How to Plan Your Social Media in 8 Steps
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the social media options out there? Do you know where to start when it comes to planning your social media strategy? This blog post is for you! In 8 steps, we'll show you how to plan your social media in a way that's easy and manageable. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!
Establish Your Social Media Goals
There's no denying that social media is a powerful tool. It can help you reach a wider audience, connect with potential customers, and build brand awareness. But before you dive in, it's important to take a step back and establish your social media goals.
Ask yourself:
What are you trying to accomplish with social media?
Is it brand awareness?
Are you trying to drive more people to your website or blog?
Are you selling a product or service?
Once you know your goals, you can start planning your social media strategy. And when it comes to social media, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. The platform you use and the content you share should be tailored to fit your goals. So, if you're trying to build brand awareness, Instagram may be the best platform for you. But if you're trying to sell a product or service, Facebook may be a better option. There's no right or wrong answer - it all depends on your goals. So, take some time to think about what you want to achieve with social media before you start sharing content. It'll make all the difference in the world.
Define Your Target Audience
As you probably know by now, social media is a great way to connect with your target audience. But did you know that you can use social media to actually define your target audience? That's right - by carefully selecting which platforms you use and which content you share, you can attract a specific type of customer or client. For example, if you're trying to reach a female audience, consider using Pinterest or Instagram. These platforms are particularly popular with women, and they give you an opportunity to share visual content that can appeal to your target demographic. Alternatively, if you're trying to reach a business-minded audience, LinkedIn may be a better platform for you. By taking the time to define your target audience on social media, you'll be able to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns - and ultimately build a stronger relationship with your customers or clients.
For information on how to attract a specific target audience, check out our blog for more information!
Choose Your Platforms
When it comes to social media, it's important to choose the right platform for your target audience. For example, if you're looking to recruit millennials, you'll find them on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.
According to Sprout Social, "Gen Z is eager to interact with brands beyond the storefront. Seventy-six percent say that social media enables them to interact with brands and companies, and 78% report using social media to learn about new brands."
If you're looking to reach baby boomers, you'll find them on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. "Only 20% say they have purchased directly from a social platform, and 21% have used social media for customer service."
“The key is to know your audience and choose the platform that they’re most likely to be using by researching.”
By doing this, you'll be able to maximize your social media strategy and recruitment efforts.
Create A Social Media Content Calendar
Trying to keep up with social media can feel like a full-time job. There's always something new to post, and it's tough to keep track of what you've already shared. That's where a social media content calendar comes in. This helpful tool allows you to plan out your content in advance, so you can stay organized and make sure you're sharing a mix of timely, relevant, and engaging posts. The best part is, we've done all the hard work for you. At Altar'd Socials, we have prepared a FREE social media content calendar download for you to use. This is the exact template that we use to plan our content, and we're happy to share it with you. So go ahead and download it now, and get started on creating a social media strategy that works for you.
If you are looking for a software to automatically post your content, Later is a great option for the ease of use.
Batch Create Content
One of the best tips we can give you during the planning process of social media is to batch create. Batch creating content is the most time effective ways prepare content to post. What this means is setting aside a day or chunk of time to sit down and create all of your content for the month or week. This could include writing blog posts, creating graphics, filming videos, or anything else you need to do for your social media platforms. By batch creating, you can have everything ready to go in advance so that you're not scrambling at the last minute trying to come up with something to post. This will help you to stay organized and consistent with your postings, which is key to building a strong social media following. So if you're looking for ways to be more efficient with your social media content creation, batch creating is definitely a method you should try out!
Quality Visuals
If you're anything like me, the hardest part of creating a social media post is finding the right image. You want something that's eye-catching and relevant, but it can be tough to find that perfect balance. That's why our team uses Canva. Not only does it have a huge library of images to choose from, but it also has a ton of great templates for those of us who aren't graphic designers. With Canva, you can easily create beautiful images for your posts in just a few minutes. So if you're struggling to find the right image, definitely give Canva a try. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Engage!
As an expert in the social media industry, one thing is for certain: engagement on social media is just as important as posting on social media. Just a few examples of what engagement looks like on social media include:
liking and commenting on posts
sharing content
repost relevant content on your story
Of course, simply posting content is also important, but engagement helps to foster a community around your content and encourages people to keep coming back for more. In fact, research has shown that people are more likely to engage with brands on social media that they feel are responsive and engaging. So, if you want to create a successful social media presence, make sure to focus on both posting great content and encouraging engagement from your followers.
Analyze Insights
Understanding your Instagram Insights is key to having a successful social media strategy. If you're not looking at your insights, you're missing out on valuable information about your followers. What kind of content are they responding to? When are they online? How many people saw your post? These are all important questions that can be answered by looking at your Instagram insights. By understanding what content your followers are responding to, you can create better content and achieve your social media goals. So don't forget to check your insights regularly.
So there you have it! An easy 8-step guide to creating a social media plan that's manageable and effective. Are you feeling excited (and maybe just a little bit less overwhelmed) now? We hope so! If you're still feeling lost, or if you have any questions about anything we've talked about in this post, please don't hesitate to contact us today. Our team would be more than happy to help get your social media strategy up and running—and who knows, maybe we can even help you achieve those amazing results you're hoping for. Let's start planning your social media together today!