How to Create a Successful Social Media Strategy Plan

The Need for a Social Media Strategy Plan

Social media has been largely influencing major aspects of our lives. Things which are trending on social media are often subjected to high demand in the market.

Online reviews and social media presence are two of the major driving forces behind a company’s growth. These help you to reach out to people across the globe without investing a major chunk of money in customer acquisition.

Read this post about monetizing your Instagram profile with brand sponsorships!

Businesses which are popular on social media are often considered highly credible as compared to businesses with no digital presence. Social media strategy also helps you to find the right target audience based on their preferences, consumption patterns, and social circle.

Let us understand what social media strategy is, and how you can create an effective social media strategy plan.

Check this post to find out what method the majority of bloggers recommend to drive traffic from Social Media: Which Social Network is the best for driving traffic to a blog? Poll + 21 Actionable Tips from Experts!

What is a Social Media Marketing Strategy?

A social media strategy plan is a clear outline which defines the actions, plans, and the targets that you wish to achieve using social media platforms.

It contains details about the social media platform to use, the target audience, what a company will post, the frequency of posting, etc.

It helps you identify what your current reach is, what your future goals are, and the steps which you must take to reach the desired level of growth on social media.

Every strategy differs from the other in certain aspects, but these are a few steps which are essential to help you create the right social media strategy:

1) Define Your Goals

It is impossible to achieve growth overnight.

If you have a clear idea of what you wish to achieve, you can divide your goals into short-term and long-term goals. If you feel your goal seems unrealistic considering the current scenario, you can divide it into a number of short-term goals to achieve the desired results.

Defining your goals also lends your plan a definite structure, and helps you place your actions accordingly such that they align with your business goals.

2) Research and Identify Your Audience

Your social media strategy is largely dependent on the target audiences. If you have products or services which are restricted to a particular age group or a particular type of people, investing in general social media marketing may prove to be futile. This is the reason why one must create an audience profile based on their age, preference, and the things that drive them.

https://creately.com/diagram/example/judmi9z13/Audience+Profile+

Once you have a clear idea about your audience, you can refine your strategy to suit their tastes. You can also cater to the general audience by segmenting them into smaller groups based on various parameters.

3) SWOT Analysis and Competitor Profile

(SWOT stands for: Strengths. Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

Before you devise a strategy, you must have a clear understanding of what the current state of competition is, how can you bank on the opportunities, and the ways you can differentiate yourself from your competitors.

It is likely that most of your competitors are already on social media and are highly popular. You must be able to identify the ways in which your competitors are interacting with their audiences, what their current number of followers are, and how you can be better.

SWOT analysis helps you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. On social media, the general threat is plagiarism or putting out content which the general audiences find offensive. SWOT analysis is highly useful for creating a social media presence that encompasses all kinds of audiences.

https://creately.com/diagram/example/jne3wmr22/SWOT+Analysis+for+Competitor+Analysis+

4) Selecting Your Content

You must identify ways in which you can reach out to your audiences in the most effective manner. There are multiple ways of doing that, such as blog posts, images, online polls, tweets, etc.

The way in which you present your content is more important than the content itself. Do you wish to present yourself as a company that relies on the latest trends or one with a more formal tone?

Deciding upon the way you will present your content helps you find out the right means to connect. Your content can be about your latest products or services, offers, achievements, or a general post.

5) Select Your Social Media Channel

Social media channels are designed keeping in mind the particular tastes of an audience. For example, LinkedIn is a social media platform designed for working professionals, while Instagram is for general content aimed at casual users.

If you are a company that focuses on making gears, power shafts, and other mechanical equipment, LinkedIn might be the most suitable platform for you. Investing in other social media platforms like Facebook may simply be a waste of your resources.

https://creately.com/diagram/example/judmi9z14/Media+Channel+Strategy+

6) Deciding the Frequency of Your Post

One of the major factors in devising a social media strategy is the frequency of your post. If you post too often, you might be perceived as pushy, while on the other hand, if you post rarely, you might lose the connection with your audience.

Most companies create a content calendar which helps them get equipped with the right posts at the right time. Once you create an event calendar, then you must plan out ways to implement it.

https://app.creately.com/diagram/FUih9fOPKxO/view

7) Monitor Your Results

How often you post your content depends upon how readily your audiences accept your posts. This is evident from the number of likes, shares, new followers and other statistics.

Tracking your results can help you identify the content which is generating the highest traffic, and eliminate the kind of content which is not helping the cause at all.

Conclusion

A social media strategy is a highly useful tool for driving social media growth, improving your online presence, and reaching out to audiences across the globe. The right social media strategy can create a huge difference between unprecedented growth and stagnation.

So, what’s your favorite Social Media strategy plan that has brought you the best results? We would love to share it with us in the comments below!

About the Author

Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Cinergix, the team behind the development of Creately. She is an avid reader, an experienced writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.