Social Media Marketing Plan

So you’ve been put in charge of social media for your company and you’re not sure where to start. How many accounts should you have? What time of day should you post content? How often should you post? Do you need any social media marketing tools?

We understand that it can be a confusing and time-consuming process and we’re here to help!

Let’s begin with the basics. What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing definition: the act of a two-way conversation between a company and its customers and/or prospective customers over social media platforms. Companies often use social media networks not only to promote their products and services but to also increase brand awareness and engage with large audiences.

What is a social media marketing plan?

A social media marketing plan or social media marketing strategy should summarise your social media goals and content plans. A social media audit is an important starting point to determine where your social media platforms are performing well and where they require more attention. It helps to guide your goal setting and forms the basis of your social media marketing plan.

What should a social media marketing plan contain?

1. Measurable goals

A good plan always starts with measurable goals. Think about what you want to achieve from your social media marketing. The best way to determine specific goals is to first analyse your current performance…

2. Social media audit

Begin by analysing your current situation – how well is your content performing? What is your average engagement rate on each platform? Are your profiles complete and optimised for SEO?

How well do you know your audience?

Use social media analytics to understand your followers – what is their location? What are they interested in? Are they your intended audience? Is there another audience type that you want to target?

What are your competitors doing?

List a small number of competitors and monitor their activity levels, post types and engagement. Are they responding to comments? How many followers do they have? Are they running a campaign? It’s useful to keep an eye on them!

Are you on the right social media platforms? And do you really need that many accounts?

Your social media marketing plan should include an assessment of your current channels.

Are your platforms appropriate to the industry in which you operate? Which platforms are your target audience using? Do you have a Twitter account for every aspect of your business?

Do you really need all of those accounts? Merging and migrating accounts can be easier to manage and clearer for your audience. Did you know you can separate content simply by using hashtags?

3. Account ownership

Once you’ve decided which channels and accounts to keep, it is best practice to control ownership of these accounts. Whether you assign ownership to one person or a small group of people, it’s important to have a consistent tone of voice and standardised posting guidelines.

4. Create a social media content calendar

Create a social media content calendar for planned content, which can be scheduled in using a social media marketing tool. During your social media audit, you will be able to see the types of posts that have worked well and should be continued. You can also find inspiration from other companies on social media – in and outside of your industry. Have you tried Twitter polls, for example?

5. Monitor your platforms and engage with your followers

Always make sure you monitor your social media. Social media marketing is not a one-way conversation, so you should ensure that someone is tasked with replying to comments and engaging with followers. This helps to show that you’re active on social media and will encourage further engagement. There are several useful social media marketing tools that can help with this – Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Buffer and Loomly, to name a few. Marketing Automation platforms such as SharpSpring also benefit from some really useful social media marketing tools.

Social media marketing template

You may be searching for a social media marketing template. There are some useful templates out there, but be warned – there is no one size fits all when it comes to social media. That’s why we offer a free social media audit where we will analyse your current social media presence, platform use, following, content, tone and competitors!

If you’re looking for an agency to manage your social media for you – or to provide consultancy – then look no further. Request a social media audit or get in touch for a quote.