Benchmark Your Way to Success: How to Accurately Compare Your Social Performance
Benchmarking your social media performance is essential for any brand that wants to grow strategically. It’s not enough to know how you're doing—you need to know how you’re doing compared to your competitors and your own goals. A well-structured benchmarking approach reveals opportunities, weaknesses, and what needs to change.
What Does Benchmarking Performance Mean?
It’s the process of comparing your key metrics with:
- Your past performance (historical benchmarking)
- Competitor accounts or industry averages (external benchmarking)
- Your predefined goals or KPIs (performance standards)
Which Metrics Matter Most?
To benchmark accurately, focus on:
- Engagement rate – tells you the quality of interactions
- Reach vs. impressions – shows how many unique users saw your content
- Click-through rate (CTR) – measures how well your calls to action work
- Conversions from social media – the business outcomes that matter
How to Benchmark Smarter
- Build a dashboard – tools like Google Looker Studio or Sprout Social help you visualize performance.
- Set clear reference points – define what success means for your brand.
- Segment by campaign, format, or platform – not every channel has the same function.
Review performance regularly – monthly or quarterly comparisons reveal trends.
Bonus: Competitor Benchmarking
With tools like Socialinsider or Brandwatch, you can gain insights into how your competitors are performing—and discover what works (or doesn’t) for others.
Final Thought
Benchmarking is not just about numbers—it’s about making smarter decisions. When you know where you stand, you know where to go. Most importantly, you know what to change to get there.