What Data Should You Include in a Social Media Report?

Your business publishes content on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. You track likes, monitor followers, review video views, and check which posts receive the most engagement.

But when it's time to prepare a report, an important question comes up:

Which social media metrics should actually be included?

Social media platforms provide a large amount of information. Depending on the platform and available analytics, you may have access to reach, impressions, views, engagement, audience growth, profile visits, clicks, and other performance indicators.

However, including every available number does not necessarily make a report more useful.

In fact, reports filled with unrelated metrics can make it harder for business owners and clients to understand what is happening.

A professional social media report should focus on the information that helps evaluate marketing objectives, explain performance, and guide future decisions.

For example, a business trying to increase brand awareness may prioritize reach and views. A company focused on generating customer inquiries may care more about website clicks, qualified leads, and conversions.

The key is understanding which data matters, why it matters, and how to present it clearly.

With tools for Social Media Management, Free Instagram Analytics, and Instagram post scheduling, businesses can develop more organized processes for planning content and reviewing performance.

In this guide, you'll discover which metrics to include in a social media report, how to interpret them, which mistakes to avoid, and how DunaHub can support your social media management workflow.

1. What Is a Social Media Report?

A social media report is a document that summarizes and evaluates the performance of a company's social media activities during a specific period.

It can be created weekly, monthly, quarterly, or after a marketing campaign.

A report may include:

• Audience reach.
• Impressions.
• Video views.
• Engagement.
• Follower growth.
• Profile visits.
• Website clicks.
• Content performance.
• Campaign results.
• Leads and conversions.
• Publishing activity.
• Comparisons with previous periods.
• Strategic recommendations.

However, the purpose of a report is not simply to collect numbers.

It should help answer questions such as:

Are our social media activities supporting our business objectives?

Which content formats are performing well?

What changed compared with the previous period?

What should we improve next?

A useful report connects performance metrics with business goals.

2. Why Choosing the Right Metrics Matters

Social media platforms provide many performance indicators.

But not every metric is equally relevant to every business.

Imagine two companies.

Company A: A new business trying to increase brand awareness.

Company B: An established service provider trying to generate estimate requests.

For Company A, reach and content views may be important indicators.

For Company B, inquiries and qualified leads may be more closely connected to the business objective.

Both companies may track engagement and follower growth, but those metrics have different levels of importance depending on the strategy.

Choosing the right indicators helps businesses:

• Focus on meaningful results.
• Avoid unnecessary information.
• Compare performance consistently.
• Identify improvement opportunities.
• Communicate results clearly.
• Make better marketing decisions.

The most useful report is not necessarily the one with the most data.

It is the one that provides the information needed to evaluate progress.

3. Start With Business Objectives

Before selecting metrics, identify what the business wants to achieve through social media.

Common objectives include:

• Increasing brand awareness.
• Growing an audience.
• Improving engagement.
• Driving website traffic.
• Generating customer inquiries.
• Promoting products or services.
• Supporting sales.
• Strengthening customer relationships.

Each objective requires different performance indicators.

Business objective	Primary metrics	Supporting metrics
Brand awareness	Reach and views	Impressions and audience growth
Audience growth	New followers and growth rate	Profile visits
Engagement	Interactions and engagement rate	Shares, saves, and comments
Website traffic	Link clicks and website sessions	Click-through rate
Lead generation	Leads and qualified leads	Conversion rate
Sales	Measurable conversions and attributed revenue	Cost per acquisition
Content improvement	Performance by format and topic	Reach and interactions

This structure helps connect reporting to business priorities.

4. Reporting Period and Account Information

Every report should begin with basic information.

Include:

• Business or client name.
• Social media platforms analyzed.
• Reporting period.
• Comparison period.
• Report preparation date.
• Person or team responsible.

For example:

Business: ABC Home Services

Platforms: Instagram and Facebook

Reporting period: October 1–31

Comparison period: September 1–30

Prepared by: Marketing Team

This information may seem simple, but it helps prevent confusion when reviewing multiple reports.

It is especially useful for agencies managing several clients.

