How to Create a Successful Social Media Plan

Dennis Waiguru

Social media is a great way to engage with your audience.

The social media channels available offer marketers an opportunity to drive brand awareness, get insights and create meaningful relationships with potential and existing customers.???

But to be successful on social media, you need a plan.

You need to do your research, use the key social networks, know what your competitors are doing, and create content that connects with your target audience.??

So whether you’re struggling to make an impact and get engagement on social media or or just started to experiment with a new platform, today is the day to develop a social media plan that makes your efforts and posts more successful.

1. Know your brand
2. Understand your audience
3. Know your social media channels
4. Conduct a competitive analysis
5. Set up and optimize accounts
6. Create mission statements
7. Establish metrics
8. Create and schedule content

1. Know Your Brand

This step can be harder for smaller companies that haven’t given who they are much thought.

If you sell pizza, you are a pizza joint. If you are a printer, you provide printing services.

Right? Well, yes and no.

Creating a business today has to go beyond the products and services you offer. You have to create a brand that will attract people to your services because that’s what sets you apart from the rest.?

Consider all aspects of your business and look for things that are uniquely yours. If you are a pizza joint, your unique selling point might be that you specialize in locally-sourced ingredients and want to keep your business sustainable. If you are a printer, you might be committed to the environment, and so you use speciality inks and recycled paper.

Define your brand, and you will be on your way to creating excellent (and relevant) content.

Social media is a great way to engage with your audience. The social media channels available offer marketers an opportunity to drive brand awareness, get insights and create meaningful relationships with potential and existing customers.???

But to be successful on social media, you need a plan. You need to do your research, use the key social networks, know what your competitors are doing, and create content that connects with your target audience.??

So whether you’re struggling to make an impact and get engagement on social media or or just started to experiment with a new platform, today is the day to develop a social media plan that makes your efforts and posts more successful.

1. Know your brand
2. Understand your audience
3. Know your social media channels
4. Conduct a competitive analysis
5. Set up and optimize accounts
6. Create mission statements
7. Establish metrics
8. Create and schedule content

Social Media Channel Tracker

Download Free Template

1. Know Your Brand

This step can be harder for smaller companies that haven’t given who they are much thought. If you sell pizza, you are a pizza joint. If you are a printer, you provide printing services. Right? Well, yes and no.

Creating a business today has to go beyond the products and services you offer. You have to create a brand that will attract people to your services because that’s what sets you apart from the rest.?

Consider all aspects of your business and look for things that are uniquely yours. If you are a pizza joint, your unique selling point might be that you specialize in locally-sourced ingredients and want to keep your business sustainable. If you are a printer, you might be committed to the environment, and so you use speciality inks and recycled paper.

Define your brand, and you will be on your way to creating excellent (and relevant) content.

2. Know Your Audience

Once you've defined your brand identity, you can delve into understanding your audience more deeply. This step naturally connects with the first.

Develop detailed buyer personas to target your audience effectively on social media.

Consider their demographics like age, location, job title, and income, as well as their pain points that your business can address.

Explore their interests, values, and preferred social networks to tailor your content accordingly.

3. Know Your Social Media Channels

To effectively gauge your social media performance, conduct a thorough audit:

• Identify which platforms you're active on.
• Ensure your profiles are fully optimized with photos, cover images, bios, etc.
• Evaluate which pages and posts yield the best engagement (likes, shares).
• Review your audience demographics and interaction patterns.
• Assess posting frequency and its impact.

Identify what's effective and what's not to determine where to focus your efforts. Consider removing underperforming pages to concentrate on platforms aligning best with your audience and business goals. Ask yourself:

• Is my ideal customer likely using this platform?
• Have my efforts on this platform contributed to achieving my business goals?

If the answer is no to either question, prioritize platforms where you can strengthen your social media presence effectively.

Social media is a great way to engage with your audience. The social media channels available offer marketers an opportunity to drive brand awareness, get insights and create meaningful relationships with potential and existing customers.???

But to be successful on social media, you need a plan. You need to do your research, use the key social networks, know what your competitors are doing, and create content that connects with your target audience.??

So whether you’re struggling to make an impact and get engagement on social media or or just started to experiment with a new platform, today is the day to develop a social media plan that makes your efforts and posts more successful.

1. Know your brand
2. Understand your audience
3. Know your social media channels
4. Conduct a competitive analysis
5. Set up and optimize accounts
6. Create mission statements
7. Establish metrics
8. Create and schedule content

Social Media Channel Tracker

Download Free Template

1. Know Your Brand

This step can be harder for smaller companies that haven’t given who they are much thought. If you sell pizza, you are a pizza joint. If you are a printer, you provide printing services. Right? Well, yes and no.

Creating a business today has to go beyond the products and services you offer. You have to create a brand that will attract people to your services because that’s what sets you apart from the rest.?

Consider all aspects of your business and look for things that are uniquely yours. If you are a pizza joint, your unique selling point might be that you specialize in locally-sourced ingredients and want to keep your business sustainable. If you are a printer, you might be committed to the environment, and so you use speciality inks and recycled paper.

Define your brand, and you will be on your way to creating excellent (and relevant) content.

