A social media audit is a structured review of every account your brand runs: what exists, what works, what doesn't and what to change. Doing one every six months keeps profiles consistent and stops you wasting time on channels that don't deliver. Here's how to run a social media audit in seven steps, with a checklist at the end.
When should you do an audit?
- Before building a new social media marketing strategy.
- When results have been flat for two or three months.
- After a rebrand, a new product line or a change of team.
- At least twice a year as routine maintenance.
Step 1: List every account
Create a spreadsheet with one row per account – including old and forgotten ones. Search each platform for your brand name; you may find duplicate pages created by former staff or fans.
For each account, record: platform, handle, URL, owner/login holder, followers, posting frequency and last post date.
Action: claim or close duplicates, and make sure at least two trusted people have admin access to every account.
Step 2: Check profile consistency
People should recognise your brand instantly on every platform. Check:
- Name and handle – as consistent as possible across platforms.
- Profile photo and cover – current logo, correct size, not blurry.
- Bio – says who you help and what you offer, with a keyword people search for.
- Links – working, with UTM tags, pointing to the right landing page.
- Contact details – email, phone, address and opening hours up to date.
- Pinned posts and Highlights – still relevant, not last year's sale.
Step 3: Review content performance
Export the last 90 days of posts for each account. For each post, note the format, pillar, reach, engagement rate, saves, shares, clicks and (for video) watch time. Then sort and ask:
- Which topics and formats reach the most non-followers?
- Which posts bring clicks, messages or sales?
- Which pillars are over- or under-represented?
Use our free engagement rate calculator so every post is measured the same way.
Step 4: Understand the audience
Look at the audience insights on each platform: age, gender, location, active hours. Compare them with your real customers. If most followers live in a country you don't ship to, or skew much younger than your buyers, your content is attracting the wrong people.
Also read the comments and DMs. What do people ask again and again? Those questions are your next content ideas.
Step 5: Measure results against goals
For each account, write the goal it's supposed to serve – awareness, community, traffic or sales – and check the matching KPIs. Our guide to social media KPIs lists which metrics fit each goal.
Be honest: an account that takes hours a week and produces no reach, leads or community may need a new approach or a pause.
Step 6: Benchmark competitors
Pick three to five competitors or brands you admire. For each, note: platforms used, posting frequency, main formats, top-performing posts and how they reply to comments. You're not copying – you're looking for gaps. If every competitor posts product photos and nobody explains how to use the product, that's an opportunity.
Step 7: Turn findings into an action plan
Group findings into three lists:
- Fix now – broken links, outdated bios, wrong contact details, duplicate pages.
- Improve – formats and pillars to do more or less of, posting times, reply speed.
- Test – new formats, collaborations, a new platform or paid promotion.
Give every item an owner and a deadline, then turn the "improve" list into next month's social media content calendar.
Social media audit checklist
- All accounts listed, with admin access secured
- Duplicate or dead accounts claimed or closed
- Names, photos and bios consistent
- Bio links working and tagged with UTMs
- Contact details and hours up to date
- Pinned posts and Highlights current
- 90 days of posts exported and analysed
- Top and bottom posts identified per account
- Audience insights compared with real customers
- Each account has one clear goal and 3–5 KPIs
- 3–5 competitors benchmarked
- Action plan with owners and deadlines
Common audit mistakes
- Only looking at follower counts. Followers can grow while the account loses real attention.
- Auditing without a goal. Numbers mean little until you know what each account is for.
- Forgetting security. An account only one ex-employee can log into is a real risk.
- Writing findings but no actions. An audit is only useful if it changes next month's work.
Key takeaways
- Audit at least twice a year, and before any new strategy.
- Start with a full list of accounts and who has access.
- Fix profile basics first – they're quick wins.
- Judge content by reach, engagement, saves, shares and conversions, not likes alone.
- End with an action plan that feeds straight into your content calendar.
FAQ
How long does a social media audit take?
For a small business with three or four accounts, one focused day is usually enough. Larger brands may need a week.
Which tools do I need?
A spreadsheet and each platform's built-in analytics are enough to start. Add a scheduling or analytics tool later if you manage many accounts.
Should I delete old posts during an audit?
Usually not. Archive or hide posts that are wrong or off-brand, but keep old content that still gets search traffic or engagement.
What if an account performs badly?
Check whether the goal, audience and content fit the platform. If not, change the approach or pause the account and focus time where results are better.
Can I outsource a social media audit?
Yes, but stay involved. An agency can collect the data, while you know the business goals, customers and history that explain the numbers.
What should I do right after the audit?
Fix the quick wins the same week – bios, links, contact details, duplicate accounts – then move the bigger changes into next month's plan so the audit turns into action rather than a document nobody opens again.