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20 Top Social Media Tools To Make Your Life Easier in 2023

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In 2023, the best social media tools aren’t single-purpose — they’re multifunctional. A good tool can help you work faster, create better content, collaborate with your team, analyze your results, and plan for the future. Basically, the right tool can make your job a lot easier.

Whether you’re a solo creator, part of a small marketing team, or tackling social at the enterprise level, there are plenty of social media tools out there for you to add to your tech stack.

Below, let’s go over what features to look for in a tool and what the top social media tools are.

Bonus: Download our free, customizable social media calendar template to easily plan and schedule all your content in advance.

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Social media tools can help you create and schedule content, monitor online conversations, create ad campaigns, and analyze your data — but that’s not all. Before you start building your social tool kit, consider your needs and goals.

Let’s say you’re a solopreneur. Since you already juggle so many roles and tasks in one day, your social media tools need to be multifunctional and help make content creation easy and fast.

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Or, let’s say you’re a freelance social media manager who works with multiple clients. You’ll need a tool that makes it easy to manage multiple social media accounts in one place so you don’t have to constantly switch between accounts.

Here are some of the top ways a good social media tool should make your life easier.

Saves you time

This is especially beneficial if you’re working on a small team and have a lot of duties to balance. As a solopreneur or someone on a small social team, you have to be intentional with how you spend your limited time and resources.

You need social media tools that help you schedule content ahead of time, write captions faster, or create stunning visuals without needing a graphic designer.

Helps you analyze and understand your performance

One of the key elements of a successful social media strategy is understanding how your content and methods are performing. The best social media tools help you monitor your engagement and provide insight into what’s working well — and what’s not.

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Look for a social media tool that helps you track and manage your content’s performance and better understand the results with in-depth analytics.

Helps you prove ROI

Social media has proven itself as a critical component of any marketing strategy. Still, marketers know you need data and results to back up your performance.

The best social media tools for marketing teams, especially those at the enterprise level, need to help prove how your social campaigns contribute to the bottom line so you can advocate for your team’s social budget and strategy.

Protect your brand’s reputation

Online conversations about your brand — both on your pages and off — can directly impact your brand’s reputation.

Staying on top of every comment, mention, tag, or message is a job in itself. Still, it’s essential to be aware of any ongoing conversations about your brand so you can quickly respond and take action if needed.

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A social media monitoring tool helps you stay in the loop without staying glued to your phone 24/7.

If you’re looking for new tools to help you manage your social media initiatives, here are the top social media tools to consider for your tech stack.

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media tool with features that can help solo business owners and large teams alike better manage their social media initiatives.

Hootsuite’s social-focused features help you create, schedule, and optimize your social media posts in one place. Hootsuite Composer, for example, makes it easy to plan and share social media posts across all channels like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even YouTube.

Composer also integrates with helpful tools like Canva, Grammarly, and our in-house social AI tool, OwlyWriter.

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You can easily repurpose your top posts, flag and fix typos, upload branded graphics, and even get recommendations for which hashtags to use and the best time to post.

See also  2023 Guide to Creating Stunning Visual Content for Social Media

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If you’re a social media marketer or community manager, Hootsuite Inbox is a big help. With Inbox, you can manage all social media messages and interactions — across multiple platforms — in one place.

Staying on top of conversations and being responsive is essential for keeping your audience engaged and creating a positive brand reputation. Inbox makes it easy to respond faster and track the history of a person’s interactions with your brand so no customer is ever left on read.

Hootsuite Inbox direct messages

Request a demo of Hootsuite Inbox

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Best for: Marketers looking for a solution to seamlessly manage multiple brand accounts in one place.

Pricing: Hootsuite offers a range of plans suited for individuals and enterprises alike. Plans start at $99 per month.

2. Brandwatch

Brandwatch is a tool for conducting market research and measuring brand sentiment. The enterprise-level solution helps marketers gather industry data, dive into consumer insights, and track brand performance metrics all in one place.

Brandwatch market research industry data on water bottles

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Best for: Enterprise-level brands looking for a solution to measure engagement and brand sentiment.

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Pricing: Brandwatch offers three pricing plans. You can book a meeting to get specific pricing details.

3. NetBase

NetBase Quid is a social media analytics platform that provides consumer and market intelligence to help you stay on top of consumer sentiment and better manage brand health and crises.

NetBase social media analytics platform dashboard

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Through its social listening features, you can moderate and engage with real-time conversations happening on both owned and earned channels such as brand campaigns, PR mentions, and social media posts.

Plus, the NetBase Quid app can be integrated with Hootsuite Streams.

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Best for: Midsize or large companies that want to monitor and analyze conversations and consumer sentiment outside of social media.

Pricing: You can request a demo to get pricing details.

4. Panoramiq Insights

Panoramiq Insights provides analytics for all of your Instagram activities, including posts, Stories, and Reels. It also helps you monitor user data, such as follower demographics and new follows.

Panoramiq Insights Instagram account and follower analytics

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Panoramiq Insights can be integrated with Hootsuite so you can see your Instagram account’s essential metrics from your dashboard.

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Best for: If you’re solely focused on Instagram, this tool makes it easy to stay on top of key metrics.

Pricing: Plans start at $8 per month for up to two Instagram Business or Creator accounts.

5. Insense

Do you work with influencers to promote your brand? Or maybe you want to incorporate more UGC into your content strategy. It’s time to start using a creator management platform like Insense.

Insense connects brands to creators to create UGC and ad campaigns for Instagram and TikTok.

Insense creator management platform Instagram influencer partnerships

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Best for: Ecommerce businesses and DTC brands who want to use UGC-style content to promote their products.

