By the time you read this, the Facebook Analytics tool will have been phased out, leaving you wondering, where do I get my information now?
Facebook says there was nothing wrong with the analytics tool; it’s simply trying to consolidate its tools for businesses. So, the analytics tool had to go.
What was Facebook Analytics?
Here’s a short summary for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about.
Facebook Analytics was “…a free analytics tool that you can access from your browser or the Facebook Analytics mobile app. You can use Facebook Analytics to understand how people interact with your website, Facebook Page, app, or other supported event source.”
In other words, many marketers used Facebook Analytics to get a better understanding of the people who visit their Facebook page and website. Facebook Analytics offered valuable marketing data to business owners.
For people who relied on Facebook Analytics, this is a big deal.
Why Facebook Analytics Disappearing Isn’t a Big Deal
For some, this is a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be.
That’s because many of the features that Facebook offered in its analytics tool are also present in the company’s other tools. What’s more, businesses like HootSuite, Buffer Analyze, and Sprout Social all have pay for marketing tools that measure social analytics similar to what Facebook Analytics did.
What should I use instead of Facebook Analytics?
So, what else can you use?
Facebook Business Suite
Facebook says its Business Suite product isn’t available to all users right now, but the company is working on it. If you can use Facebook Business Suite, this may be your closest alternative to Facebook Analytics.
According to Facebook: “Facebook Business Suite lets you manage all of your connected accounts across Facebook and Instagram in one place. It offers a variety of tools that makes it easier to manage your business presence for free. Business Suite can help you reach more people and stay up-to-date while you manage your business presence in one place.”
Basically, all the things that Facebook Analytics did with Instagram were tossed into the mix.
Facebook Ads Manager/Events Manager
If Facebook Business Suite isn’t available to you, Facebook suggests Ads Manager and Events Manager as an alternative. If you put the two together, you get a good portion of what Analytics did, but not all of it.
Facebook Page Insights
Another Facebook tool that may help is Facebook Page Insights. Facebook Page Insights is where you can see who is engaging with your posts, how they’re engaging with those posts, and more.
According to Facebook, “Page Insights can help you learn more about your audience and what content resonates with them most.”
While Facebook Page Insights will give you a pretty good in-depth look at your Facebook page, it will not cover other social media interactions such as Instagram.
It also doesn’t cover analytics data for your website, something that Facebook Analytics used to do.
Alternatives to Facebook Analytics that Cost Money
Your other option is to pay someone to do analytics for your social media pages. Many companies offer analytics software for a monthly fee.
Though we’re not endorsing any one product, below are some of the most popular ones on the market currently.
HootSuite Analytics
According to HootSuite, “Hootsuite Analytics offers a complete picture of all your social media efforts in one place. This simplifies your social media analytics work. It saves time and makes it easy to compare aggregate results across networks.”
HubSpot
HubSpot has a couple of tools to help you analyze your social media engagement. HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software will help you manage all of your social media posts and track the engagement with those posts.
Meanwhile, HubSpot says its other social media tools can “…help you understand which of your marketing tactics are working best among your audience, determine how your marketing efforts are impacting your bottom line, see if your campaigns result in more paid or organic social media sessions, and learn about your search engine optimization (SEO)-related ROI.”
Google Analytics
While Google Analytics has a free option, the paid-for version will give you a more in-depth look at the overall performance of your website and some of your social media.
If you’re already using Google Analytics, this may be your best alternative to some of the tools that Facebook Analytics previously provided.
Marketing Manager
You can also hire someone to manage your marketing for you (hint, hint). A company specializing in sales funnels, like Intentionally Inspirational, knows how to analyze engagement on all platforms. That means your website and social media are taken care of without you having to lift a finger.
If the details of this post sound too hard or simply uninteresting to you, a marketing manager may be your best bet.
Why Analytics are Important
Whether you hire a marketing manager or go it alone, analytics are an essential part of your marketing campaign. Analyzing what’s happening with your posts, ad campaigns, etc. is the best way to ensure that your marketing plan is performing at its peak.
Analytics help you understand your audience better, and they help you understand which ad campaigns are hitting home with followers and which ones are missing the mark. They can also show you when the best days and times to engage with your audience are.
These are all critical tools in growing your business.
Written by Erika Towne