Goal: Master the analytics tools and metrics that employers expect you to track and report on for data-driven social media strategy
Set Up Analytics Access: Configure native platform analytics and Google Analytics
- Switch to Instagram business account to access Instagram Insights
- Enable Facebook Page Insights on your business page
- Apply for TikTok Pro account to access TikTok Analytics
- Create Google Analytics 4 account and learn basic navigation
- Expected result: You have access to analytics dashboards on all major platforms
Learn Key Metrics: Study the 15 most important social media metrics
- Track engagement rate (likes + comments + shares ÷ followers)
- Monitor reach vs. impressions for content performance
- Calculate click-through rates (CTR) for link posts
- Measure follower growth rate monthly
- Track conversion rates for business goals
- Expected result: You understand what each metric means and why it matters
Practice Data Collection: Create weekly analytics reports for 4 weeks
- Export Instagram Insights data weekly
- Download Facebook Page Insights as CSV files
- Screenshot TikTok Analytics overview weekly
- Create simple reports showing trends, top posts, and improvement opportunities
- Expected result: 4 weeks of organized analytics data showing growth patterns
Master Reporting Tools: Learn to create professional analytics dashboards
- Set up Google Data Studio dashboards (free)
- Create visual reports using Canva templates
- Learn Excel/Google Sheets for tracking metrics
- Practice explaining data insights in simple, actionable language
- Expected result: Professional-looking reports that non-technical people can understand
If Instagram Insights shows limited data: You need 100+ followers or switch to business account for full access
If Facebook Page Insights is unavailable: Ensure your page has published content and wait 24-48 hours for data
If Google Analytics seems overwhelming: Focus on just Acquisition and Engagement reports first, ignore advanced features
You'll know you're done when: You can confidently analyze and report on social media performance
- You can access and navigate analytics on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google Analytics
- You understand the difference between reach, impressions, and engagement rate
- You've created 4 weekly reports showing data trends and insights
- You can identify which content performs best and explain why using data
- You can create a simple dashboard showing key metrics at a glance
Ready for next step? You now understand how to measure success - time to get real experience managing accounts.