2.08. What data is generated by social media?

The presence of cultural equipment on social networks allows it to collect data that will be useful in its efforts to retain the public or to expand its communities, provided that it can be used. What are the data that can be collected there, and how can they be used for its digital marketing strategy?

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Despite the debates surrounding them, social media platforms remain central tools in the communication and marketing strategies of theatres and cultural institutions. Indeed, they offer opportunities for renewed forms of audience engagement¹ and targeted digital marketing actions.

Beyond sharing information, promoting events, and engaging in dialogue with their communities, these platforms also provide a valuable source of data that must be leveraged. By relying on this data, it is possible to better understand the audience, adapt communication, optimize the conversion funnel, and ultimately build loyalty among existing communities-or even reach new audiences.

For a social media presence to yield real benefits, it must be accompanied by an effective strategy and regular monitoring. Beyond the myths surrounding social media, what data is truly actionable, and how can it be used effectively?

1 [FR] Marie Ballarini, "La création des contenus culturels sur les médias sociaux : entre médiation et communication (external link)", Université Paris Dauphine - PSL; Laboratoire d'excellence Industries Culturelles et Création Artistique, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, 2023.

Understanding audience behavior on social media

There are significant differences in how people use social media, with notable generational variations. For example, those under 29 are largely absent from Facebook, while people over 50 tend to avoid Instagram.

Comparison of social media usage by users

Rights reserved: Données recueillies lors d'une enquête menée d'octobre 2023 à septembre 2024 - Source : Statista.com (external link)

It is important to keep in mind that social media platforms themselves evolve in their ability to generate engagement. According to the social marketing platform Emplifi¹, organic engagement (i.e., unpaid) increased by 9% on Instagram in 2023, while the level of interaction continued to decline on Facebook (-17% in one year). It is therefore essential to stay regularly informed about these changes in order to understand whether your results on social media are due to your practices or to the platform itself.

Many agencies monitor social media trends and provide analysis, such as We Are Social and its valuable and comprehensive "Digital Report." The social media management platform Swello also offers the high-quality #fridaynews every Friday to keep up with platform updates, particularly regarding new features.

The data produced by social media offers an opportunity to better understand your relationship with the audience and to improve your marketing actions. However, this requires careful management to avoid getting lost in the mass of information. A structured approach, based on the analysis of posts, interactions, and demographic characteristics, is key to the success of your presence on these platforms.  

1 (EN) "The social media benchmarks to guide your 2025 strategy (external link)", Emplify, février 2025

Rather limited data on audiences

While social media platforms readily provide information regarding the impact of your posts, they are more reserved when it comes to details about the people who make up your audience. Only a few demographic data points (age, gender, geographic location) are available, which do not allow for an in-depth analysis of your communities.

However, within the framework of advertising campaigns, you can target individuals based on their stated interests, which can be valuable if you want to expand your subscriber base or design an advertisement (see the factsheet Understanding and investing in different forms of online advertising). Additionally, social media platforms provide information about your audience's connection habits (connection times, type of device used, etc.). This helps determine the best time to post content and on which device (desktop or mobile).

It is possible to study more data collected by social media through external solutions. These solutions "scrape" data from social media - that is, extract and store it in another IT environment for analysis or use. While not systematically illegal, this practice raises questions in relation to the European regulatory framework for the use of personal data (see our factsheet on the topic), particularly regarding the right to object, to be informed, and to give consent. Furthermore, this practice is highly disapproved of by platforms and may result in being banned from them (see the testimony of researcher Marie Ballarini in the TMNLab café listed in the resources below).

More than profiling data, social media provides an opportunity to intersect topics (and therefore audiences), by bouncing off current subjects or trends - as demonstrated by community managers of major brands who know how to respond humorously to current events, or even mock their competitors...  

What types of data can be used on social media?

Social platforms provide both quantitative and qualitative data, grouped into several categories:

Audience data: Who are your followers?

Social networks allow you to understand the profile of people who interact with your content.

Demographic data

  • Age, gender
  • Location (city, country)
  • Language

Interests and behaviors

  • Followed pages and content
  • Most frequent connection times and days
  • Type of device used (mobile, desktop)

Where to find this data?

  • Facebook & Instagram Insights → "Audience" tab
  • Twitter Analytics → "Followers" section
  • LinkedIn Analytics → Follower demographics
  • TikTok Analytics → Follower details and behavior

How to use it?

