Create Your Social Media Content Plan In 6 Steps

Creating a social media calendar can be relatively simple. However, it all depends on the complexity of what you want to publish, how often, and how many accounts you have.Below, we explain a few easy steps to creating a social content plan from scratch.

1. Take Stock of Your Social Media Accounts

The first step is taking stock of your social media accounts and corresponding login credentials.This is necessary because you must confirm that you have management access to your accounts before you begin scheduling your content.We recommend creating a spreadsheet that keeps a record of the following:

• Active profiles.
• Imposter or inactive profiles.
• Account username and email address, and passwords.
• Business versus personal profiles.
• The target audience for each profile.
• Who manages the profile (e.g. you, a team member, a marketing agency, etc.)?
• Outdated information that requires updating.

You might discover obsolete accounts or profiles for which you no longer have login credentials.Now is an opportunity to delete the old account, recover your passwords, update outdated information, and even create new profiles, if needed.After this effort, you should identify which accounts require management and should be added to your social media posting calendar.

2. Use A Content Plan Template Or Tool

Organising your social content calendar is more accessible with a system or tool.This could be as simple as a spreadsheet or as robust as a software application like Hootsuite.

Spreadsheets For Content Planning

I like using Google Sheets for social content planning because it’s simple and requires less effort than a software tool. You can easily plug in your content topics, publishing dates, and assets.

You can find?many?Google Sheets social media calendar templates?for free online or create one of your own.

Social Media Scheduling Tools

A wide variety of social media planning and scheduling tools are also available.Some are free, and others require a paid subscription. Most offer a free trial, so you can try out their features before you buy.Some of the most popular social media planning tools include:

• Buffer.
• Hootsuite.
• Sprout Social.
• Loomly.
• Zoho.

I recommend trying several trials to see what works best for you and your team.Your business may require specific features, more robust platform management, etc. The important thing is that you choose a system that allows you to create, schedule, and publish your content easily.

3. Create A Content Matrix

Whether you use a spreadsheet or software, creating your social media content matrix is the next step.

This is your plan for what content you plan to post and where and when you plan to post it.

Deciding what content to post is essential to your social media plan. The success of your social strategy depends on you coming up with engaging content ideas.

There are a few models to help get you started.

The 80-20 Principle

The 80-20 Principle is that 80% of your content should be to inform, educate, or entertain your audience, and 20% of your content should promote your business (i.e., sell).

This means that most of your content should serve to provide value to your audience above all else. This may include content types like:

• How-to articles.
• Helpful infographics.
• Tutorials.
• Educational videos.
• Funny memes.
• Photos.
• Expert interviews.

The remaining mix can include content types like promotions, sales graphics, discount codes, or ads.

The Rule of Thirds

Alternatively, follow The Rule of Thirds regarding your social content.

With this matrix:

• One-third of your content should serve to promote your business and drive conversions.
• One-third of your content should be from other industry thought leaders and publishers.
• One-third of your content should be entertaining content that encourages interaction with your followers.

This will help you create a healthy mix of content types and ensure that not all of your content is promotional. You want to build trust with your audience, boost engagement, and drive interactions, not just sales.

Content marketing?doesn’t have to be boring.?Instead, develop creative topics that engage your audience’s interests and entice them to interact with your brand.

4. Organise And Schedule Your ContentOnce you have a good mix of content topics and ideas, it’s time to pencil these into your content calendar.

If you are using a spreadsheet, be sure to include the basic details:

• Platform?(e.g. Facebook).
• Profile?(e.g. Facebook.com/happy SEO agency).
• Publish date.
• Governance?(i.e. team member posting the content).
• Time?(and time zone).
• Copy?(e.g. Instagram caption and hashtags).
• Visuals?(e.g., photo, video, meme, infographic, gif, etc.).
• Link to creative assets.

When and how often you should publish content will depend on your niche and when your audience is active online.

However,? are Tuesdays through Thursdays at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m.

As you continue your social strategy, monitoring your analytics to see when users view and interact with your content will be essential. In addition, this can help you determine when to post content in the future.

Suppose you are using a social media planning tool. In that case, you may even be able to schedule when your content should be posted automatically to each platform – and monitor performance along the way.

5. Track Your Social Media Analytics

Your performance data will influence the effectiveness of your social media strategy.

You will want to track what content resonates most, which posts get the most engagement, and what content drives conversions for your business.

This data will help inform your future content strategy and posting schedule. This should not be a “set it and forget it” system but involve continuous optimisation and planning.

Most social media platforms include their version of analytics. There are also third-party software tools that track performance. As a result, you will have a wealth of data from which to pull social insights.

Here are some of the most important metrics to track:

• Likes.
• Clicks.
• Comments.
• Shares.
• Brand mentions.
• Profile visits.
• Followers.
• Reach.
• Impressions.
• Traffic.
• Leads.

Over time, you will better understand what content works best with your audience, what times work best for posting, and which content types drive conversions and sales.

6. Listen To Your AudienceYour social media analytics will provide much insight into what content your audience engages with most.

But sometimes, getting content ideas and feedback from your followers is great, as most social tools won’t help you generate these unique content ideas.

Throughout your content calendar, you should schedule posts that ask your audience what they want to see. For example, you can ask questions like:

• “What questions do you have about [topic]?”
• “What is the #1 problem you need help with right now?”
• “What topics do you want us to post more about?”
• “What questions do you have for our team/brand?”
• “What’s a trending topic that interests you right now?”

These questions are great for gauging your audience’s interest and?collecting?new content ideas.

You can also get feedback on your existing content, which may help you revise your strategy or remove certain content types from your matrix.

Remember, social media content marketing is all about keeping your audience engaged. So, you should be tuned into what they want, what they struggle with, and what information they want to see on your channels.