For my New Year’s Social Resolution, I want to dive deeper into the world of social media data analytics.

Social media data analytics are an integral part of any successful social media campaign. It reveals to creators and managers what works and what doesn’t. Social media analytics also reveal trends, such as the best time of the day and week to post. Other than those few cases, however, I do not know much more.

Every Friday, I record the analytics for CSU’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Then, I make a report showcasing the top posts of each college’s social media accounts. This ritual has turned out to be my favorite part of the week, despite the hundreds of times I have adamantly expressed my distaste for all things numbers.

I have become more open-minded to the idea of working with numbers, even though I intentionally chose to study journalism to avoid it. Both during this internship and in my Information Graphics class this semester, I have worked with more numbers than I have in my first three years of college. It turns out that I enjoy it. Who would’ve thunk it? 

In this upcoming semester, I have resolved to seek out more expertise, advise and knowledge in data analytics. It seems as if I have just touched the surface in this area of social media, but it goes so much deeper. I would like to have more insight on how to understand and interpret data analytics. Furthermore, how can I take what I learn from this data and make beneficial changes?

Lucky for me, this knowledge and expertise is plentiful among Team Social. Beyond the resources and knowledge that Team Social can share, I can seek out knowledge from my professors and through my own independent research.

This past semester has proven to me that working with numbers and spreadsheets isn’t what I imagined it would be. In reality, having a deeper understanding of data analytics can make me a more well-rounded journalist.

So bring it on, 2017. I’m ready for more numbers and spreadsheets.