How to create a great social media marketing plan

Many businesses set off using social media and after a few months of posting each day and trying to understand if it is working they are left scratching their head and feeling frustrated with the lack of results. To prevent this situation from occurring we would always recommend creating a social media marketing plan before diving straight in!

 

What is a social media marketing plan?

A social media marketing plan will provide a summary of objectives/goals that you want the social media to achieve, how they are going to be achieved and when and who is going to be responsible for the management of the pages. The more specific the plan is, the more impact it will have on the implementation.

By following these steps, you should be able to create a suitable plan for your business and get the results you are looking for!

 

Step 1: Conduct a social media audit

Prior to creating a social media marketing plan, you need to assess your current situation and social media platforms and how they are performing. The best way to do this is to look at the social media insights and Google Analytics to see what is happening, which posts have worked, which haven’t and why. This is also a great time to audit your competitors and to pick out key things they are doing well and use these as goalposts for your own activity.

 

Step 2: Create social media objectives and goals

The first step to any social media or marketing strategy is to establish the objectives and goals that you hope to achieve. Without these, you or your team have no means of understanding the success or return on investment (ROI) of the work. We would advise using the SMART framework – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. These goals should be aligned with your overall marketing strategy, so all efforts work towards the business objectives.

 

Example:

Twitter – we will share photos that showcase our new product’s features and benefits. We will do this by posting a daily image along with the benefits of using the product. The target for each is at least 100 likes and 10 comments.

 

Make sure to ask yourself what the goal will look like when completed, and use that to determine how you will track it.

 

Step 3: Improve your social accounts

Once you understand which platforms are working or have the potential to work (based on the findings from the audit and the customer base) it is now time to develop the profiles to ensure you are utilising all the features available. Each of the social media platforms has a unique audience and should be treated differently. In general, social media profiles should be filled out completely, and images and text should be optimised.  For example, if using Facebook, make sure the bio is complete and the content contains relevant keywords that a potential user may use to search for your products, services or business.

 

Step 4: Create a content plan and calendar

Having great content takes time to prepare and will play an essential part in succeeding and reaching your objectives.

 

Your content marketing plan should include:

• What types of content you intend to post?
• How often you will post content?
• Target audience for each type of content?
• Who will create the content?
• How you will promote the content?

 

Create the calendar and then schedule your messages in advance rather than updating as and when required. Make sure you include regular engagement with other users so they know you are active and available if they have any questions.

 

We would recommend that you base your content around the following areas:

• Promoting the business, its key messages and its story
• Sharing ideas and relevant industry news and stories
• Adding value and showcasing expertise
• Personally interacting with your audience.

 

Step 6: Measure, evaluate and adjust your social media marketing plan

Use Hootsuite, Facebook Insights, Twitter or Instagram Analytics to track the success and reach of social campaigns. Use Google Analytics to track users who have then made a visit to the website and converted into your goal.

 

The most important thing to understand about your social media marketing plan is that it should be constantly changing. As new networks emerge, you may want to add them to your plan. As you attain goals, you will need to set new targets.

To read more social media advice from Pick and Mix Marketing visit https://www.pickandmixms.co.uk/blog/

 

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