5. Audience Reach

Reach is one of the most important metrics for evaluating visibility.

It generally represents the number of unique accounts or people reached, according to each platform's definition.

For example:

September reach: 15,000.

October reach: 18,000.

This indicates that more accounts were reached during October.

However, the report should consider the context.

Questions to investigate include:

• Did the business publish more content?
• Were additional Reels created?
• Was advertising used?
• Did a particular post perform exceptionally well?
• Were different audiences targeted?

Reach can help evaluate content distribution, but it does not automatically demonstrate engagement, leads, or sales.

How to Calculate Reach Growth

Use the formula:

Reach growth = ((Current reach − Previous reach) ÷ Previous reach) × 100

Example:

((18,000 − 15,000) ÷ 15,000) × 100 = 20%

Reach increased by 20%.

This percentage helps communicate the change more clearly.

6. Impressions

Impressions represent the number of times content was displayed, where the metric is available.

Unlike reach, impressions may include multiple displays to the same account.

For example:

Reach: 10,000.

Impressions: 16,000.

The content generated 16,000 recorded displays while reaching 10,000 unique accounts.

However, this does not mean every person saw the content the same number of times.

Impressions can be useful for evaluating exposure, especially in advertising campaigns.

When comparing platforms, remember that measurement definitions may differ.

Do not assume that impressions are calculated identically across every social media network.

7. Video Views

Video views are important for businesses that publish Reels and other video content.

A report may include:

• Total video views.
• Views by video.
• Views by content format.
• Changes compared with previous periods.
• Watch time, when available.
• Retention, when available.

Imagine:

Video A: 20,000 views.

Video B: 8,000 views.

Video A received more views.

However, this does not automatically mean it produced better business results.

Video B may have generated more shares, saves, clicks, or inquiries.

A strong report evaluates video performance according to the objective.

It should also respect each platform's definition of a view.

8. Total Engagement

Engagement measures interactions with social media content.

Common interactions include:

• Likes.
• Comments.
• Shares.
• Saves.
• Replies, where applicable.

Total engagement can help identify content that encourages audience participation.

For example:

September interactions: 1,200.

October interactions: 1,500.

The total number of interactions increased.

However, the report should also consider whether reach or publishing frequency changed.

A higher interaction total does not necessarily mean the audience became proportionally more engaged.

That is why engagement rates can provide additional context.

9. Engagement Rate

Engagement rate helps compare interactions with a relevant base.

One commonly used method is engagement rate by reach.

Engagement rate by reach = (Total interactions ÷ Reach) × 100

Example:

Reach: 10,000.

Interactions: 600.

Calculation:

(600 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 6%

The engagement rate by reach is 6%.

Other methods use impressions or follower counts.

The important thing is to maintain a consistent calculation method.

A report should explain which formula was used.

Otherwise, comparisons between months or campaigns may be misleading.

10. Likes

Likes are one of the most recognizable social media metrics.

They can provide information about audience reactions.

However, they should not be treated as the primary measure of business success.

A post with many likes may generate little website traffic.

Another post may receive fewer likes but encourage valuable customer inquiries.

When including likes in a report, consider:

• Total likes.
• Likes by content.
• Changes over time.
• Differences between content formats.

Use likes as part of a broader performance analysis.

11. Comments

Comments can provide insight into audience participation.

They may include:

• Questions.
• Opinions.
• Feedback.
• Requests for information.
• Reactions to content.

However, comment quantity alone does not indicate positive sentiment.

A post may receive many comments because it generated confusion or disagreement.

For this reason, qualitative analysis can be valuable.

A report may identify recurring questions or themes.

For example:

“Several users asked questions about service pricing, suggesting an opportunity to create educational content explaining the quotation process.”

This connects audience feedback with a practical content recommendation.

12. Shares

Shares can help identify content that audiences choose to distribute.

Examples include:

• Educational tips.
• Practical checklists.
• Useful reminders.
• Industry information.
• Entertaining content.

Imagine two posts.

Post A: 500 likes and 15 shares.

