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- SWOT grid: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Evidence log: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Action plan: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.
What's inside
- A SWOT grid: each point with its evidence, where the evidence came from and what it means for your social media
- An evidence log of the questions you checked, how, and what you found
- An action plan that pairs strengths and weaknesses with opportunities and threats, with an owner and a measure for each action
- A filled example for Bramble Flowers, a fictional florist (every figure is made up), and a blank CSV of each sheet
How to use it
- Gather evidence first: your analytics, your messages and reviews, a look at two or three competitors and your own sales.
- List strengths and weaknesses: things inside the business you control, such as your photos, your replies and your time.
- List opportunities and threats: things outside it, such as dates, competitors, platform changes and costs.
- Write the evidence next to every point. A point with no evidence is a guess; mark it as one.
- Write what each point means for social media in one line.
- Turn the grid into actions: use strengths to take opportunities, fix weaknesses that block them, and protect against threats.
- Repeat the analysis every six or twelve months and compare.
Preview: SWOT grid
A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 12 rows.
| Quadrant | Point | Evidence | Where it came from | What it means for social |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Wedding photos get saved and shared | Wedding posts had about twice the saves of other posts this year (example) | Instagram insights | Post more wedding work, with couples' permission |
| Strength | The owner's arranging videos are popular | The three most-viewed Reels were all hands-on arranging | Instagram insights | Make arranging videos a weekly series |
| Strength | Strong local reviews | 62 Google reviews, most mentioning freshness (example) | Google Business Profile | Share review quotes, with permission |
| Weakness | Posting stops in busy weeks | No posts for 11 days before Valentine's Day last year | Our own calendar | Schedule busy-week posts in advance |
| Weakness | Facebook messages go unanswered | Nine messages waited more than two days in September | Facebook inbox | Add a daily inbox check |
| Weakness | We can't tell which posts lead to orders | No tagged links; the order form doesn't ask | Website analytics | Tag links; add 'how did you hear about us?' |
| Opportunity | Mothering Sunday (UK), Sun 7 Mar 2027 | Our second-busiest day last year | Till records; our holidays calendar | Plan the campaign in January |
| Opportunity | Couples plan weddings on Pinterest | Customers mention Pinterest boards in consultations | Wedding consultation notes | Open a Pinterest account for wedding work |
Preview: Evidence log
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Question | How we checked | What we found | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which posts get saved most? | Sorted the last 12 months of posts by saves | Weddings and arranging videos at the top | Mon 2 Nov |
| How fast do we reply? | Read the Facebook and Instagram inboxes for September | Instagram same day; Facebook up to four days | Mon 2 Nov |
| What do competitors post? | Looked at two local florists' last 30 posts each | Mostly product photos; few videos; neither shows the people | Tue 3 Nov |
| Which days sell most? | Till records for last year | Mothering Sunday, Valentine's Day, the week before Christmas | Tue 3 Nov |
| What do customers say about price? | Read every comment and review mentioning price | Some say expensive; reviews say worth it | Wed 4 Nov |
Preview: Action plan
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Pairing | Action | Owner | By when | How we'll measure it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength + opportunity | Weekly arranging video, building to a Mothering Sunday series in February | Hannah (owner) | Start Mon 4 Jan | Mothering Sunday pre-orders compared with last year |
| Strength + opportunity | Open a Pinterest account with three wedding boards | Jo | Mon 30 Nov | Consultations that mention our Pins |
| Weakness + opportunity | Tag every link and add 'how did you hear about us?' to the order form | Jo | Mon 16 Nov | Orders we can trace to social |
| Strength + threat | A monthly post showing what's behind a bouquet's price | Hannah | First one Thu 3 Dec | Fewer price complaints in comments |
| Weakness + threat | Schedule February's posts by 31 January | Jo | Sun 31 Jan | No gaps of more than three days in February |
| Weakness | Daily inbox check at 9am and 4pm | Whoever opens and closes | From Mon 9 Nov | No message waits more than one working day |
Tips
- Bramble Flowers, its staff and every figure in the example are made up.
- Keep strengths and weaknesses inside the business and opportunities and threats outside it. Mixing them up is the most common SWOT mistake.
- Every point needs evidence. 'Our photos are great' is an opinion; 'wedding posts get the most saves' is a finding.
- A SWOT that doesn't end in actions is a list. The action plan sheet is the part to share with the team.
- Use the competitor analysis and social media audit templates to gather the evidence before you fill the grid.
- Zolyp, which makes this template, writes a weekly report through its Analyze feature, which can be one source of evidence for the next SWOT. It only sees what each platform shares for connected accounts, from the day you connect.
Common questions
What is a social media SWOT analysis?
A list of your social media's strengths and weaknesses (inside the business) and the opportunities and threats around it (outside the business), each backed by evidence, followed by actions.
How often should I do a social media SWOT?
Once or twice a year, or before a big change such as a new platform, a rebrand or a new product. Compare it with the last one to see what moved.
What's the difference between a SWOT and a social media audit?
An audit records the facts about your accounts: followers, posting, results and settings. A SWOT interprets those facts alongside what's happening outside the business, and turns them into a plan.
Are the figures in the example real?
No. The florist, its competitors and every figure are made up to show how a filled analysis reads.
Related
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- Social media audit template
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- What is a social media audit?
- What is share of voice?
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