How To Use Google Analytics To Track Social Media

Graphic showing social media icons engagement metrics for social media tracking

By Viicky Verma Social Media Analytics Social Media Marketing Uncategorized August 14, 2024

A note about Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has emerged as a prominent update to the previous version of Google Analytics, significantly transforming the analytics landscape. It now serves as the default choice for all new Google Analytics users.

However, social marketers may encounter complexities when it comes to tracking social data within Google Analytics 4. As of now, Universal Analytics (UA), the older version of Google Analytics, continues to be the preferred tool for analyzing social media data. Thankfully, social marketers can still generate a UA tracking ID by adhering to specific checkboxes during the sign-up process.

If you possess an existing Google Analytics property with a tracking ID that begins with UA, you can proceed directly to step 2. For those establishing a new Google Analytics account or property, it is crucial to meticulously follow these steps to obtain the appropriate type of tracking ID. Additionally, you will receive a parallel GA4 ID that will commence collecting GA4 data promptly, ensuring a smooth transition to the updated system when Google ultimately discontinues UA.

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics account

To initiate the process of creating a Google Analytics account, simply access the GA page and click on the "Start measuring" button for registration. However, if you already possess an existing Google Analytics account, you may proceed directly to Step 2.

2. Provide your account name and make selections for your data sharing preferences. These settings primarily cater to your personal preferences and do not affect the flow of data to your Google Analytics social media reports.

When you are ready, click Next

3. Pay careful attention at this stage to obtain the Universal Analytics tracking code. In the "Property name" field, enter the name of your website or business (excluding the URL). Select your desired time zone and currency. Finally, click on "Show advanced options.

4. Enable the toggle switch to create a Universal Analytics property. Input your website URL accordingly. Keep the radio button selected to ensure the creation of both a Google Analytics 4 and a Universal Analytics property.

For the time being, focus on utilizing the UA property. However, it is advisable to concurrently create the GA4 property to ensure its availability for future utilization. Your selections should mirror the following configuration:

Double-check the settings, then click Next

5. On the subsequent screen, you have the option to provide information about your business, although it is not mandatory. Once you have entered the desired details, click on "Create," followed by accepting the Terms of Service Agreement presented in the pop-up box.

Subsequently, a pop-up box will appear, presenting the Web-stream details along with your newly generated GA4 Measurement ID (in the format G-XXXXXXXXXX). However, since we require the Universal Analytics ID, simply close this pop-up box.

6. Navigate to the lower left corner of the Google Analytics dashboard and click on "Admin." From there, choose the desired account and property. In the Property column, locate and click on "Tracking Info.

7. Click Tracking Code to get your tracking ID.

The Tracking ID provided is specific to your website and contains personal data. It is essential to refrain from publicly sharing this Tracking ID with anyone. Please ensure to take note of this number as it will be required in the subsequent step..

Step 2: Set up Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager empowers you to transmit data to Google Analytics effortlessly, eliminating the need for coding expertise.

Proceed to create an account on the Google Tag Manager dashboard. Select a suitable account name, specify the country where your business operates, and indicate your preference regarding data sharing with Google for benchmarking purposes.

2. Scroll down to the section labeled "Container Setup." A container serves as a repository for macros, rules, and tags essential for tracking data on your website. Provide a desired name for your container and select "Web" as the target platform. Finally, click on the "Create" button to proceed.

Review the Terms of Service in the pop-up and click Yes

3. Copy and paste the code provided in the "Install Google Tag Manager" pop-up box onto your website. Place the first code snippet within the <head> section of your page, and the second code snippet within the <body> section. It is crucial to include this code on every page of your website, making it convenient to add it to the templates of your content management system (CMS) if possible. In case you close the pop-up box, you can access the code snippets at any time by clicking on your Google Tag Manager code located at the top of the workspace. This code will typically resemble GTM-XXXXXXX.

4. After successfully adding the code to your website, navigate back to the Tag Manager workspace. Locate the "Submit" button positioned at the top right of the screen and click on it to proceed.

Step 3: Create your analytics tags

The next step involves integrating Google Tag Manager with Google Analytics.

Access your Google Tag Manager workspace and select the option to "Add a new tag.”

Within the tag, you will have the opportunity to customize two specific areas:

Configuration: This section allows you to specify the destination for the collected data, determining where it will be sent or stored.
Triggering: In this section, you can define the specific type of data you wish to collect, setting the conditions or events that will trigger the data collection process.

2. Proceed to click on "Tag Configuration" and select "Google Analytics: Universal Analytics.”

3. Select the specific type of data you wish to track, followed by choosing "New Variable..." from the dropdown menu located under "Google Analytics Settings.