Post B: 300 likes and 100 shares.

Post A received more likes.

Post B received more shares.

Depending on the objective, the second result may be especially relevant.

A report should explain which behavior matters most to the strategy.

13. Saves

Saves can be useful for evaluating educational or reference-oriented content.

For example, users may save:

• Tutorials.
• Step-by-step guides.
• Checklists.
• Product comparisons.
• Practical recommendations.

A carousel that receives many saves may suggest that users consider the information worth revisiting.

However, this is an interpretation rather than a confirmed explanation of user intent.

The report can include:

• Total saves.
• Most-saved posts.
• Saves by format.
• Relevant comparisons.

These insights can help guide future content planning.

14. Follower Growth

Follower growth helps businesses monitor changes in audience size.

A report should include:

• Starting follower count.
• Ending follower count.
• Net change.
• Percentage growth.

Example:

Starting followers: 4,000.

Ending followers: 4,400.

Net growth:

400 followers.

Percentage growth:

(400 ÷ 4,000) × 100 = 10%

The account grew by 10%.

However, follower growth does not automatically indicate business growth.

Audience relevance and engagement should also be considered.

15. Audience Demographics

Audience demographics can help businesses understand who they are reaching.

Depending on platform availability, information may include:

• Age ranges.
• Geographic locations.
• Gender distribution.
• Audience activity patterns.

These indicators can help evaluate whether the account is reaching its intended audience.

For example, a local business may want to understand whether its audience is concentrated in the areas it serves.

A company targeting professionals may be interested in relevant audience characteristics.

However, demographic data is often aggregated or estimated.

It should not be treated as exact information about every individual follower.

Use these insights to guide broad strategic decisions.

16. Profile Visits

Profile visits can help evaluate interest in learning more about a business.

For example:

September profile visits: 800.

October profile visits: 1,000.

Profile visits increased by 25%.

However, the report should investigate what happened next.

Did link clicks increase?

Did the account receive more inquiries?

Were there changes to the profile information?

Profile visits are useful, but they represent one stage of the customer journey.

They should not automatically be counted as leads.

17. Link Clicks

Link clicks are important for businesses trying to drive traffic to websites, landing pages, or other destinations.

A report may include:

• Total link clicks.
• Clicks by campaign.
• Clicks by content, where measurable.
• Changes compared with previous periods.

Imagine:

Campaign A: 250 clicks.

Campaign B: 400 clicks.

Campaign B generated more clicks.

However, the report should also consider the number of impressions, investment, and conversions.

A high click count does not necessarily mean that visitors completed a desired action.

18. Click-Through Rate

Click-through rate, or CTR, helps evaluate the proportion of impressions that resulted in clicks.

CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100

Example:

Impressions: 20,000.

Clicks: 400.

Calculation:

(400 ÷ 20,000) × 100 = 2%

CTR is 2%.

This metric can be useful when comparing campaigns with similar objectives.

However, the report should clearly identify the type of click being measured.

Different platforms and advertising systems may distinguish between link clicks and other interactions.

19. Website Traffic

For businesses focused on website visits, social media reporting can include data from website analytics tools.

Relevant indicators may include:

• Sessions attributed to social media.
• Landing page visits.
• Traffic sources.
• Conversion events.
• Engagement with destination pages.

However, website sessions and social media link clicks are not identical.

A person may click a link without successfully loading the website.

Tracking tools may also use different measurement methods.

When combining social media and website analytics, identify the source of each metric.

20. Leads and Customer Inquiries

For service businesses, lead generation may be one of the most important objectives.

A lead can represent someone who:

• Requests an estimate.
• Submits a contact form.
• Books a consultation.
• Provides contact information.
• Makes an identifiable service inquiry.

However, a like, comment, or follow should not automatically be classified as a lead.

Businesses need clear criteria.

A CRM system can help organize contacts and monitor opportunities.

DunaHub includes CRM and visual pipeline capabilities that can support customer relationship management.

When lead sources are recorded accurately, CRM information can complement social media reporting.

21. Qualified Leads

Not every lead has the same commercial value.