Pricing: Plans start at $400 per month.

6. Google My Business

According to a PowerReviews survey, 99.9% of consumers read online reviews when shopping. Of those consumers, 65% say they look for reviews on search engines like Google.

That’s why staying on top of your Google reviews is important for managing your brand’s reputation and offering customer support. You can easily manage these reviews with a free Google My Business account.

If you already have a Hootsuite account, you can also monitor your Google My Business page from your dashboard and can even share business updates directly from Hootsuite.

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Best for: Brick-and-mortar businesses and small to midsize companies that receive a lot of online reviews.

Pricing: Google My Business and its Hootsuite integration are both free to use.

7. Shopview

If you have an online shop, Shopview makes it easy to sell your products directly on social.

With Shopview, you can manage multiple stores and monitor orders and customer comments in real time. The tool also integrates with Hootsuite, so you can share products and monitor orders without leaving your dashboard.

Shopview online shop integration with Hootsuite

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Best for: Ecommerce brands with shops on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento.

See also  14 Fun Instagram Question Sticker Ideas for Marketers

Pricing: Plans start at $6 per month.

8. Upfluence

Upfluence is an influencer platform that makes it easy to discover, analyze, and match with relevant creators for your brand.

You can find influencers across a range of networks, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Upfluence influencer platform creator matching social platforms

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If you use Hootsuite, Upfluence seamlessly integrates with your social workflow. You can send content from Upfluence straight to Hootsuite to schedule and publish.

Best for: Connecting and tracking your influencer marketing and social strategy initiatives in one place.

Pricing: Upfluence offers a free Google Chrome extension with limited features and the Hootsuite app integration is free. If you’re interested in features of the paid plans, contact Upfluence for pricing details.

9. Linktree

When you’re promoting multiple products, pages, or company updates at once, having a central place for your followers to access those links is a must.

Linktree makes it easy to create a custom landing page to store multiple links and drive traffic.

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Linktree custom landing page centralized content and links

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And psstt: If you’re already a Hootsuite user on a Team, Business, or Enterprise plan, you’ve also got access to Hootbio, our link-in-bio solution.

Best for: Solopreneurs or small businesses looking for a budget-friendly and convenient way to amplify multiple promotions at once.

Pricing: Linktree offers free plans with limited customization and paid plans that start at $5 per month.

10. Bit.ly

Long URL strings are not easy on the eyes, but UTM parameters are essential for tracking performance. That’s why a link shortener like Bit.ly should be in every marketer’s social media tool kit.

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Bit.ly allows you to shorten and customize links and create QR codes that are easier to share on social media.

Bit.ly shorten and customize URLs

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And FYI: If you’re already a Hootsuite user, our Ow.ly URL shorteneris built right into Composer.

Best for: Creating shareable links to distribute on social channels.

Pricing: Bit.ly offers free and paid plans starting at $8 per month.

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11. Oneclick.bio

Oneclick.bio is another essential link tool for social media. The tool is specifically designed to create custom pages for Instagram and TikTok links, buttons, and images.

Oneclick.bio manage pages for Instagram and TikTok links

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Best for: If you use Hootsuite, you can connect Oneclick.bio to your account for a seamless creation process.

Pricing: Plans start at $6 per month.

12. Canva

Ask any social media marketer what one of their go-to tools is, and you’ll hear many of them mention Canva.

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Since launching in 2012, Canva has changed the game by making it easy for anyone to create visual content — even without a design background.

If you have a Hootsuite account, connect it to Canva to access and upload creative assets directly in Composer.

Canva design and upload creative assets

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Best for: If you’re a solopreneur or on a small social team without a graphic designer, Canva is easy to use for creating original, branded graphics.

Pricing: Canva offers a free plan as well as paid plans that start at $12.99 per month.

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13. Adobe Stock

If you don’t have the time or resources to create custom graphics for your social media content, you’re not alone. Adobe Stock offers high-quality images and videos that can be used instead.

Adobe Stock is convenient if you already use other tools from the Adobe Suite, such as Lightroom or Photoshop.

Adobe Stock curated asset collections

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Best for: You can connect Adobe Stock to your Hootsuite account to search for assets and publish them directly in Composer.

Pricing: Adobe Stock offers a 30-day free trial. After the trial, plans are $29.99 per month.

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14. Unsplash

If you’re looking for free stock images to use in your social posts, Unsplash is the answer.

Unsplash‘s vast library of high-resolution images is completely free. The Unsplash community of photographers has contributed over five million images, and there’s a wide range of categories to choose from.

Unsplash search high-quality images

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Best for: Solopreneurs or small marketing teams.

Pricing: Unsplash is free to use.

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15. Airtable

Airtable is another helpful social media tool for marketers. The online platform makes it easy to create and share spreadsheets and databases. This may not sound glamorous, but it’s incredibly useful for visual social media planning.

See also  Facebook Marketing in 2022: A VERY Complete Guide

The tool can also be used directly with Hootsuite for a seamless planning workflow.

send to Airtable

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Best for: Larger companies who need to connect workflows across multiple teams.

Pricing: Airtable offers a free plan and paid plans that start at $10 per seat per month.

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16. HubSpot

HubSpot is a CRM platform used to store and track customer data across all touchpoints, from sales to marketing to service.

When integrated with Hootsuite, you can seamlessly send customer interactions from Facebook and Twitter to your CRM so the sales or service team is kept in the loop.

Hootsuite Streams and HubSpot integration

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Best for: Managing customer data and interactions from social media.

Pricing: HubSpot has a free plan that includes basic marketing, sales, service, and CMS tools. Plans for new customers start at $18 per month.

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17. Zendesk

Social channels play a major role in fielding customer inquiries, so it only makes sense to include customer service software in your social media tool kit.

Zendesk is a help desk and customer service ticketing software that enables teams to easily manage customer support tasks. When integrated with a platform like Hootsuite, your team can seamlessly manage, create, edit, and share tickets in one place.

Zendesk dashboard

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Best for: If your social team also manages customer support inquiries (or works closely with the customer service team), Zendesk makes it easy to manage both functions.

Pricing: Zendesk plans start at $19 per month. The Zendesk Pro for Hootsuite app is $6.99 per month.

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18. Monday.com

Monday is a workflow and project management tool that can be used for everything from campaign planning to creating a content calendar.

When integrated with your Hootsuite account, you can see all of your scheduled social posts on a dedicated Monday board. This helps create a seamless workflow and ensures everyone on your team is aligned on upcoming content.

Monday.com Hootsuite social board

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Best for: Project management or content calendar creation.

Pricing: Monday offers a free forever plan for individuals and paid plans for teams that start at $24 per month.

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19. Notion

Notion is a collaborative workspace with multiple functions that are perfect for social media teams.

It’s great for project management, note-taking, and tracking content ideas.

Notion can also be used to create a central source of information — for instance, a document for social media guidelines — that can be shared across your team.

send to Notion collaborative workspace

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Best for: Notion can be used as an alternative to Google Docs.

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Pricing: Notion is free to use. The integrated Notion app for Hootsuite is $7.99 per month.

20. Lately AI

AI has changed how marketers create social media content, specifically when it comes to speeding up the time it takes to write captions.

One of the best new social media tools to help with this is Lately.ai. The AI tool generates social media captions by repurposing long-form content like blog posts, podcasts, and webinars.

Lately Generator results

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Best for: Brands that want to repurpose long-form marketing content to distribute on social media.

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Pricing: Lately plans start at $99 per month. The Lately Hootsuite integration is free to use.

What are social media tools?

Social media tools like Hootsuite are used to manage a brand’s social media presence.

What are social media tools used for?

Social media tools help marketers and small businesses plan, create, and publish social media posts. Social media tools can also help monitor engagement and analyze performance so marketers understand how their content performs.

Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite, the all-in-one social media tool you’ve been looking for. Publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage your audience, measure results, and more — all from a single dashboard. Try it free today.

Get Started

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Do it better with Hootsuite, the all-in-one social media tool. Stay on top of things, grow, and beat the competition.

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How To Save Tons of Time With Instagram Auto Reply

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Responding to messages quickly is a huge part of social media customer service—and it’s no different whether you’re dealing with messages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram. Luckily, Instagram has an easy-to-use option that can cut down on your team’s time responding to questions.

With Instagram auto reply, you can easily set auto-responses to common questions and messages. This feature cuts down on the time your social media support team needs to spend monitoring and replying to customers.

In this article, we’ll talk more about the Instagram auto reply feature, how it can be used, and a few message examples for inspiration.

Bonus: Get a free, easy-to-use Customer Service Report Template that helps you track and calculate your monthly customer service efforts all in one place.

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What is Instagram auto reply?

Instagram auto reply is a feature available in your Instagram message settings that allows you to send automatic responses to frequently asked questions.

For example, if you regularly get a question like, “Do you offer free shipping?” your team can set up an auto reply that will answer the question instantly rather than forcing the customer to wait for a real person to respond.

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There are a few different ways you can do this:

  • Instagram tools: Set automatic responses for frequently asked questions or craft canned messages that your team can easily send out via Instagram DM.
  • Meta Business Suite: Set up messaging automations for both Instagram and Facebook.
  • Third-party inboxes: Use tools like Hootsuite Inbox to easily monitor and manage your Instagram direct messages and comments.

Learn more about how a social inbox like Hootsuite’s can help streamline your social media communication in this video:

There are several ways to take advantage of Instagram’s auto reply feature. Here are just a few types of automated responses you might consider setting up:

  • Welcome messages
  • Away messages
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Share contact information
  • Share business hours of operation
  • Provide shipment and payment details
  • Offer discounts
  • Explain wholesale pricing information
  • Tell customers how to handle issues with their orders
  • Share links to additional resources

Pros and cons of using Instagram auto reply

So why use Instagram auto reply? Is it the best option for creating automated responses and freeing up your team’s time? As always, it depends on your needs.

Let’s cover some basic pros and cons to help you decide.

Pros

  • Make a good impression. Instagram shows your followers how quick your team is to respond. A faster response time is a better look for your business.
  • Answer questions before they’re asked. Create an auto-responder that gives your customers a clear idea of when they can expect to hear from a real person—unless your auto replies can give their answer immediately.
  • Save your team time. Stop writing the same reply over and over again. Automated messages give your team more time for escalated messages and other customer support issues.
  • Never miss a message. You don’t have to worry about time zones when you enlist auto reply. Even when your team isn’t working, customers can get answers as soon as they send a message.
See also  9 Facebook Ad Targeting Tips for More Conversions

Cons

  • Only for Instagram and Facebook. Instagram/Meta’s built-in features only work for these two platforms. You’ll have to enlist the help of external tools for other social media platforms—don’t worry, we’ve got more on that below.
  • You have to connect your Facebook and Instagram pages. In order to access some of the more advanced tools, you must use Meta Business Suite, so you’ll have to connect your Facebook and Instagram pages.

Reduce response time (and your workload)

Manage all your messages stress-free with easy routing, saved replies, and friendly chatbots. Try Hootsuite’s Inbox today.

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Book a Demo

15 Instagram auto reply message examples

Not sure what types of auto replies to set for your Instagram messages? Here are 15 examples to help inspire you.