A new window will appear, providing an opportunity for you to enter your Google Analytics tracking ID. Remember, you should input the tracking ID that begins with UA- which was generated in the previous step

This will send your website’s data straight into Google Analytics

4. Return to the Triggering section and choose the data you intend to send to Google Analytics. Opt for "All Pages" to include data from all your web pages, then click on "Add." Once configured, your new tag should resemble the following example. Save your settings, and congratulations! You now have a new Google Tag set up to track and send data to Google Analytics.

Set up, your new tag should look something like this:

Click save and voila! You have a Google Tag tracking and sending data to Google Analytics.

Step 4: Add social media to Google Analytics goals

Google Analytics employs "goals" to monitor and measure key performance indicators of your website. Prior to adding social media goals in Google Analytics, it is advisable to consider the metrics that will significantly impact your social media reporting and align with your overall business objectives. Utilizing the SMART goal-setting framework can provide valuable guidance in this regard.

Access the Google Analytics dashboard and locate the "Admin" button positioned in the bottom left corner. In the View column, click on "Goals" to proceed.

Explore the assortment of goal templates available and determine if any of them align with your specific goal.

Additionally, familiarize yourself with the various types of goals that Google Analytics can track, which include:

Destination: For instance, if your goal involves directing users to a specific web page.
Duration: For instance, if your goal is to have users spend a specific duration of time on your website.
Pages/Screens per session: For instance, if your goal involves users visiting a specific number of pages/screens during their session.
Event: For instance, if your goal is to have users engage in specific actions such as playing a video or clicking on a link.

Configure your desired settings and proceed by clicking on "Continue." On the subsequent screen, you have the option to further refine your goals, such as specifying the exact duration of time users need to spend on your site for it to be considered a successful goal completion.

Save the configured goal, and Google Analytics will commence tracking it accordingly.

Keep in mind that there is a multitude of metrics you can track utilizing both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics. It's natural to feel overwhelmed by the possibilities. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on the metrics that hold the greatest significance for you and are in alignment with your specific goals.

Step 5: Pull your Google Analytics social media reports

Presently, Google Analytics Universal Analytics provides access to six social analytics reports for your viewing.

These reports highlight the return on investment (ROI) and the impact of your social media campaigns.

Navigate to your Google Analytics dashboard and click on the downward arrows adjacent to "Acquisitions," followed by “Social.”

From this point, you will have the opportunity to explore the six significant social media reports available within Google Analytics.

Overview report
Network referrals
Landing pages
Conversions
Plugins
Users flow

Here’s a brief overview of what data you can find in each.

Overview report

This report provides digital marketers with a concise overview of the number of conversions originating from social media platforms. It offers a comparison between the value of all goal completions and those specifically attributed to social referrals.

2. Network referrals

This report offers engagement metrics specific to each social network, enabling you to identify the performance of your content on individual platforms. It proves valuable in determining the effectiveness of your Google Analytics Facebook referrals and provides insights into the best-performing content on each network.

3. Landing pages

In this report, you can observe engagement metrics associated with individual URLs. Additionally, it allows you to track the originating social network for each URL, providing valuable insights into the performance of specific web addresses across different social platforms.

4. Conversions

The Google Analytics social conversions report provides insights into the total number of conversions and their respective monetary value from each social network. This report proves especially useful for examining Google Analytics Instagram conversion data and assessing the impact of social media on conversions.

It allows comparison of Assisted Social Conversions, which represent conversions influenced by social media, and Last Interaction Social Conversions, which denote conversions directly attributed to social media platforms

These metrics play a pivotal role for digital marketers in quantifying the value and return on investment (ROI) of social media for their businesses.

5. Plugins

The Google Analytics social plugins report focuses on the analysis of social share buttons present on your website. It provides valuable insights into the frequency of clicks on these buttons and the corresponding content associated with them.

This report includes metrics and data that reveal the most shared content on your website and the specific social media networks on which it is being shared. Such information is derived directly from your website, enabling you to gain a comprehensive understanding of the social sharing patterns and preferences of your audience.

6. Users flow

According to Google, this report offers digital marketers a visual representation of the user paths traversed through their website, starting from the source and progressing through various pages. It provides insights into the points at which users exit the site along these paths, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of user navigation and behavior on the website.

For example, if you’re running a campaign that promotes a specific product, you’ll be able to find whether users entered your site via a product page and if they continued to other parts of your site.

Furthermore, you can examine user behaviors across various social media sites, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of user engagement and interactions on different platforms.

A note about Google Analytics 4

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics account

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