Imagine:

Campaign A: 100 leads.

Campaign B: 50 leads.

Campaign A generated more contacts.

However, consider:

Campaign A: 15 qualified leads.

Campaign B: 35 qualified leads.

Campaign B generated fewer contacts but more qualified opportunities.

This information may be more useful for businesses focused on sales.

A report can include:

• Total leads.
• Qualified leads.
• Qualification rate.
• Sales opportunities.
• Customers acquired, when measurable.

These indicators help connect marketing activities with business outcomes.

22. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate measures the proportion of users who complete a desired action.

The formula is:

Conversion rate = (Conversions ÷ Relevant total) × 100

The denominator depends on the measurement objective.

For example:

Website visits: 500.

Form submissions: 25.

Calculation:

(25 ÷ 500) × 100 = 5%

The conversion rate is 5%.

When comparing campaigns, use consistent definitions.

A conversion rate based on clicks should not be compared directly with one based on sessions without explaining the difference.

23. Cost Per Click

For paid campaigns, cost per click can help evaluate advertising efficiency.

CPC = Advertising spend ÷ Clicks

Example:

Advertising spend: $500.

Clicks: 250.

Calculation:

$500 ÷ 250 = $2

The average cost per click is $2.

However, a lower CPC does not automatically mean a campaign is more profitable.

The quality of traffic and resulting conversions also matter.

24. Cost Per Lead

Cost per lead is useful for campaigns focused on generating customer inquiries.

CPL = Advertising spend ÷ Leads generated

Example:

Advertising spend: $1,000.

Leads: 50.

Calculation:

$1,000 ÷ 50 = $20

The cost per lead is $20.

However, the report should also consider lead quality.

A campaign with a higher cost per lead may still be valuable if it generates more qualified opportunities.

25. Sales and Revenue Attribution

Some businesses want to understand whether social media contributes to sales.

This requires reliable tracking.

A customer may interact with several pieces of content before making a purchase.

For example:

1. Discovering a business through Instagram.
2. Visiting its website.
3. Returning through a search engine.
4. Submitting an inquiry.
5. Becoming a customer.

Attributing the entire sale to one social media post may be inaccurate.

When reliable information is available, reports can include:

• Attributed conversions.
• Sales opportunities.
• Customer acquisitions.
• Attributed revenue.

If attribution is uncertain, explain the limitation.

Do not present estimates as confirmed results.

26. Return on Investment

Return on investment can be relevant when reliable financial data is available.

A simplified formula is:

ROI = ((Financial return − Investment) ÷ Investment) × 100

Example:

Investment: $2,000.

Financial return: $6,000.

Calculation:

(($6,000 − $2,000) ÷ $2,000) × 100 = 200%

The simplified ROI is 200%.

However, real calculations require clear definitions of costs and financial returns.

Revenue is not necessarily profit.

Attribution limitations should also be considered.

When reliable financial data is unavailable, focus on measurable marketing and commercial outcomes instead.

27. Publishing Frequency

Publishing activity helps evaluate whether the content plan was executed.

A report may include:

• Planned posts.
• Published posts.
• Reels created.
• Stories published.
• Campaigns completed.
• Publishing consistency.

Example:

Planned posts: 20.

Published posts: 18.

Completion rate:

(18 ÷ 20) × 100 = 90%

The team completed 90% of the planned publishing activity.

This is an operational metric rather than a direct measure of audience performance.

Tools for Social Media Management and Instagram post scheduling can support a more organized publishing workflow.

28. Performance by Content Format

Different formats may contribute to different goals.

For example:

Format	Useful metrics	Potential purpose
Reels	Views, reach, shares	Visibility and discovery
Carousels	Saves, shares, engagement	Education
Static posts	Reach and interactions	Institutional or promotional communication
Stories	Replies, views, link clicks	Relationship building and immediate actions
Paid ads	Clicks, conversions, costs	Campaign-specific objectives

These are examples, not universal rules.

The best-performing format depends on the audience and business goals.

A report should identify which formats contributed to each objective.

