In Social Analytics reports we display data as it comes from the various social channel's APIs.
As there are many different types of data, understanding these can be difficult and it may appear to vary from tool to tool or even from the native channels. Rest assured that our data is accurate, and there is usually an explanation for any apparent data discrepancies.
If you'd like to learn the definitions for the metrics within Owned Social Analytics, check out our dedicated article here.
In Social Analytics there are three different types of data:
Page level data accounts for actions taken on the page during a time frame.
Post level data is lifetime values specific to actions taken on those posts.
Follower and Audience data are the demographics and audience location data points and widgets.
Confusion often occurs when looking at other providers that blend these metrics together. We disagree with that approach because we'd rather provide a clear picture of what data is being analyzed and how the data types are different.
In Social Analytics, most metrics, such as the overview cards at the top and graphs showing data over time, are based on Page level data. For example, Total Impressions is the total number of impressions on any post on the page during the time frame.
Post level data is seen in the Gallery and List view of the Top Performing Posts widget. This is showing the lifetime value of engagements, impressions, etc. on the posts published during the selected time frame.
To use a practical example to illustrate the difference between these two data types, let's say that I am looking at the Facebook Overview report for November 1-30, 2020. If on November 15 a fan viewed a post that was published on October 1, that impression will be included in the Total Impressions and Impressions over time widgets but it would not be included in the Gallery or List view of Top Performing Posts because the post was not published in November. Therefore, if you summed up the impressions from the Gallery or List view, it would most likely not equal the Total Impressions widget.
Social Analytics shows the data that the various social channels provide through their APIs, and we do not manipulate this data or do any calculations with it. Unfortunately, in some cases, the social channels only provide certain metrics at a Post level and not at the Page level.
For example, Instagram does not provide reach at the Page level but does at the Post level. This is why you see this metric in the Top Performing Posts widget (Post level metrics), but it is not included in any of the totals or other charts (Page level metrics).
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