Creating a robust social media plan is critical for businesses that aspire to expand their brand and optimize marketing efforts. These plans lay out how you plan on utilizing various platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – along with any other customizable options such as LinkedIn or Instagram.
To craft an effective plan, it’s essential to consider the minutiae of your social media activities and remain attentive to minute details. As such, there are a number of indispensable practices that can help guide you through this process so that you can achieve optimal results from every step taken!
1. Create separate social media and content marketing plans.
The two are often conflated, or at least perceived as such; however, they are not interchangeable. Content marketing strategies must be adapted to the unique needs of your business’ social media strategy. Effective content creation involves: crafting thought-provoking blog posts and videos; producing engaging images, infographics and memes; creating compelling quotes and quotations – all of which ought to be seamlessly integrated into your social media presence.
In order to effectively allocate your efforts between social media and website content marketing campaigns, it’s vital that you establish an appropriate allocation of time and budget.
2. Create a distinct voice and tone.
Social media marketing is a human endeavor. That’s why it’s essential for brands to develop an individualized voice and tone that fits their business.
To put it simply, you want to craft your social media persona with care. Each post should be written in a way that accurately reflects who your brand is and what it does.
Just like one wouldn’t walk around speaking as if he or she was Mr. Potato Head, refrain from composing tweets in the same vein as I am Tweeter!
3. Set clear objectives and benchmarks.
It’s crucial that you establish a unifying goal for your social media campaign before you start preparing it. This can take the form of a singular objective or an overarching mission; whatever it is should provide direction as to how you will be assessing progress along the way.
Pro tip: For instance, some businesses may elect to measure their success by reaching new audiences with their posts on social media. Alternatively, some may gauge success by attracting more likes or shares across all platforms when posting content.
4. Embrace social media monitoring and reporting tools.
To be truly on top of any social media marketing endeavor, it is essential to keep tabs on the KPIs – or key performance indicators – that provide an objective measure of success.
Social media monitoring tools enable you to keep track of your enterprises’ social media accounts in real-time, allowing for frequent updates and stay abreast of all activity. This ensures that your brand is consistently represented in a positive light! Plus, it provides a comprehensive record of all interactions with interested parties; thus helping you better understand how best to engage with them!
With social media management software, you can effortlessly monitor multiple channels at once, so don’t forget about Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Utilize monitoring software such as Hootsuite’s free edition or Amplitude’s free toolkit – both offer accessible solutions that allow you to keep tabs on all your social media profiles within minutes. All you need to do is visit their respective websites and login before viewing in order to gain access; this process is entirely self-service-oriented which makes it extremely user-friendly!
5. Post often but strategically: create an editorial calendar.
Facebook and Instagram are powerful social media platforms with extraordinary reach, but it is imperative that you use them judiciously. For optimal results, it’s essential to adhere to a regular posting schedule so as not to overdo it or neglect key content – the last thing you want is for your audience to become desensitized! Utilizing scheduling tools like Flick’s Scheduler or SocialBee will help ensure you stay consistent and top of mind for your audience.
To help ensure that your posts get noticed amid all those others (and therefore generate organic traffic), an effective editorial calendar can be invaluable.
6. Update your online presences regularly – even if you don’t have new content to share yet!
Just as you wouldn’t leave your email address offline, don’t neglect your social media accounts. Regularly updating them with fresh content and images is an excellent way to stay in contact with potential clients; it shows that you’re attentive and accessible.
Without fail, I check my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds almost daily – and if there’s something new to share on any of those platforms then I’ll be sure to do so!
7. Share visual content for visual learners: photos
For those individuals who naturally gravitate toward visual learning – people like me! – social media platforms are an ideal location for showcasing images.
When creating a post, upload a photograph to help convey more information in less time; it’s truly a delight! There are few things more delightful than looking at stunning imagery, so why not stimulate your followers’ curiosity and pique their interest with captivating visuals?
Ensure that you’re posting relevant and topical photos on a regular basis. For example, if you have a takeaway pizza business, post regular photos that scream “eat this”.
Be sure to delight them with your latest vacation photographs; never forget to include the weather conditions when sharing pictures from the past week or month–they’ll be eager to see what their surroundings looked like during festivities when you were scheduling PTO!
With so much content circulating on social media platforms and other websites alike, images can be an indispensable tool for creating desired brand impressions – from captivating business profiles to enticing customer-to-sales conversions!
By utilizing photographs, you’ll be able to craft memorable content that provides a more in-depth look into your company or products. This provides an opportunity for customers to learn more about what they’re selling while also generating trust with potential prospects – ultimately resulting in greater sales volume!
For those who are unfamiliar with the word, an infographic is a visual representation of data. By utilizing infographics in your social media posts, you can connect with your audience on an introductory level and provide them with an easy way to digest complex information.
Infographics offer you several benefits when it comes to crafting content for social media. First off (and foremost), they’re simple; so much more so than any lengthy comment or tweet! These visuals help people comprehend anything from the latest statistics on global warming to financial gain by simply showing them visuals of such data.
Infographics present numerous advantages over conventional content. They’re engaging, shareable, informative and useful! Even if users don’t understand all the details, they will still be able to comprehend what’s being shared through captivating imagery.
When it comes to the planning of a social media strategy, there are numerous elements that must be considered. From posting frequency and content types to audience insights – all play an essential role in crafting a successful campaign!
Prioritize your social media channels according to their relevance to your business. Assessing your industry and niche will help you choose which platforms to focus on most effectively. In addition, identifying where your target audience frequents online may assist with determining which ones should receive more attention on the web.
8. Capture conversations in real time so you can follow up later.
To ensure your brand’s presence on social media is an ongoing enterprise, it is imperative that you monitor conversations closely.
Scrutinize each post or update, and flag those that arise frequently. This can be achieved by clicking on the ‘star’ icon to acknowledge a specific response as noteworthy; alternatively, place them beneath one of your favorite sections on the profile! In this way, you can keep track of any queries or inquiries that may come up again in the future – all with relative ease!
Ensure that you capture the dialogue with clients, industry rivals and other stakeholders throughout the day so that you can follow-up later on.
9. Educate customers on your value proposition (about your business).
Customers are inundated with social media networking profiles and the myriad of offerings they can choose from. In order to differentiate your business, it’s crucial that you articulate precisely why they should consider choosing yours over another.
An effective way to do this is by educating customers about how their potential patronage will enrich or elevate their lives. For instance, when consumers hear about your “mission-based” planning process or other initiatives aimed at generating sought-after outcomes for them – such as giving back to society through philanthropic endeavors – they’ll be much more inclined toward making a decision based on these values rather than merely considering cost factors.
10. Conduct research on your ideal audience & competitors
I am a proponent of employing social media as an integral platform for marketing. In order to be effective, you must understand your target audience and its preferences – both online and off it.
To discover more about the population that frequents your brand on social media sites, simply peruse the profiles of its fellow users. You’ll be astonished at how much information can be gleaned just by observing their posts and comments!
Conclusion
Your social media plan is a living, breathing document that should be periodically revised in order to keep pace with the ever-changing landscape. Utilize the 10 suggestions provided above for an optimal strategy that provides maximum impact at minimal cost!