29. Top-Performing Content

Every social media report should highlight relevant content.

Consider including:

Highest reach: The post that reached the largest audience.

Most engagement: The content with the most relevant interactions.

Most saves: A post that audiences frequently saved.

Most shares: Content that generated significant sharing activity.

Most clicks: A post or campaign that encouraged traffic.

For each highlighted post, include:

• Topic.
• Format.
• Publication date.
• Relevant metrics.
• Objective.
• Brief interpretation.

This helps explain why the content deserves attention.

30. Underperforming Content

Professional reporting should also identify content that performed below expectations.

For example, a promotional post may receive fewer interactions than educational content.

Before concluding that the content failed, consider:

• Was the objective engagement or conversion?
• Did the post generate clicks?
• Was the audience appropriate?
• Was the call to action clear?
• Did the content receive sufficient distribution?

The goal is to identify opportunities for improvement.

Avoid treating one underperforming post as definitive proof that a content format or topic does not work.

31. Month-over-Month Performance Comparison

Comparisons help businesses understand how results are changing.

Consider this fictional example:

Metric	September	October	Change
Reach	20,000	24,000	+20%
Interactions	1,200	1,500	+25%
Followers	4,000	4,240	+6%
Profile visits	900	1,080	+20%
Link clicks	150	180	+20%
Leads	20	24	+20%

Illustrative data.

This table provides a clear overview.

However, the report should also consider relevant context.

For example:

• Did publishing frequency change?
• Was advertising investment increased?
• Were seasonal campaigns running?
• Did a particular post perform unusually well?

Context helps prevent misleading interpretations.

32. Campaign Performance Data

If the business ran specific campaigns, include a separate campaign analysis.

Relevant information may include:

• Campaign objective.
• Dates.
• Target audience.
• Content formats.
• Advertising investment.
• Reach.
• Engagement.
• Clicks.
• Leads.
• Conversions.
• Cost per result.

For example, a brand awareness campaign should not be evaluated exclusively by sales.

Similarly, a lead generation campaign should not be judged only by video views.

Campaign reporting should reflect the original objectives.

33. Qualitative Data and Audience Feedback

Not all useful social media information is numerical.

Audience feedback can reveal:

• Common questions.
• Customer concerns.
• Product interests.
• Content requests.
• Service-related feedback.
• Recurring objections.

For example, if several users ask how a service works, the business may benefit from creating educational content explaining the process.

Qualitative information can complement quantitative metrics.

However, a few comments should not automatically be treated as representative of the entire audience.

Use feedback as a source of possible insights and hypotheses.

34. How to Turn Data Into Actionable Insights

A professional report should connect observations with recommendations.

Consider this example:

Data: Educational carousels generated the highest number of saves.

Observation: Practical informational content performed well in that metric.

Insight: The audience may find educational guides useful.

Recommendation: Test additional carousels covering frequently asked questions.

This process can be summarized as:

Data → Observation → Hypothesis → Action → Evaluation

The recommendation should be tested rather than treated as a guaranteed result.

35. How to Structure a Social Media Report

A practical report can follow this structure.

1. Cover Page

Business name, reporting period, and report title.

2. Executive Summary

A short overview of the most important findings.

3. Business Objectives

The goals guiding the social media strategy.

4. Publishing Activity

Content created and published.

5. Performance Overview

Reach, views, engagement, followers, and other relevant metrics.

6. Content Analysis

Top-performing and underperforming posts.

7. Campaign Results

Performance of specific initiatives.

8. Business Outcomes

Leads, conversions, and other measurable results.

9. Period Comparison

Changes compared with previous reporting periods.

10. Insights and Recommendations

Key findings and suggested actions.

11. Next Steps

The plan for the upcoming period.

This structure keeps the report focused and easy to understand.

36. How DunaHub Can Support Social Media Reporting

DunaHub provides tools designed to help businesses organize marketing activities, manage content workflows, and maintain customer relationships.

Several features can support a more structured approach to social media management.

Social Media Management

Social Media Management tools can help businesses organize content-related activities.

