You've surely wondered how your brand's social authority stacks up against your competitors. However, if you're merely using your follower count as the yardstick, you're not doing it right.

While these high-level engagement metrics are important to look at, they don't reveal the complete picture of your brand's social presence.

For instance, if you're a small up-and-coming shoe brand, comparing your Instagram presence in terms of followers to the likes of Nike or Adidas would be of little significance. Instead, to accurately measure your brand's social presence, you must take into account tried and true metrics that actually make sense.

That's where competitive benchmarking comes in. By conducting an extensive analysis, you can better understand your strengths and weaknesses in comparison to the competition, which will allow you to improve and stand out from your competitors.

While there are many benchmarking tactics you can employ, let's take a look at the five most crucial ones that should always be taken into account.