How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 6 Steps

Social media can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan of attack. But with the right strategy, it can become your most powerful marketing tool.

In 2023, a staggering 4.9 billion people are active on social media, and the average user hops between 6 to 7 platforms each month¹. It's clear: having a solid social media strategy is essential.

Whether you're looking to create content, find new followers, or just make sure your posts are seen by the right people, this guide will help you craft a winning social media strategy.

If you've embraced the idea of investing time for planning and you are focusing on social media, you might be wondering where to begin.

How to get started on your social media marketing strategy

Constructing an effective social media strategy is a multifaceted endeavor demanding meticulous planning and careful execution.

Yet, armed with appropriate tools and techniques, you can formulate a strategy that aids in fulfilling your business objectives and forging a meaningful connection with your target audience. Follow these 6 steps:

1. Define your Goals

First and foremost, you need to set realistic goals. What do you want to achieve with your social media presence? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Promote new products or services? Grow your followers? It's important to identify what you want from your efforts so that you can track your progress.

Grab a piece of paper or start an online document listing everything you want to achieve with your social media. A great idea is to use the SMART goals technique here. S.M.A.R.T. goal is defined by its five key aspects or elements: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It is a useful tool to remain focused on attaining a goal.²

2. Understand your audience

Understanding your target audience is the number one priority for a great social media strategy. It's crucial to know whom you're aiming to reach with your efforts, so you can channel your energies into engaging and connecting with that audience.

What age range are they in? Are they mostly men or women? What types of interests do they have? Taking the time to understand the kind of people who follow and engage with your posts will help ensure that your messaging is effective. You should also take the time to research other brands in your niche - what content resonates best with their followers? Learning from others' successes (and failures!) will inform how you craft and curate content for your own audience.

To better understand your audience, a good idea is to create a persona. This is a fictional character that represents the brand's ideal customer. There are a few tools online that can help you create your audience persona, like HubSpot Make My Persona tool.  

3. Choosing the platforms

Certain platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, with their wide audience reach, are essential for various businesses. Platforms such as Pinterest might bring much better results for a clothing e-commerce than for a corporate services company.

Ultimately, the key is to identify where your target audience is. Often, the only way to do so is through experimentation. It won't be detrimental to create a profile on a social media platform only to find that your ideal customers aren't present there. The probability of encountering your customers on those platforms and achieving favorable outcomes for your business is significantly heightened.

When creating relevant content for social media, avoid the "copy and paste" strategy. Each platform has its specificities, and what works well on one may not have the same impact on another.

Furthermore, users seek authenticity and genuine connection. By customizing content for each platform, you demonstrate that you care, valuing the individual user's experience. One helpful resource is Bootcamp Digital's social media cheat sheet. This guideline provides insights into different social networks, helping you make informed choices about where to concentrate your efforts.

4. Creating Content

Once you have a good understanding of who you're trying to reach, it's time to start creating content! Brainstorm ideas for blog post topics, upcoming promotions, or engaging questions that might spark conversation among your followers.Social media should not be used as a simple catalog of products and services. You should take the opportunity to build your brand and strengthen your online presence with relevant content.

Consistency

‍It's crucial to be consistent. You won't see good results if you're only posting when you feel like it. The outcome of your content strategy is medium to long-term. Fill your platform feeds regularly or plan to publish at least once a week when you're getting started. Plan to maintain a weekly posting frequency. Experiment with different time intervals and see which one best suits your followers' routines.

To make it even easier, we've got you covered with our free content calendar template. You can download it in the link below and start planning your social media strategy with precision!

Quality matters!

Though a lot of content is being posted every day on social media platforms, there’s always a demand for quality content.3 Consistency is key in your social media strategy, but it's not the only player on the field. Quality matters just as much. You want your audience not only to see your posts but to be excited and engage with them. Besides, with the abundance of information on social media, you need to stand out among competitors. So, find that sweet spot where your consistent posting meets high-quality content, and you've got the secret sauce for social media success.

5. Engage

Social media is a two-way street. Don't forget about community management!

Engage with comments on posts, respond promptly to messages sent via direct message (DM), and encourage others in the industry by sharing their relevant content - these are all simple ways of building relationships with potential customers or partners online. Be authentic in all interactions; people appreciate genuine connections more than promotional messaging any day!

If someone engages with your social media post, it's essential to be prepared for a prompt response. Especially for companies, people expect to get an answer quickly after they’ve posted a comment on their social media page. ³

6. Monitor and metrics

Okay, now for the metrics and monitoring—wait, don't run away! I promise it's not as dull as it sounds. In fact, it's where the real magic happens in the world of social media.

Monitoring your social media performance and tracking those important metrics is like having a crystal ball for your brand. It lets you see what's working, what's not, and where you can fine-tune your strategy. The number of likes, shares, and comments to reach and engagement rates, these metrics reveal valuable insights into your audience's preferences. So, don't shy away from this part; it's where you'll uncover the secrets to social media success and keep your strategy on the path to success!

Here are some key metrics to consider:

• Engagement: Monitor likes, shares, comments, and overall interactions with your content
• Reach: This metric measures how many people have seen your content and helps assess your content's visibility
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR calculates the percentage of people who clicked on your content's link or Call to Action (CTA)
• Conversion Rate: Track the number of users who took the desired action after interacting with your content, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase
• Follower Growth: Keep an eye on your follower count and its growth rate over time. A steady increase shows a healthy, engaged audience.
• Audience Demographics: Understand your audience's age, gender, location, and interests to tailor your content better
• Bounce Rate: If you're driving traffic to your website from social media, analyze the bounce rate to see how engaged visitors are with your site's content.
• Post Performance: Look at metrics for individual posts to assess which types of posts perform best
• Customer Feedback: Monitor comments and messages for sentiment and feedback

Remember that the specific metrics you should track can vary depending on your goals and the platforms you're using. Tailor your metrics to align with your objectives, whether they involve brand awareness, lead generation, or sales conversions.

Wrapping It All Up

Crafting an effective social media marketing strategy requires a combination of careful planning, understanding your audience, creating engaging content, fostering community engagement, and monitoring key metrics. With the immense reach and influence of social media platforms in today's digital landscape, a well-executed strategy can significantly impact your social media's success.

Choose your content strategically based on your persona's interests and pain points. Engage with users through comments, direct messages, and utilize features like polls or question boxes. All of this generates engagement and connection on social media.

So, whether you're a solo influencer, a small business, or an enterprise, a thoughtfully crafted social media strategy can help you navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. As the social media landscape continues to evolve and expand, remember that there's no one-size-fits-all approach. By understanding your goals, audience, and the unique strengths of each platform, you can tailor your strategy to connect with your audience in a meaningful and impactful way.

References

1 Social Media Users In 2023 (Global Demographics) - Demand Sage, 2023.
2 The Ultimate Guide To S.M.A.R.T. Goals, guide by Rob Watts - Forbes, 2022.
3 “How to Get More Engagement on Social Media” article by Neil Patel, 2023.