Social Media Audit for Buhi

Social Media is a tricky thing. With so many different channels to use, how can you determine which one is right? That’s why a social media audit is important for the life of any company, and especially important before embarking on any new marketing campaign. An audit can help any business in understanding their current reach and potential engagements, and how they can utilize the analytics to improve and grow their social media presence.

When looking at Buhi Bags (a company created by Stukent for students to get marketing experience through simulations known as Simternships), this social media audit will extend to one buyer persona. Since this audit is for a simulation, we are unable to really dive into some real-time analytics, but we can still build together a detailed audit based upon the provided resources.

An audit can help any business in understanding their current reach and potential engagements…

Social Media and the Chosen Persona

For my social media audit I chose to focus on a buyer persona known as ‘Daypacker Tom’. While this persona does collect the bulk of the market share at 30%, his psychographics align with many of the other persona’s drive to remain active and explore some adventurous possibilities.

Daypacker Tom: Quick Demographics

• Age: 24-31
• Gender: Male
• Income: $25,000 – $35,000

Compared to Buhi’s primary market, Daypacker Tom falls right in the golden zone as far as his age is concerned. Considering that the marketing campaign we are working on focuses in at the OG line (with the price range being $20-$200), his income is also inline with the ideal customer for Buhi’s bags.

Tom leads an active lifestyle and enjoys hiking and outdoorsy activities. The product that Tom is most likely to buy is a backpack that can allow him to pack the supplies he needs for a successful trip out on a hike and something he can also use day-to-day.

Key Product Features Daypacker Tom is looking for:

• Versitle
• Functional
• Spacious
• Styled

Communicating to Daypacker Tom through Social Media

While we can base our content and even tailor our channels based upon what we know about our target demographic, we still need to be aware of what, when and where to post the content. This is where we have to combine what we know about what posts work best for the various social media options we have at our disposal.

Based upon the numbers, the bulk of the success of past Buhi social media campaigns have come from Facebook. With a heavy lead on both Reach and Conversions the only category that Facebook does not outperform the other channels is in Engagement where Instagram stands out as a superior channel for this.

Comparing Daypacker Tom’s demographic to the various statistics available to us from the past Social Media Audit we can see that Facebook is going to be the main channel we can reach him on. As a male, Twitter may also be another channel for us to reach Daypacker Tom with some frequent and slightly less formal social posts. Although, Instagram cannot be counted out, even though it is dominated by female users and should also be focused on.

Daypacker Tom and Facebook

• Most likely to use Facebook.
• Checks the app at least once a day.
  • Prime posting times are:
    • Thursdays at 9am, 1pm and 3pm
    • Fridays at 9am, 1pm, and 3pm
    • Saturdays at 1pm and 3pm
• Posts should be tailored increasing awareness of function and versatility.

Tom, as a hiker, is out to find the most versatile and functional backpack for his needs. Facebook with it’s massive reach presents the best opportunity for both paid and organic posts to spread awareness of what Buhi bags can do both on the trail and in a suburban life. Facebook also presents a great chance to spread awareness of sales and deals and cannot be forgotten about.

Daypacker Tom and Twitter

• Twitter use is implied heavily based upon demographics.
• Checks the app at least once a day.
  • Prime posting times are:
    • Wednesdays at 12pm, 3pm, and 5pm
• Posts should be tailored to building brand awareness and familiarity.

Tom is looking for a brand that’s not afraid to show what they can do. Being able to share a brand voice that is cohesive across all channels will be important to share who Buhi is as a company and what customers can expect from all interactions. Twitter is a great social channel to establish that relationship and to tailor it to an older demographic like that of Daypacker Tom.

Daypacker Tom and Instagram

• Probably uses Instagram in tandem with Facebook.
• Checks the app multiple times a day.
  • Prime posting times are:
    • Mondays at 2am and 8am
    • Thursdays at 2am, 8am and 5pm
• Posts should be tailored to aesthetic images and showcases of the Buhi style.

Tom is looking for a multifunctional backpack that can go where he goes and also a bag that can match his style no matter where he goes. Instagram is the place where aesthetic images showcasing backpacks in the wild, or even in an urban setting can be showcased. Instagram cannot be ignored because of it’s massive engagement returns, so this channel could be used to funnel other users into other social media channels.

Should other Social Media channels be ignored?

The short answer? No.

Certain social media channels are going to be better suited for different demographics. Or, in the case of TikTok, be better suited for a younger demographic that may not share the same associations that would resonate best with an older demographic. It’s also important to remember that if you cannot maintain a consistent posting schedule it is not a good idea to post once and than subsequently abandon a social channel.

Remember that if you cannot maintain a consistent posting schedule it is not a good idea to post once and than subsequently abandon a social channel.

A Few More Thoughts

Social media represents an opportunity to communicate with customers on a personal level. They get to understand Buhi as a company, as a voice, and as a brand leader. Going into posting for social media it’s important to keep that chosen target demographic in mind. Tom wouldn’t respond to posts tailored to a female focused on purchasing bags for her family, or a business professional looking for laptop bags.

It’s also important to remember the other customers and products that Buhi offers. Not everyone is going to be looking for a backpack to go on a hike with, so variety is not a bad idea.