Welcome message

Send one of these options to all new incoming Instagram DMs whenever your team is unavailable for a quick response:

  • Thank you for getting in touch! Our team is available from 10am-3pm CT. We’ll get back to you within those hours!
  • Hey there—thanks for reaching out! Your message is important to us. Someone on our team will get back to you within the next 12 hours.
  • Sorry we missed you! Our team is currently unavailable, but we’ll be back around 8am GMT.

Basic business information

Use one of these when someone messages you on Instagram to ask about hours of operation or contact information:

  • Our hours of operation are 11am-11pm ET Monday through Saturday.
  • To get in touch with a representative directly, please give us a call at [###-###-####].
  • To learn more or request a demo, email us at sales@company.com.
  • Our offices are located at 1234 Business Street.

Frequently asked questions

Here are a few common questions and answers you might want to incorporate into your Instagram auto replies.

How long does shipping take?

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  • You can expect your items to arrive within 3-5 business days of your order.

How can I cancel my plan?

  • To cancel, go to the “Account” section of your dashboard and find the “Cancel plan” button.
  • We’re sad to see you go! To cancel, please call one of our representatives directly at [###-###-####] or send an email to cancellations@company.com

Do you offer any discounts?

  • We love that you asked! Use promo code INSTA for 10% off your purchase.
See also  130+ TikTok Bio Ideas You Can Steal Right Now

What services do you offer?

  • We offer accounting services for small businesses.

How much do your services cost?

  • We work on a monthly retainer basis. Packages start at $1,000/month and go up to $15,000+ depending on your needs.

Are you taking new patients?

  • Yes, please head to our website to fill out the form for new patients.
  • Unfortunately, our therapists are fully booked at the moment. Please check back next quarter to see if any spots have opened up.

There are two ways to set up auto replies on Instagram. The first is pretty easy—do so right inside the Instagram app. The second involves digging into the Automations option in Meta Business Suite.

We’ll walk you through each process.

How to set up auto replies via the Instagram app

First, open the Instagram app. Tap the messages icon in the top right corner of the home feed. Then, tap on the ellipses in the top right corner of your messages dashboard and select Tools.

Select Tools in the top right corner of your messages dashboard.

Here, you can set either saved replies (canned responses your team can tap on to send manually) or auto replies for frequently asked questions.

The Tools section of Instagram settings include response suggestions, saved replies, frequently asked questions, and message controls

Tap on Frequently asked questions to access the auto reply feature. Instagram will typically include a few starter questions. You can customize these or use them as is—just add answers.

Add as many questions as you want. You can even show these questions in chat, so customers who want to message you have options to choose from.

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How to set up auto replies in Meta Business Suite

If you have your Facebook Business Page set up and optimized and your Instagram business profile connected, you can use Meta Business Suite to create automations like this.

First, head over to your Facebook Business Page, then click on Meta Business Suite in the left-hand sidebar.

The back end of Facebook/Meta Business Suite

You’ll then be taken to the Meta Business Suite dashboard. From here, click on Inbox in the right-hand sidebar.

The left hand sidebar of Meta Business Suite shows Inbox (among other options)

This inbox section will hold all messages and comments from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. If you’re looking for a single place to manage these, Business Suite is a great place to do so. The biggest downfall is that those are the only platforms you can monitor here (more on that later).

To set up your auto-reply messages, click the atom icon to access Automations.

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The automations option is highlighted in the top right of the Inbox screen

Here, you can set up a number of automations relating to your direct messages across all of Meta’s platforms. If you haven’t previously set up Frequently asked questions, it will appear as one of the Suggested for you options. Click on it to get started.

The Inbox Automations menu shows suggested options, including Instant Replies and Away Messages

Select your Instagram account from the list of places you want to turn this automation on. Then, start adding questions. You can preview them in the left-hand sidebar.

See also  Instagram Reels Templates: Create Better Content, Faster

The edit automation screen in Meta Business Suite allows you to write your own text for an Instagram auto reply

Once you’re done, click Save changes and toggle this automation into the On position. And voila! You’ve got your frequently asked questions set up.

Other automations you can create are:

  • Away messages
  • Instant replies
  • Follow ups

How to auto-respond to messages and comments on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn

We mentioned that Meta Business Suite is great for managing your messages and comments on Facebook and Instagram. But if your brand uses other platforms, like X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn, you’ll need additional support.

Good news—you’re in luck! With Hootsuite’s Social Inbox, your entire social media and customer support team can monitor, manage, and respond to messages across all social media platforms in one space.

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Hootsuite Inbox

You can store information about various customers so you never start a new interaction as strangers, helping customers feel seen and valued. Assign messages and interactions to certain team members so the most-equipped person can handle each specific issue.

Use Hootsuite Inbox as your social media help desk, resolving messages as soon as they’ve been responded to and keeping notes on customer issues.

Hootsuite Inbox

Create auto-responders for every social media platform you manage with Hootsuite.

Book a free Hootsuite demo and try Inbox today

Why should you use Instagram auto reply?

Instagram auto reply is a great way to minimize wait time for frequently asked questions. If you know common questions your audience has, and there’s a set answer you can provide, set it as an auto-response.

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This saves your team time and ensures your Instagram followers don’t have to wait for a response.

How do you turn Instagram auto reply off?

There’s no quick on-off toggle for Instagram auto reply. Instead, you’ll have to go into your Instagram messaging tools and remove any frequently asked question responses you’ve input.

What is a saved reply on Instagram?

A saved reply is a similar tool to auto replies. Instead of sending instantaneously, though, saved replies are simply stored in your Instagram messaging settings for your team to manually send out. This works if the question someone asks has different answers depending on the time of year. You can save replies for a quick response, but you don’t want to have the response be automatic.

Keep your customers happy with faster message responses, thanks to Hootsuite. Respond to questions and complaints, create tickets from social conversations, and work with chatbots all from one dashboard. See it in action.

Get started

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Instagram Emoji Guide: Meanings, Reactions, Ideas

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Ever seen an Instagram emoji fail IRL? Maybe your grandma used an eggplant emoji in a… compromising place. Or, your uncle was trying to be funny and added the poop emoji to his bio.

Yikes.

Whatever the case, emoji etiquette exists. Understanding the meaning and placement of emojis is essential to avoiding terrible, embarrassing communication mistakes.

Here’s everything you need to know about Instagram emoji meanings.

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BONUS: Want to learn more ways to wow your fans on social? Check out our article on secret TikTok emojis.

Craft perfect posts in seconds

OwlyWriter AI instantly generates captions and content ideas for every social media network. It’s seriously easy.

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Instagram emoji translator

Pro tip: if you’re stuck with emoji translation, we’ve got the perfect tool for you. Hootsuite’s emoji translator is free to use and will help you crack the code on any emoji string.

Not only does the translator break down each pictogram’s meaning, but it also details how viewers typically react to the combo. Super helpful if you don’t want to send an unintended message!

Please note: This tool may display inaccurate or offensive material that doesn’t represent Hootsuite’s views. You’re solely responsible for use of any content generated using this tool, including its compliance with applicable laws and third-party rights.

What are Instagram emoji?

Instagram emoji are pictograms, icons, or small images used to express an emotion, idea, or feeling. Some emoji are universal (most people know that the heart symbol means love), while others have their own unique interpretations based on regional culture and language.

Popular emoji symbols include:

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  • Smiley face
  • Sad face
  • Clapping hands
  • Thumbs-up
  • Heart
  • Fire

There are literally thousands of emoji characters available on Instagram—from dragons and lizards, people exercising, and even ice cream cones. You can find Instagram emojis in two places: your native Instagram app and the world of third-party keyboard extensions.

What are Instagram reactions?

Instagram reactions are a way to quickly express your feelings without typing out a response. For example, if someone posts a funny meme, you can tap the laughing face emoji reaction instead of typing out “lol” or “haha.”

Instagram reactions are generally used as a reply to Instagram Stories and Instagram direct messages.

When watching a Story, click on the Send a message box to reply. You’ll then see a pop-up of six popular emoji to choose from.

instagram emoji reactions shown in instagram story reply

You can also choose your own emoji by clicking on the small smiley face icon on your keyboard.

various instagram emojis including laughing face and heart, shown in phone keyboard

To use Instagram emoji reactions for direct messages, hold your finger down on the sent message, and a list of emoji will pop up. Choose from this list, or click the plus button to use your own emoji.

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instagram emoji shown in direct message

Where can you use Instagram emoji

You can use Instagram emoji in comments, captions, direct messages, as replies to Stories, and even in your Instagram bio. Basically, anywhere that allows for text input.

When you’re in a comment thread or writing a caption, a list of your most-used emojis will appear at the top of your reply.

instagram emoji shown at top of comment reply

If you want more, tap the smiley face icon to access Instagram emojis. If you’ve recently used an emoji, it will usually appear at the top of the list so you can easily select it again.

See also  7 Creative Facebook Giveaway Ideas for 2023 [+ Examples]

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

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instagram emoji shown in comment reply box

Stuck at home thinking, “Why can’t I react to Instagram messages with emojis?” No worries. You may need to update your messaging app. Follow Instagram’s easy how-to here.

How to change your emoji reaction

Wondering how to react with emoji on Instagram? There are six default Instagram emoji reactions:

  • Crying face
  • Wow face
  • Heart eyes
  • Laughing face
  • Clapping hands
  • Fire

If you use custom emoji, they will show up in your reactions, allowing you to choose from a larger selection.

To choose a custom emoji, tap the smiley face icon on your mobile keyboard. Scroll through the list of options and tap to select the emoji you want. Once selected, it will appear in your reaction selection.

BONUS: Check out our full list of Snapchat emoji to snazz up your snaps.

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Instagram reaction meanings

To avoid any potential misinterpretations, it’s important to remember the meanings behind Instagram reactions.

Here’s what each emoji reaction stands for:

  • Crying face (😢) = Sadness, disappointment
  • Wow face (😮) = Surprised or amazed
  • Heart eyes (😍) = Love or admiration
  • Laughing face (😂) = Funny or humorous
  • Clapping hands (👏) = Encouragement or applause
  • Fire (🔥) = Approval or agreement

Remember, the reactions you use should be appropriate for the context. For example, don’t express sadness at a funny meme. Similarly, don’t use a fire emoji to comment on your teacher’s vacation beach photo.

Popular Instagram emoji meanings

Tired of deciphering the meanings of emoji for Instagram? Here’s a quick reference sheet to keep on file.

