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COM 310 (Campus) - Social Media

This guide is a companion to Professor Boroshok's COM 310 course to guide students through the social media marketing plan project for their selected nonprofit organization.

Social Media Audit Templates

Hootsuite and Sprout offer free templates to help you conduct a social media audit for your client or on their competitors. 

SWOT Analysis/Social Media Audit

FAQ: What is a SWOT analysis?

SWOT Definition

SWOT stands for:

  • Strengths - factors that make an organization more effective than its competitors, and the capabilities and resources that the company can use effectively to achieve its objectives. (Strengths of a social media presence might involve high engagement for example, or a diverse pool of followers, etc.)
  • Weaknesses - limitations in resources, culture or capacity within the organization that can prevent it from achieving its objectives. (Weaknesses of a social media presence might include lack of current posts/engagement/photos or it links to a out-of-date, visually unappealing website, etc.)
  • Opportunities - favorable current or future external trends, changes, etc. that permit the organization to enhance its efficacy and position. (Opportunities for a social media presence might be the hiring of a PR person, linking to other popular social media accounts, upcoming high-profile events for the organization, etc.)
  • Threats - unfavorable situation, trend or impending change in the external environment that currently or potentially threatens the organization’s ability to function effectively. (Threats to a social media presence might include a high profile social media account from a similarly named organization leading to confusion, understaffing or lack of knowledge by person/volunteer running the social media accounts, etc.)

A SWOT analysis is used to evaluate the relationship between an organization’s internal resources (strengths and weaknesses) and external possibilities (opportunities and threats) to aid in making informed choices about which actions to take to increase an organization's ability to achieve its goals and objectives.

  • See if you can find an Annual Report for your organization as they often will include a SWOT analysis or at least reference to the organizations analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, potential opportunities, and environmental threats.
    • Example: Kensington Fire Department report within the Kensington Town Report This link opens in a new window - Latest year available is 2022 as the 2023 one will be out shortly in time for Town Meeting in March. Notice the report mentions they were unsuccessful in obtaining a grant for a new ambulance, but were seeking other avenues to obtain one. This is relevant as one of their challenges and may become a focus for a social media campaign for donations. 

Social Media Audit

  • Try using the Social Media Audit templates in the left margin to analyze your client's and their competitors' social media efforts
  • Be sure to find out the same information about your client that you do about their competitors so that you can compare what each does well as well as what your client could improve upon

Identify competitors

A key element to your SWOT and Social Media Audit will be to identify your client's competitors and compare their social media strategy and performance with your client's existing plan. Searching the web using Google or another search engine involves finding the right search terms, much like searching in library databases. Try one term, read the results you find and take note of other search terms you see. 

Search Terms:

For example: You might look up "fire department" and find out they are also called "fire rescue" or they might be merged with "emergency management."  You will see other potential search terms like "forest fire warden" or "wildland fire statistics" or "state fire warden." Be sure to try a variety of search terms when looking for "competitors" or others engaged in similar activity to your client's organization.

Sunday Ave Band

Look at other small, alternative rock bands in New England. Look at performance venues to see who they have booked. Keep track of various terms used: alt rock, alternative rock, bands or groups, gigs, "New England" or individual states, etc.

Possible examples:

Pink Revolution of NH

Look at other cancer focused organizations in New Hampshire, perhaps for related breast cancers (like metastatic breast cancer), or other types of cancer. Note, like Pink Revolution, the names of the organizations may not have the word "cancer" in them which can "hide" them from internet searches in some cases. You might expand your search to regional (New England) or national affiliates that operate in NH as well.

Possible examples:

Manchester Community Music School

This music school offers not only individual lessons, but choruses, group classes, and ensembles as well. They have students from over 60 NH communities and the full age spectrum from children through seniors. Use a variety of search terms: not just "school" but "lessons" and various types of music or words such as "instruments" or "composition" for the different activities associated with music. 

Possible examples:

Kensington, NH Fire Department

This is a town fire department, so it will be a bit more complicated to find "competitors" in the strict sense of the word, as municipalities often each have their own FD or a volunteer FD that works in cooperation with surrounding communities fire departments. Because FDs with full-time employees often engage in other activities besides strictly fighting fires, such as educational initiatives, community events, school and municipal building fire drills, etc., you may want to look at other organizations that also provide those related services. Or you might consider other departments within the same town as "competitors" in that they vie for funding from the same funding source (community taxpayers). These might include the Highway Department, School Board, Library, Historical Society, Police Department, Recreation Department, etc. within the same town.

Possible examples: