When social media was made, it was initially a tool for connecting family and friends. However, in recent years, it has evolved into a critical platform for businesses to market their products or services. When marketing on social media, one of the key metrics that indicates the reach of content is the number of shares.

While most social media sites display the number of shares on your social media posts, it can be challenging to track those that occur on dark social, the invisible sharing economy. This is despite the fact that this is where most of the sharing is happening. This article will guide you on tracking those unseen social shares.

Why is it Important to Track Social Shares

One of the best ways to track the effectiveness of your post is by monitoring the number of shares it receives. This is a significant number that demonstrates how well your content is resonating with your target audience. It also provides essential insights into the reach and engagement rate of your content. 

If you aren't tracking social media shares, you may not be getting a clear picture of your social media campaign's performance. Therefore, tracking social shares will help show:

• How effective is your social media campaign in terms of reach, engagement, and interest level.
• Understanding the content that resonates with your audience and the steps you can take to improve your content strategy.
• Understanding the social networks that are best suited for your content so that you can focus more on them.
• Long-term brand awareness. When people share your content, they are showing approval. A high share rate will impact other key metrics, including conversion and click-through rates. 

From the above benefits, tracking social shares will help you understand your current standing and where you are headed next. It shows that your audience is already talking, and you need to listen.

Expert Tips For Effectively Tracking Social Shares

To effectively understand your social media campaigns, you need a strategy for tracking the number of shares. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, here are tips to help you effectively track your social shares: 

Select the Right Tools

Without the right tools, it can be hard to track your social shares. The good news is that there are various tools in the market to help you achieve that, such as: 

• Social media listening tools. It helps you track the conversations happening around your brand.
• Social media analytics can provide valuable insights into the performance of your campaign.You can read our guide on Twitter analytics to improve your tweets.
• Social media automation tools. These are suitable for handling repetitive tasks, such as planning, creating content, and posting.

The good news is that these tools are designed to help you track your social shares. They can provide essential insights on social shares while ensuring that the information doesn't overwhelm you. When selecting a social share tool, choose one that closely aligns with your social media objectives. Doing so will ensure a more effective tracking of your social shares, but it will also provide a more efficient workflow.

Set up Alerts and Notifications

Whether you are tracking shares on mainstream sites or dark social, you must ensure that you stay informed. Unlike the mainstream social media platforms, dark social doesn't provide any analytics. So, how do you keep track of the shares? Here are several tips:

Set up Your Notifications

If the tool you are using has an email notification feature, ensure that you have set it to notify you when a share occurs. Similarly, you can set up multiple app notifications to receive push notifications whenever a share happens. Doing this will enable you to keep track of each time a share happens. Ensure that these alerts are delivered in real-time.

Notifications and alerts are great because you don't have to spend a lot of time glued to your screen 24/7. Instead, you make the whole process fast and automated. You can then focus your efforts on fine-tuning your strategy using real-time insights. 

Analyze Your Share Pattern Going Forward

In the fast-paced world of social media, timing is everything. This is why some posts tend to receive more traction compared to others. Your posting time may reflect your level of success in your social media campaign. Therefore, analyze your share pattern to: 

• Determine trends. When you track your social shares over time, you will notice specific patterns emerge. For instance, you might realize that your audience is most active during morning hours or evenings. 
• Post at the right time. Once you have gotten some insights into your post share, use the data to optimize your social media posting schedule. Ensure you post at the time when you consider your content to be most likely to be shared. 

Don't allow your results to be dictated by randomness. Consistently analyze your share patterns to turn your gut feelings into some actionable insights. Observe your content that is receiving the highest number of shares and adjust your strategy to find the optimal posting time.

Study the Social Share Sources

Unless you understand the source of the social share, it may not be beneficial. Since there are different audiences on different platforms, you can get an edge by understanding your social share surveys. Therefore, make sure you: 

• Identify platforms. Study the analytics tools to understand which social shares are receiving the highest number of likes, shares, or other engagement metrics.
• Analyze the audience. People will engage differently on different platforms. By analyzing your audience, you can create more targeted content.

When tracking social shares, you need to not only understand the numbers but also the source of those numbers, so that you can channel your efforts to the right places.

Track Shares from Influencers

One of the factors that can drive your social shares is when an influencer shares your content. Therefore, start by identifying the influencers who share your content and determine whether they are within your niche. Take a moment to thank them or share the content with others. This can help you get valuable connections.

When you track influencer social media shares, you can leverage them into a more comprehensive network. This will not only help you increase your reach but also enhance your overall presence. However, it is a strategic networking method that yields more beneficial partnerships.

Consider the Share-to-Engagement Ratio

The share-to-engagement ratio can be a good metric to illustrate the quality of your interactions. It shows that you're not only getting shares, but it also enables you to gain meaningful connections that add value to your brand. 

If you are getting a high number of shares, this can look great. However, you want to find out if people are connecting with your content. 

A good metric to illustrate this is the share-to-engagement ratio. You can calculate it by dividing the total engagement (comments, likes, etc.) by the shares. If this ratio is high, it indicates that people are engaging with your content and sharing it as well. On the other hand, a high number of shares with little engagement shows a need for a shift in your social media strategy.

Study Your Competitor's Share Rate

Tracking your competitor's share can provide a comprehensive view of your content landscape and help you understand your market position more clearly. After monitoring the share rate of your content, you also need to determine how you are performing in comparison to the competition. 

Therefore, take your share metrics and compare them with those of the industry leaders to provide a clear picture of your standing. If a competitor is outperforming you, examine their strategy, and consider how you can adapt their approach or identify areas for improvement. 

In Conclusion

The share rate can be a good indicator of people’s faith in your content. If you are not tracking it, it can be hard to tell where these shares are coming from. It can also prove challenging to optimize your content to increase the share rate. The good news is that by following the tips above, you can increase your content share rate and take it to the next level.