Instagram Post Scheduling

The ability to schedule Instagram posts can help teams plan publishing activities in advance.

Free Instagram Analytics

Free Instagram Analytics can support the review of available Instagram performance indicators.

CRM and Sales Pipeline

DunaHub's CRM and visual pipeline capabilities can help businesses organize leads and monitor sales opportunities.

When lead sources are recorded consistently, this information can complement social media performance analysis.

The availability of specific metrics, historical data, reporting exports, and other features should be confirmed within the platform.

Analytics tools help organize information, but interpreting results and developing recommendations remain essential parts of effective reporting.

37. Social Media Reporting Checklist

Before finalizing your report, review the following:

• Business objectives are clearly defined.
• Reporting dates are identified.
• Platforms are listed.
• Relevant metrics are included.
• Reach has been reviewed.
• Impressions and views are included where relevant.
• Engagement has been analyzed.
• Engagement rate uses a consistent formula.
• Follower growth has been calculated.
• Profile visits and link clicks have been considered.
• Audience demographics are included when relevant.
• Leads and conversions are included when measurable.
• Organic and paid results are distinguished.
• Publishing activity is documented.
• Top-performing content is highlighted.
• Underperforming content is reviewed.
• Campaign results are evaluated.
• Previous periods are compared.
• Insights are supported by available evidence.
• Recommendations are included.
• Next steps are clearly defined.

This checklist helps ensure the report provides useful information rather than just a collection of statistics.

38. Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Report Metrics

What data should a social media report include?

A report should include business objectives, relevant performance metrics, content activity, period comparisons, campaign results, insights, and recommendations.

What are the most important social media metrics?

The most important metrics depend on the objective. Reach, engagement, follower growth, clicks, leads, and conversions may all be relevant.

Should every report include follower growth?

Follower growth can be useful, but it does not need to be a primary metric when the business is focused on other objectives.

Is engagement rate more important than likes?

Engagement rate can provide additional context by relating interactions to a relevant base. However, both metrics should be interpreted according to the strategy.

How do you measure social media success?

Define business objectives, select relevant indicators, compare results consistently, and evaluate progress over time.

Should social media reports include sales data?

Yes, when reliable tracking and attribution are available. Engagement metrics alone do not demonstrate sales.

How often should social media reports be created?

Monthly reporting is common for ongoing management. Weekly, quarterly, and campaign-specific reports may also be appropriate.

How do you compare social media results across platforms?

Use platform-specific metrics and clearly explain measurement differences. Avoid treating similarly named indicators as automatically equivalent.

How can agencies make reporting more efficient?

Standardized templates, organized workflows, consistent metrics, and analytics tools can help reduce repetitive reporting work.

Can DunaHub help with social media performance analysis?

Yes. DunaHub offers Social Media Management, Free Instagram Analytics, and Instagram post scheduling tools that can support content management and performance review.

Conclusion: Focus on the Data That Helps You Make Better Decisions

Social media reports are essential for understanding how marketing activities contribute to business objectives.

However, collecting more data does not automatically lead to better decisions.

A useful report focuses on the metrics that matter most.

Reach and views can help evaluate visibility.

Engagement can provide information about audience interactions.

Follower growth can show changes in audience size.

Clicks can help evaluate traffic-related actions.

Leads and conversions can connect marketing activities with commercial objectives when reliable measurement is available.

To create more valuable social media reports, focus on:

Clear business objectives.

Relevant performance metrics.

Consistent measurement methods.

Meaningful comparisons.

Content performance analysis.

Transparent explanations.

Actionable recommendations.

Continuous improvement.

Start by identifying what your business wants to achieve.

Then select the metrics that help evaluate those goals, organize the information, and use the findings to guide future marketing decisions.

With DunaHub, businesses and agencies can explore tools for Social Media Management, Free Instagram Analytics, Instagram post scheduling, and customer relationship management to support a more organized approach to content planning, performance analysis, and sales opportunity tracking.

The best social media report is not the one that includes every available metric. It is the one that helps your business understand performance and decide what to do next.