A social media strategy might feel a little like a box-ticking exercise. Do you really need one to be successful on social media (especially if you’re a creator, rather than an enterprise social media marketer?). If getting views for views’ sake is all you’re after, maybe not — loads of folks go viral by accident. But where to from there?
Even if you do manage to successfully build an audience, how will you monetize? Turn them into subscribers? Convert them into customers?
That’s where your social media strategy comes in. Your social media strategy defines where you want your social media presence to be in six months, one year, or five — and its the map you’ll use to guide you there.
Here’s a lightweight guide to creating your own from scratch (be sure to check out the full article, linked below, for all the nuance and details).
1. Start with an audit
If you’ve already been posting, take a step back. What’s getting engagement? What content helped bring in more followers? What got the most DMs? What do you enjoy creating? (That one’s important.) Gathering this info early will help you make important decisions as we move down this list.
2. Know your audience inside out
We’re talking more than basic demographics here. Find out their interests, struggles, and where they hang out online — and then spend time there too. Check DMs, comments, and industry trends. Social listening tools and even direct chats can be a goldmine for insights.
3. Set SMART goals
You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? Ask yourself what you’re actually setting out to achieve on social media, no matter how lofty that dream may be. Do you want more brand awareness? More traffic? More sales? Once you've got your goals, make them SMART — that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
4. Pick the right platforms
Everything, everywhere, all at once is not a great social media strategy. Your platform sweet spot isn’t just where your target audience hangs out, but where you actually enjoy creating content.
5. Pick your content pillars
What are you most passionate about? What problems or needs does your audience have right now — and how can you help with that? The overlap between those two areas is where the magic happens. We suggest setting 3-5 content pillars — broad themes you’ll focus on. Stick with them, so your audience knows what to expect. But don’t be afraid to branch out and experiment when inspiration strikes.
6. Create a content calendar
If your strategy is your big-picture roadmap, then your content calendar is every mile you’ll travel along the way. Planning your route content in advance will help you stay consistent (one of the key ingredients for social media success) and organized. It’ll also help you batch tasks — shooting videos one day, writing captions another — to make content creation easier and more fun. It’s time to start posting.
7. Measure your hard work
Your strategy isn’t set in stone — and now you have some content under your belt and in your feed/s, you can zoom out again and check the map. Are the miles you’ve traveled so far taking you in the right direction? If not, it might be time to adjust the route. Check your analytics to see what’s performing best, then tweak your approach. If something’s working, do more of it! If not, pivot and try something new.
