When looking at various social media outlets that can provide the best opportunities for branding, interaction and information sharing, understanding where one’s audience spends their time can be useful when determining where to allocate time and financial resources. In addition to knowing one’s target audience and their demographic, understanding how to gather data regarding whether efforts are effective and garnering attention, shares and interaction is vital to getting the most out of social media efforts.

With an abundance of social media options available, some of the two largest, but very different avenues can leave marketers and business leaders alike baffled as to what sites can offer them the most bang for their buck, and their time. One of the biggest difference between Facebook and LinkedIn lies not only in the types of audiences the social media outlets draw but also in the way those audience members and their interactions with companies pages are measured by Facebook and LinkedIn.

Facebook has been offering tools and insights for tracking interaction and sharing for company pages, LinkedIn’s analytics have recently experienced a dramatic improvement. Despite the offerings Facebook highlighted, which displayed specific interactions for posts, pictures, videos and statuses, Linkedin’s analytics have experienced recent changes, allowing them to reveal similar information.

While both social media outlets are highlighting important information about the way audiences interact with shared information on a post-specific level, the data revealed by updated analytics, improved by LinkedIn have provoked excitement among marketers and company leaders alike because of the vast information provided for an audience that can be difficult to tap into.

Understanding how other businesses, leaders, job seekers and vendors interact with company pages can be invaluable for businesses who gain from business to business marketing or industry referrals. The excitement surrounding LinkedIn’s improved analytics is accompanied by the difficulties previously associated with gathering information about social media use by that specific group or audience, consisting of business professionals.

Like Facebook’s insights, LinkedIn analytics display information about the number and trends, including information about comments, shares and engagement.

Regardless of what type of social media outlet is being used, tracking and measuring the success of posts, shares, information and interaction among followers and visitors is vital to insuring that the information shared in the future is valuable and thought provoking. Without information that displays a business or company’s role as a thought leader and front runner in their industry, social media shares and statuses do very little to improve the associations one may have with a business, which can have positive repercussions on branding, referrals and keeping a company at the top of one’s mind. As LinkedIn and Facebook continue to improve the way businesses and marketers are able to measure to success and failure of posts and information on social media, a clearer understanding regarding ways to reach followers more effectively may be reached.

As insights and analytics improve, the way businesses and companies understand their consumption and desires will also improve, allowing more tailored information and posts that meet the specific needs of social media audiences.