2. Know Your Audience

Now that you have a better idea of who you want to be, you can consider targeting a more specific audience. Already, you can see how the first step ties into the second.?

Look at creating a more detailed buyer persona for your audience and focus on what will attract them to your social media pages. Some things to consider when looking at your target audience are:

• Age
• Location
• Job title
• Income
• Pain points or challenges (that your business can solve)
• Interests or hobbies
• Values or goals (to tie into social issues they care about)
• Most used social network

“Social media isn't a notice board. It's about what people are interested in. So you've got to understand who you are talking to, what they're interested in, and how to talk to them in a meaningful way,” says Mischa McInerney, CMO at the Digital Marketing Institute.?

3. Know Your Social Media Channels

You have to know where you are and how you are performing on social media. That means doing an audit of your social media presence. Here's your social media audit checklist:

• Which platforms are you using?
• Are your pages fully optimized using platform features such as photos, cover images, bio/about, etc.?
• Which pages are getting the best results?
• What posts get the best results (e.g., likes and shares)?
• Who is connecting with you?
• How frequently are you posting?

You want to establish what is working and what is not. You can also take a look at what pages are?most challenging to maintain compared to the results - in other words, are they worth the effort or could you use your time elsewhere?

There might be a need to take down some of your pages to focus on the social media channels that make the most sense for your brand. This means determining what social media platforms are used by your audience and ideal customer.?

To help you decide which pages to shut down ask yourself two questions:

Is my ideal customer likely to be using this platform?

Have my efforts helped me achieve any of my business goals?

If you answer no to either or both, chances are you could focus on other platforms to build your presence on social media.

“When doing your platform audits, it's important to look at the data to influence your decision-making process, " says Nicola Gwillym, Social Media Executive at the Digital Marketing Institute. “Align that information with the overall business goals to ensure you're making the right choices,”?

One more important aspect of an audit is to look for impostor accounts. It is not uncommon for criminals to set up fraudulent accounts for several suspect purposes. Imposter accounts can be harmful as they can use techniques that can blacklist you from searches. If you find anything that could be an imposter account, report it right away.

4. Conduct a Competitive Analysis

A competitive analysis provides valuable insights for enhancing your social media presence. By evaluating competitors, you can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses.

This analysis reveals industry trends, highlighting opportunities for differentiation and areas requiring attention on your own pages.

For instance, if a competitor excels on Instagram but neglects TikTok, it opens a new avenue for your brand to excel. Utilize this information to refine your social media strategy and surpass competitors.

5. Set Up & Optimize Accounts

Based on your audit findings, enhance your existing profiles by optimizing every feature.

Ensure thorough profiles with contact info, company history, product/service descriptions, and compelling visual content like photos and videos.

Verify accounts to prevent imposters. For beginners, set up pages with optimized landing pages.

Utilize a social channel tracker to develop a comprehensive plan, focusing on audience, content, format, and strategic alignment.

6. Create Mission and Vision Statements

Creating specific mission statements for each social media channel is crucial. Tailor these statements based on your ideal customer's needs and pain points:

• Define each platform's purpose, such as customer service on WhatsApp or community building on Threads.
• Align your company's offerings and core values within each statement.
• Use these statements to craft aspirational vision statements, reflecting your brand's future impact.

This approach ensures your social media efforts are strategically aligned with your audience and business values

Always make sure that you focus on creating content that is mission appropriate.

That keeps the lines from blurring, and you won’t begin to lose people by sending mixed messages.

For example, if you use Facebook to answer customer questions, avoid filling the feed with promotional info.

7. Set Up Metrics

In budget-driven companies, tracking social media performance is crucial for optimizing campaigns and posts. Key metrics to monitor include:

• Engagement rate
• Conversion rate
• Amplification rate
• Reach and impressions
• Video views
• Click-through rate
• Audience growth
• Cost per click
• Brand mentions and sentiment
• Total shares

Use these metrics to refine content and strategy. If a platform consistently underperforms despite efforts, consider reallocating resources. Focus on metrics like leads, web referrals, and conversion rates for true ROI insights.

Adapt mission statements based on performance, shifting focus as needed—like from brand awareness to customer service—if results suggest a different audience priority.

8. Schedule Engaging Content

Once you've laid out your plan, the next critical step is creating engaging content. A social media content calendar is essential for scheduling what, when, and where you'll publish content. Incorporate a variety of formats like images, blog post links, videos, and engaging text to maintain audience interest.

Ensure your calendar is feasible for your team and consider optimal posting times. Tailor your content mix to align with your mission statements. Two effective strategies include:

• 80/20 Rule: Focus 80% of content on informative, educational, and entertaining posts, reserving 20% for promotional content.
• Rule of Thirds: Allocate one-third of content to industry insights from thought leaders, one-third to engaging with followers, and one-third to promotional content aimed at conversions.

These approaches help maintain a balanced and engaging social media presence, enhancing your overall strategy's effectiveness.

Final Thoughts

Innovation is not merely a choice but a necessity in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.

As we forge ahead, let's continue to embrace creativity, data-driven strategies, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we can shape a future where every campaign is not just a message but a transformative experience that resonates deeply with our audience.

Let's inspire, innovate, and lead the way towards a new era of digital marketing success.

Stay tuned for more insights and tips in the next edition!

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