A free starter stack
| Tool | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Platform insights | Reach, views, engagement and audience details |
| Meta Business Suite | Facebook and Instagram results and inbox in one place |
| Google Analytics | Visits, key events and leads from social links |
| Google Alerts | New web pages that mention your name |
When to pay for more
- You manage many accounts or locations.
- You need one report across all platforms.
- You want to track mentions on many sites at once.
- Several people need roles and approvals.
Make any tool useful
- GoalDecide which KPIs matter this quarter.
- CollectPull the same numbers each month.
- CompareLook at trends, not single posts.
- ActChange one thing based on what you see.
Watch for metric changes
Platforms rename and redefine metrics. Meta replaced impressions with views on Facebook and Instagram, so older and newer reports do not match exactly. Note changes in your reports to avoid false trends.
Good example. A roofing company uses platform insights, tagged links in Google Analytics and a monthly sheet. It spots that job videos bring most quote requests.
Bad example. A company pays for an expensive suite but never sets goals. Dashboards fill up, and nothing changes.
Read what social listening is. Our social media marketing sends one clear monthly report.