respond to, and the best time to post that content.
Twitter: Check your performance on Twitter by using a free tool such as Twitter counter. It will give you insight into all of your activity including new followers and who has retweeted and favorited your posts. You may also want to check out Hootsuite; it’s another free tool that makes it easer to manage conversations and analyze your activity on Twitter.
YouTube Analytics: If a picture is worth a thousand words and actions speak louder than words, then you’ll want to look at the reactions to your YouTube content.
Start by signing in to your Google account (FYI: Google owns YouTube) and then navigate to your YouTube channel page. At the top of that page you’ll see the Views section. In there you can get a lot of great information such as how many people watched your video(s) and the average length of viewing. You’ll also get information on demographics, traffic sources, likes, favorites, and comments.
Email: When it comes to email, these are the metrics you want to take a closer look at: new subscribers, number of people who have unsubscribed, if your email is forwarded, if your content is shared on a social network and which network(s) it appears on, and if there is any correlation between the time you send an email and a rise in the people who subscribe or unsubscribe from your list.
NutshellMail: For a comprehensive view into how often people are talking about your business online, use the free NutshellMail tool. It aggregates all the social network activity about your business and delivers it to you in one tidy email.
Now that you’re armed with data about your email and social media performance, you can more effectively engage your audience. Remember, engagement is all about connecting with your customers by asking questions, joining conversations and initiating two-way dialog. It’s never about overt sales tactics. When you engage customers, you get a genuine sense of their interests and needs. In turn, you’ll be able to provide better customer service, which leads to a steady stream of regulars and great word-of-mouth.