  • Thumbs up (👍) = Positive sentiment.
  • Thinking face (🤔) = Curiosity, pondering ideas.
  • Laughing with tears (😂) = Something is so funny you’re crying.
  • Red heart (❤️) = Love, affection.
  • Puke face (🤢) = Disgust or disapproval.
  • Skull (💀) = Death, danger, or something is so funny you died.
  • Hot face (🥵) = Passion or admiration.
  • Smirk face (😏) = Flirting, teasing.
  • Poop (💩) = Joking around.
  • Party popper (🎉) = Celebration.
  • Cat (😸) = Cuteness or someone acting like a cat.
  • Drooling face (🤤) = Desperation, wanting something badly.
  • Nail polish (💅) = Girl power.
  • Sunglasses (😎) = Coolness, acknowledgement of a job well done.
  • Eyes (👀) = Watching or paying attention.
  • See-no-evil monkey (🙈) = Embarrassment or hiding something.
  • Money bag (💰) = Wealth, success, or materialistic desires.
  • Smiling devil face (😈) = Naughtiness or reckless behavior.
  • Hugging face (🤗) = Appreciation, affection.
  • Wink (😉) = Flirting or playful teasing.
  • Silly face (🤪) = Fun or being goofy.
  • Nerd face (🤓) = Intelligence, nerdiness.
  • Confused face (😕) = Bewilderment or uncertainty.
  • Money mouth (🤑) = Greed or wealth.
  • Handshake (🤝) = Agreement, making a deal.
  • Fist bump (👊) = Support or agreement.
  • Woman dancing (💃) = Joy or celebration.
  • Man dancing (🕺) = Letting loose, having fun.
  • Tropical island (🏝️) = Relaxation or vacation.
  • Plane (✈️) = An upcoming journey.
  • Rainbow (🌈) = Optimism, happiness, pride.
  • Globe (🌎) = Unity, the world coming together.
  • Praying hands (🙏) = Asking for blessings or help.
  • Rocketship (🚀) = A great success or achievement.
  • Disco ball (🪩) = Partying or having a good time.
  • Peace sign (✌️) = Affirmative, agreement, or a sign of peace.
  • Heart (💖) = Love, care, and affection.
  • Cat with heart eyes (😻) = Happiness due to love.
  • Birthday cake (🎂) = A celebration of life.
  • Star (⭐️) = Stardom, achieving greatness.
  • Four-leaf clover (🍀) = Luck or fortune.
  • Sparkles (✨) = Magic, beauty, and awe.
  • Trophy (🏆) = Accomplishment or success.
  • Shooting star (🌠) = Wishes coming true.
  • Lightning bolt (⚡️) = Power, energy, and excitement.
See also  14 Fun Instagram Question Sticker Ideas for Marketers

Looking for fun emoji to use on Discord? Check out our full list of Discord emoji, complete with customizations and tricks.

Instagram emoji caption ideas

If you want to get creative with your Instagram bio, here are a few cute emojis for Instagram bios:

  • Chasing dreams and sunshine. ☁️🌈
  • On a seafood diet: I see food and I eat it! 🍣🍕🍔🍰
  • Life’s a game 🎮, and I’m the master of figuring out the rules as I go 🤷‍♀️.
  • Bringing a little sparkle wherever I go. ✨
  • Hoping for a year where all my socks find their soulmates. 🧦❤️🔍
  • Sunkissed and heart full of joy. 🌞❤️
  • Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished. 🌲🕰️🌳
  • Collecting memories like seashells. 🐚📸
  • Plotting world domination 🌍, one project 📁 at a time.
  • Life’s a blend of chaos ⚡, caffeine ☕, and a pinch of serendipity ✨.
  • Lost in the pages of a good book and a happy heart. 📚❤️
  • Radiating good energy, one smile at a time. 🌟😊
  • Exploring new places with a skip in my step. 🗺️💃
  • Happiness blooms from within. 🌻🌱
  • Living life unapologetically and loving it. 🌟💖
  • Sunset state of mind. 🌅🧡🌴
  • Embracing adulting like… wait, how do you adult again? 🤷‍♀️👩‍💼
  • I take mirror selfies because my reflection understands me. 🤳👯‍♀️🪞
  • Wearing my invisible crown and ruling the day. 👑💁‍♀️🌟
  • Professional napper and aspiring world traveler. 💤✈️😴
  • Dressed to impress 💃, ready to conquer deadlines 📊 and dance floors 🕺.
  • Spreading positivity like glitter – it gets everywhere! ✨😄💫
  • Slaying the day one caffeine molecule at a time. ☕⚡️👊
  • Living that “I’m not a morning person” stereotype proudly. 🌅☕😴
  • Exploring the world, one food coma at a time. 🌍🍔🍟🍦
  • Absolutely loving the sunshine on my face. ☀️
  • Embracing the little moments that make life big. 🌟
  • Laughing at my own jokes like… 😂
  • Dancing through life’s ups and downs. 💃🕺
  • Finding joy in the simplest things. 🌼
  • Balancing dreams 💭, goals 🎯, and the occasional pizza slice 🍕.
  • Hiking trails and chasing sunsets – that’s my kind of therapy. 🥾🌅🏞️
  • Adventures and smiles, that’s my kind of therapy. 🌄
  • Savoring the sweetness of today. 🍭
  • Life’s a puzzle 🧩, and I’m collecting moments 📸 to complete the picture
  • Living life with a little bit of sugar, spice, and everything fried. 🍔🍟🍦
  • Spreading positivity like confetti. 🎉
  • Collecting memories around the world, one destination at a time. 📸❤️

