By Ben Sailer
Source:PostPlanner
Social media marketing is difficult.
No one in the industry needs to be told that much.
But “it’s hard” isn’t an excuse for failure. This is often the rationale marketers and business owners use to shrug off social media.
They don’t put it in those words though, of course. Instead, we hear people say, “social media doesn’t work for our kind of company,” or things like that.
Maybe that’s harsh. It’s also true. The path to success starts with pushing beyond this way of thinking.
Too many companies create social media accounts — and then throw in the towel when they don’t see immediate results.
Others maintain a social presence because they think they need one — even though it’s not driving results.
In either case, the missing piece is having a social media plan that works.
And we can help with that!
In this post, I’ll show you how to create a social media plan that’ll help you increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and increase conversions.
What Is A Social Media Plan (And Why Do I Need One)?
This question is less obvious than it sounds. In the simplest terms, it’s a comprehensive strategy for your social media marketing. A well-built plan should include:
- A clear list of goals and objectives
- An audit of your existing social media presence
- Competitive analysis
- A basic social media content strategy outline
- Building a social media calendar
- Established methods for measurement and analysis
Building an effective strategy for social media takes time. But it’s time well spent!
An effective plan is essential for assuring the success of your overall social media marketing efforts.
A social media plan helps:
- Maintain consistent posting schedules across channels
- Avoid last-minute rushing to find content to share
- Stop missing the boat on trending topics due to poor planning
In short, an effective plan helps you do better and work more efficiently… with less stress.
Set Measurable Social Media Marketing Goals
Before you do anything, you need to know why you’re on social media in the first place.
Here are some examples of common goals and objectives:
- Drive conversions
- Build connections with potential customers
- Establish industry authority
- Raise brand awareness
Knowing how to set worthwhile goals is important!
It’s also a deep topic worthy of a post all by itself. Fortunately, the folks at Simply Measured put together an excellent post on social media goal-setting to get you started.
Audit Your Social Media Channels
Before anyone panics, the kind of audit we’re discussing does not involve getting called by the IRS.
We’re talking about evaluating your current social media presence and doing some housecleaning.
Let’s begin by selecting your social channels. This entails:
- Evaluating which social media channels you’re already on
- Determining which you should keep and which you should abandon
- Deciding which (if any) you should add
Curious how to know which channels are right for you?
Start by asking these 3 questions: