Alle Ceambur

The only checklist social media strategy you need in 2023.

Checklist for Social Media Strategy Planning

Social media marketing is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. But with so many different actions to keep straight, it can be easy to drop the ball on your social media plans. This checklist will help you get organized and on track for successful social media marketing.

Step #1: Set Goals and Identify Your Audience.

The first step to any successful social media campaign is setting goals and identifying your target audience. I’ve written a lot of articles on this topic (see this post on Neal Schaffer’ blog), and luckily not much has changed in terms of steps for choosing social media goals.

To begin, ask yourself what you hope to achieve with your social media posts, as well as who you are trying to reach. Considering who you’re targeting can help shape the content of your posts and make important decisions about how, where and how often to post content on social to get the best results.

Examples of marketing goals include:

• Collecting leads
• Growing traffic to the website
• More sales through social media
• More followers
• More engagement
• More views for your videos
• Sign-ups for your trials

Tip: If you’re not sure, take a quick peek at your competitors.

Step #2: Develop Your Content Strategy and Build a Monthly Editorial Calendar.

With your goals in mind, it’s time to come up with a good content strategy to help you achieve those goals. A visual content calendar is an invaluable tool for planning your posts and keeping track of what types of content you should post and when. It’s useful to establish some rules or guidelines about the types of posts you plan to share, including:

• post length
• post format
• graphics & editing style
• caption template

Tip: Consistency is key! 🔑 Aim to have all your social media posts consistent in style, so they’re easily recognizable by your followers. You can also schedule your posts at consistent times and days of the week.

Scheduling tools with Calendar Dashboard I recommend: Pallyy, Sprout Social, Buffer.

Step #3: Select a Few Social Media Platforms to Use.

Before you start creating content, it’s important to consider what types of platforms you plan to use. In my opinion, this will depend on:

1. Which platform does your target audience use mostly
2. Where would they be more likely to connect with your brand
3. Which platform can help you reach your company goals?
4. Do you plan to use ads or influencers?

Select a few social media networks that match up with your goals, budget, and company objectives. Once you’ve narrowed down the selection, think about how often you can realistically post on each platform so that you remain consistent, engaged, and active.

Which platform is best for you?

• LinkedIn: Best for connecting with B2B and corporate decision-makers
• Facebook: Global audience. The best advertising and targetting capabilities
• Instagram: Good for reaching audiences <35 years old
• Twitter: Used by politicians and news

Step #4: Track and Measure Metrics

Once you’ve developed a social media strategy, you need to have a system for tracking and measuring metrics related to your goals. Tools like Instagram Analytics, Creator Studio and Pallyy Analytics can help you determine if your strategy is working or if it needs adjustment.

Examples of Metrics:

• Engagement metrics: likes, comments, saves, shares
• Visibility metrics: views, impressions, reach, video plays
• Traffic metrics: clicks on website, page visits
• ROI metrics: Cost-Per-Click

Step #5: Analyze the results.

Analyze your performance metrics and create monthly reports to find out working and what isn’t so that you can make any necessary changes or adjustments.

How to use Analytics data:

• Track changes month-on-month, and quarterly
• Track performance against goals
• Benchmark your performance against competitors
• Set new targets and adjust goals
• Use data to predict future performance

Suggested: Best social media analytics tools for tracking performance.

Step #6: Engage with Influencers and Participate in Community Events.

Connecting with influencers and engaging in discussions with your community can help you establish meaningful relationships with your target audience.

Start by making sure that you’re following the key influencers in your niche. Then, engage with them on their respective platforms, like commenting on their posts or sharing their content. Lastly, join relevant online communities to connect with your potential customers and drive more visibility for your brand.

Thank you for reading. Hope you found this info relevant and useful!