There’s a specific kind of avoidance that doesn’t look like avoidance. You post when you can. You mean to circle back and see what’s working. Months pass. The analytics tab sits there, unopened, and you tell yourself it’s a time management thing.
It’s usually not.
For a lot of the business owners I work with, not looking at the numbers isn’t procrastination. It’s protection. If you don’t check, you don’t have to find out that the post you were proudest of got four likes. You don’t have to sit with the possibility that what you’re making isn’t landing. As long as the tab stays closed, the verdict stays open.
That is a completely reasonable response when your business and your identity are fused. It’s easy to let your brain spin from “that post didn’t work,” to “I didn’t work.”
What’s actually underneath “I should really do a social media audit”
If you’ve been putting this off, it’s worth asking honestly: is this a time problem, or is this the same pattern that shows up everywhere else in your business. Waiting until you feel “ready enough” to look at something that might not confirm what you’re hoping?
Business as the context for identity work means this counts too. A social media audit isn’t just a marketing tactic. It’s a small, contained place to practice looking at real information about your business without collapsing it into information about your worth.
Are you unsure how to implement a strong social media strategy? It might be time to conduct a social media audit – especially if you’ve never done one!
What is a Social Media Audit?
A social media audit is the process of examining your current online presence and assessing growth opportunities. They really don’t have to be that tedious, and probably shouldn’t be. Setting aside a few hours one day to review the content on your social platforms that resonated the most with your audience can yield helpful insights for your business growth. It can lead to new markets, or allow you to pivot your communication style in a way that better suits your needs. You can figure out your strengths and weaknesses to create a plan that highlights your strengths…and minimizes your weaknesses. They can also be a really helpful tool to figure out what your competitors are doing, but I’ll have a separate post on conducting a competitor analysis in the weeks to come.
A lighter way in
You don’t need a spreadsheet and three hours to start. Simply, open one platform and scroll back through your last 10-15 posts and notice.
- Which ones do you remember making, even before you check the numbers?
- Which one surprised you, in either direction?
- Is there a post you’re almost afraid to look at the numbers on? That’s worth sitting with. What would it mean if it didn’t do well?
That’s it for now. You’re not building a report. You’re building tolerance for looking.
If you want to go further
When you’re ready for the fuller version (engagement rate, competitor comparison, a real SOP) that’s a conversation, not a solo homework assignment. I dig into this with clients regularly, and it goes faster and lands differently with another set of eyes on it, especially if the avoidance is doing more work than the tedium is.
Come find where strategy gets creative.