    Life’s too short for a boring adventure. Let’s get lost! 🌟🌍
  • Living in a world of filters, but my personality is 100% real! 😂📸🙌
  • Lost in a world of good vibes. 🌈
  • Living for the moments that steal my smile. 💖
  • City lights and late nights. 🌆🌙 Chasing waves and dreams. 🌊🌌
  • Living life in full bloom. 🌸🌼
  • In a world full of trends, be a classic. 👗👓
  • Sweatpants enthusiast with a PhD in Netflix. 📺👖🍕
  • Taking each day one cup of coffee at a time. ☕❤️
  • Exploring art, one brushstroke at a time. 🎨🖌️
  • Adventures are calling, and I must go. 🌄🌍
  • Counting memories, not calories, on this vacation. 🏖️🍕📸
  • Finding joy in the rhythm of everyday life. 🎶😊
  • Living life like a work of art in progress. 🎨🌟
  • Weekend warrior on a quest for relaxation. 🌴🌴
  • Capturing moments that make my heart skip a beat. 💓📷
  • Trying to adult, but my snacks keep distracting me. 🍕📚🤔
  • Chasing goals and catching smiles along the way. 🏃‍♀️😄
  • I’m not procrastinating, I’m just giving my ideas time to marinate. 🤔🍳🧠
  • Flipping my hair and conquering the day. 💁‍♀️💪
  • Exploring the great outdoors and my own backyard. 🏞️🏡
  • Celebrating life’s beautiful mess one day at a time. 🎉🤹‍♀️
  • Making my own sunshine because I can’t find the remote. ☀️📺🤷‍♂️
  • Happiness is homemade, and I’m the chef. 🍳👩‍🍳
  • When life gives you lemons, add tequila and have a party! 🍋🍹🎉
  • Living life like a perpetual DIY project – mostly Pinterest fails. 🛠️📌😅
  • The only drama I enjoy is in my lashes. 👁️‍🗨️😂
  • Current status: Coffee in one hand, confidence in the other. ☕🙌
  • Facing challenges with the determination of a honey badger 🦡 – fearless and a little bit sassy 💁‍♀️.
  • My bed and I have the perfect relationship – we’re always in a good sleepover. 🛏️💤😴
  • I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right. 💁‍♀️🗣️🤣
  • Taking life one cup of coffee at a time, with a splash of sarcasm. ☕️🙃
  • “Adulting” was a typo, and I’ve been trying to “adult” ever since. 🤦‍♀️👶👩‍🍳
  • When in doubt, add more glitter. And then some more. ✨✨✨
  • Living life like it’s a marathon, but I’m definitely built for sprinting. 🏃‍♀️🍕😅
  • Behind every great person is a pile of laundry they’ve been avoiding. 🧺🤷‍♂️👑
  • I put the “elusive” in exercise. 🏋️‍♀️🤷‍♀️😆
  • My superpower? Turning pizza into energy. 🍕⚡️🦸‍♀️
  • If I were a superhero, my power would be finding the last piece of chocolate. 🍫🦸‍♀️
  • My horoscope said I should do something crazy today. So I wore mismatched socks. ♒🧦😜
  • I’m not clumsy, I’m just participating in the floor’s obstacle course. 🤸‍♀️🤦‍♂️😂
  • Too glam to give a damn, but not too glam to eat leftovers. 💅🍛😉
  • When life gives you lemons, trade them for coffee. ☕🍋🤝
  • My life is basically a series of unfinished DIY projects. 🛠️🙈🤷‍♀️
  • Life update: Still using “adulting” as a verb, still unsure how to do it properly. 🤷‍♀️👩‍💼📆
  • I’m not lazy, I’m in energy-saving mode. 🛌💤💡
  • Currently taking applications for a personal chef, laundry fairy, and motivation guru. Any takers? 🍝🧚‍♂️🧘‍♀️
  • Life’s a rollercoaster, and I’m the one screaming in the front seat. 🎢🙀🤪
  • I run on caffeine, chaos, and a dash of lipstick. ☕💄🌀
  • Wander often, wonder always. 🚶‍♀️🌍🤔
  • Trading WiFi for wide-open spaces and unforgettable moments. 📶🏞️📸
  • Counting down ⏳ to Friday like it’s a rocket launch 🚀 to the weekend.
  • Juggling tasks like a circus performer 🎪 – except with more coffee ☕ and fewer acrobatics 🤹‍♀️.
See also  Engagement Rate Calculator + Guide for 2023

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Vanity Metrics: Definition & Examples for Marketing

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Have you ever heard the phrase, “all sizzle, no steak”? It’s the perfect “meaty” metaphor for social media vanity metrics.

It can absolutely be exciting to rack up the likes or see your follower count jump. Of course you want to shout your reshare rate from the rooftops!

But be careful. any social metric can turn into a “vanity” metric if you’re bragging about it without any context.

Social media metrics are incredibly important for a social media manager and shouldn’t be ignored. They can be key performance indicators: numbers that inform and measure your social media strategy and help your team see where you’ve been and where you’re going.

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But here’s the thing. Not all social stats are created equal. For a metric to be meaningful, it has to tie back to your business objectives.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help you cut through the vanity-metric hype to find those beefy, meaty metrics that help you prove the true value of your social media marketing.

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What are vanity metrics?

A social media metric is a number that quantifies a particular action or behavior related to your social media account. A vanity metric is a social media metric that looks impressive at a glance but doesn’t necessarily indicate a company’s overall success in reaching its goals.

In the words of the all-mighty Hootsuite glossary:

A vanity metric is an analytics item that can be measured but is not a signifier of real return on investment. Examples include the number of followers, likes, or comments on social media posts. These metrics are best contextualized by more concrete numbers such as click-through rate or visitor-to-lead conversions.

For example, the social media manager at the Acme Alarm Clock Company might be able to show the CEO that there are 200,000 followers on the brand’s Instagram account. But the goal of the company is actually to sell alarm clocks. And sales haven’t improved at all with this growth in followers.

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So, in this case, follower count is actually a vanity metric. Sure, it sounds good on paper, but ultimately, it’s not helping the CEO move those clocks.

The moral of the story: any social media statistic from any social media platform can be a vanity metric, depending on the situation.

The number of likes on a TikTok video isn’t meaningful if your target audience isn’t on TikTok.