  • Adapt posting times to follower habits.
  • Target sponsored campaigns based on the most engaged profiles (if targeting your own followers), look-alike audiences, or visitors to your website (retargeting).
  • Adjust tone and type of content according to audience characteristics.

    Engagement data: How do they interact with your content?

    These data show the level of interaction with your posts and provide insight into their impact. Key metrics

    • Engagement rate (likes, shares, comments, clicks)
    • Video retention rate (percentage of views over 3 seconds)
    • Click-through rate (CTR) on links
    • Time spent on a post or video
    • Number of private messages received

    Where to find these data?

    • Facebook & Instagram Insights → Engagement on each post
    • YouTube Studio → Video retention and watch time
    • TikTok Analytics → Number of views, shares, and completion rate
    • Google Analytics → Traffic from social media to your website

    How to use them?

    • Identify the formats and topics that generate the most engagement
    • Optimize visuals and copywriting based on best-performing posts
    • Test different content strategies (video, carousels, live...)
    • Tag associated individuals likely to share, and plan timing to optimize views/shares/comments (e.g., on LinkedIn, reactions should ideally occur within 60 minutes of posting)

      Reach and visibility data: What is the actual audience of your posts?

      These data help evaluate the exposure of your content and optimize its distribution.

      Key metrics

      • Organic reach (number of people who saw a post without paid promotion)
      • Paid reach (number of views obtained via advertising)
      • Impressions (total number of times a post was displayed)
      • Virality rate (number of shares relative to impressions)

      Where to find these data?

      • Facebook & Instagram Insights → Post reach details
      • Twitter Analytics → Tweet impressions
      • LinkedIn Analytics → Post reach and impressions

      How to use them?

      • Compare organic reach (on average only 5 to 7% of your subscriber audience) and paid reach to adjust advertising investments
      • Identify posts with high virality and analyze the reasons behind it
      • Experiment with hashtags when trending or according to platform practices
      • Build collaborations to increase organic reach

        Conversion data: Do social networks generate concrete actions?

        These data measure the impact of posts on specific objectives (ticket purchases, newsletter subscriptions, etc.).

        Key indicators

        • Conversion rate (clicks that result in an action)
        • Website traffic from social media
        • Number of purchases/reservations generated via social networks
        • Number of event or newsletter sign-ups

        Where to find this data?

        • Google Analytics → Tracking visitors coming from social media
        • Facebook Pixel / Meta Business Suite → Conversion tracking from ad campaigns
        • UTM Tracking (Google) → Identifying posts that generate traffic

        How to use it?

        • Identify the platforms that convert best and adjust the strategy accordingly
        • Improve CTAs (Call-to-Action) to maximize conversions
        • Use the most effective ad formats (e.g., lead ads on Facebook)

        We invite you to consult the article Implementing digital visitor tracking... and using it to set up tracking, which is essential for effectively targeting actions, and Understanding and investing in different forms of online advertising to structure your campaigns.  

          How to put these data to work for your strategy?

          Here is a checklist to keep in mind:

          Segment your audience
          Create audience profiles based on collected data (e.g., "Young urban contemporary dance enthusiasts").

          Experiment and adjust your editorial line
          If videos perform better than text posts, prioritize video.
          Post at times when your followers are most active.

          Optimize your advertising campaigns
          Invest in content that performs well organically to maximize the effectiveness of paid promotions.
          Target audiences-your followers on one hand, and a broader but specific audience on the other-that engage most with your posts.

          Test and measure the impact of your actions
          Compare performance before/after implementing a new strategy (e.g., posting frequency, content type...).
          Track the growth of followers after a specific campaign.

          Ensure regular monitoring and analysis
          Analyze your data monthly to adjust your strategy.
          Compare your audience and performance: between your different actions, and with similar cultural institutions.  

          To go further

          Cette check list est valable que vous souhaitiez maintenir le contact avec votre communauté existante ou développer de nouveaux publics. Pour construire votre stratégie d'aquisition, nous vous invitons à parcourir deux autres fiches :

          Rubriques

          Explorez le sujet en quatre grandes rubriques dédiées au spectacle vivant, depuis la compréhension des enjeux jusqu'au pilotage stratégique.

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