See also  How to Create a Facebook Business Page (and Grow It) in 2023

The number of comments on your Instagram Story doesn’t mean much if they’re all from spam accounts.

A brand’s follower count can skyrocket, but if those followers aren’t engaging with your content, what good is that? (Which reminds us: never buy followers. Trust us.)

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fans and followers engagement on Hootsuite dashboard

In other words, a “vanity metric” for one brand will be totally different from a vanity metric for another brand. It all ultimately depends on what business success you’re hoping to get from your social media strategy.

Vanity metrics vs. actionable metrics

Now that you’re crystal clear on what a vanity metric is, you’re probably curious about what an actionable metric might be. Don’t be embarrassed, it’s only natural.

Actionable metrics are social media metrics that are all meaningful — important social media metrics that help you measure, analyze, and strategize. Actionable social media metrics provide concrete insights and can be directly tied to specific actions that drive business growth. Really, an actionable metric is just the opposite of a vanity metric.

While much of life exists on a spectrum, for social media metrics, a number is either pure vanity or truly actionable. But what side of the binary any given social media metric sits on, of course, will depend on the social media account. We’re all beautiful flowers, et cetera, et cetera.

Instagram post reach impressions and engagement rate on Hootsuite Analytics

Vanity metrics examples

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: It’s important to note that any metric can be a vanity metric without proper analysis. And any metric can be meaningful when presented in context with the proper analysis. That being said, the following metrics are most commonly prone to being viewed as vanity metrics for any given field.

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Vanity metrics in social media marketing

In social media marketing, vanity metrics include follower count, likes, and comments. Sure, these numbers can offer a quick ego boost, but the truth is, they often fail to reflect the true engagement and influence of your brand on your business’s bottom line.

This might lead you to ask: so, what are the actionable metrics for social media marketing? Engagement metrics like engagement rate are probably meaningful numbers that can offer you and your team some insight. Shares also say more about whether your content is resonating with your audience than likes (try putting your posts through Rachel Karten’s shareability test).

See also  14 Fun Instagram Question Sticker Ideas for Marketers

But at the end of the day, it really depends on what your specific goals are with social media and your business.

Bonus: Get a free social media report template to easily and effectively present your social media performance to key stakeholders.

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Vanity metrics in digital marketing

Digital marketing encompasses a wide range of channels, including social media, email marketing, and advertising, so this is a pretty tough one to identify vanity metrics for. In some cases, vanity metrics for digital marketing could be likes; in another case, it could be page views.

If you’re tracking the ROI of digital marketing, you need to identify vanity metrics specific to each channel to make sure that you can prioritize actionable metrics that align with your unique business goals.

Vanity metrics in content marketing

Social media can be a great tool for driving traffic to your blog posts, articles, whitepapers, or research docs… and content marketing, in turn, can be an effective conversion or branding tool. This leads many people to assume that pageviews or click-throughs are the metric for measuring success. In reality, these can be vanity metrics.

Is your bounce rate low? Is the time spent on the page high? Those are numbers that can provide context to the pageview stats and let you know if those views are actually valuable. (Metrics like conversion rates, in this case, can be far more informative about the impact of your content on audience behavior.)

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Vanity metrics in email marketing

People are opening your emails! That’s wonderful news!

But are they actually reading those emails? Are they clicking on your links?

Is anyone actually buying any of those alarm clocks you’re still trying desperately to sell? If not, your high open rate might actually not be that impressive after all. (Sorry!)

email performance click rate and open rate data

Open rates and click-through rates are commonly mistaken as the ultimate indicators of email marketing success. But the truth is that conversion rates and revenue per email are more actionable metrics that reveal the true ROI of your email campaigns.

Vanity metrics in advertising

The online advertising industry is built on the back of impressions. After all, if Meta tells you you’ve reached 300,000 people, that certainly sounds like a good use of $100. But impressions and click-through rates in advertising can be deceiving.

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Meta ads dashboard Instagram and Facebook advertising summary

A more concrete way to measure the success of a social media advertising campaign would be to concentrate on metrics like cost per acquisition (CPA) and return on ad spend (ROAS). These are stats that will more accurately allow you to assess the profitability of your advertising efforts.

See also  Social SEO: How to Help People Find You on Social Media

Vanity metrics in brand management

While they can be really important and helpful, metrics like social media reach and sentiment scores can also be misleading out of context.

Just because someone has seen your post doesn’t mean they care for your brand or products. Just because you have a positive sentiment score doesn’t mean that your target audience likes you more than your competitor. (Oof.)

To gauge brand perception accurately, consider metrics like brand awareness, customer lifetime loyalty, and Net Promoter Score (NPS). But, again, a meaningful brand management metric really will vary from brand to brand, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with your brand management strategy.

Vanity metrics in search marketing

You’d think measuring the success of search marketing efforts would be simple: did people find you when they searched for you? But metrics like rankings and organic traffic numbers can be surprisingly superficial.

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Instead, focus on metrics like organic conversion rate and keyword ROI to measure the actual impact of your SEO efforts. (Psst, while you’re here, maybe brush up on your social SEO skills?)

Vanity metrics in public relations

In the PR world, metrics like media mentions may seem like an obvious mark of success. But that number is really just a surface-level impression of the success of your efforts.

To really see the impact of public relations work, you might be better off focusing on metrics that demonstrate the impact on your brand’s reputation and credibility — think sentiment analysis and share of voice.

So there you have it: everything you ever wanted to know about vanity metrics for social media. Please, please, no need to thank us. Just go forth and practice analysis with all this info!

Go beyond vanity metrics and track the real value of your social media performance with Hootsuite. Publish your posts and analyze the results in the same easy-to-use dashboard. ROI has never been easier to prove. Try it free today.

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