Here's a surprising social media statistic: there are now 4.2 billion social media users worldwide as of January 2021. What's even more impressive? More than 1.3 million new users joined social media every day during 2020. This equates to 15 and a half new users every second!
Considering the staggering number of people now using social media, the importance of creating an effective social media marketing plan cannot be overstated. Nowadays, aside from using custom SEO marketing, many brands are adding social media to their marketing toolbox.
How to Create a Powerful Social Media Marketing Plan
Contrary to popular belief, creating a social media marketing plan does not have to be painful. If you are starting your social media marketing plan from scratch, it can feel daunting and overwhelming.
However, with the right plan, you can create a social media marketing campaign that works. Create a cohesive and robust social media marketing plan by keeping in mind the following:
Choose the social media networks you should use
Let's get one thing straight: each social media network is unique and has its own style, audience, and best practices. It is recommended that you choose social networks that will best suit your strategy and the goals you want to achieve.
You don't necessarily have to be on all the social media platforms—just the ones that matter to your business, brand, and target audience. Other key factors you need to consider when choosing your social media networks include:
- Audience. Where are your potential customers hanging out? Which social media channels have the right demographics?
- Time. How much time can you devote to social media marketing? In the beginning, dedicating an hour per social media channel is recommended. As you go along, you can use automation tools to help you save time.
- Resources. Social networks like Facebook prefer quality content. Pinterest and Instagram are visual social networks that focus on videos and images. Do you have the necessary resources to create what your chosen social media channels require?
Fill out your social media profiles completely (and accurately)
Check each of your social media profiles and make sure all your bio, cover photos, profile photos and profile information are complete and up-to-date. A completed profile indicates cohesive branding and professionalism.
It also shows your followers that you are serious about engaging. Below are some of the key things you need to remember when creating your social media profiles:
Use the same username across all platforms.
When creating your username, it is recommended that you check its availability on the platforms you intend to use. For the time being, claim your username and keep it private until you are ready. If it’s not possible to use the same username across all platforms, ensure it is as similar to each other as possible.
Add your website link to your profile page.
One great thing about most major social media platforms is they allow users to put a link to their websites in a prominent place on their profiles. This makes it very easy for followers to click on the link and head to your website.
Write a professional bio on all your social media sites.
When writing your bio, keep in mind the following:
- Ensure you use keywords that are specific to your audience.
- Avoid using overused words in your bio. Ensure you create something that’s fresh and professional.
- Make changes to your bio as needed.
Keep information consistent across all platforms.
Providing consistent information (and branding) across all social media platforms can give people the impression of professionalism. Providing consistent information can also create a sense of familiarity with old and new customers alike. Also, make sure information provided is consistent and up-to-date.
Find your marketing tone and voice
It would be tempting to start sharing right away once you have covered the basics. However, there is one more step you still need to do. To ensure your social media is more on point and focused, you need to determine a voice and tone for your content first.
Start by creating marketing personas. To create a marketing persona, answer the following questions first:
- If your brand was a person, what type of personality would it have?
- If your brand was a person, what is your relationship with your target audience (teacher, dad, coach, friend, mom, etc.)
- Are there brands that have a similar personality to yours? What makes you alike?
Once you have answered all the questions, you should be able to come up with a handful of adjectives that will best describe the tone and voice of your social media marketing.
Figure out your posting strategy
How many times should you post each day? What should you post, and when should you post? The answer to those questions is the same: it depends. The insights and data below should give you a good idea of where to start.
- Videos get more shares, views, and likes compared to other types of posts.
- On Twitter, videos are six times more likely to get retweeted.
- When it comes to the frequency of posting, you can typically get away with posting more if your audience loves your updates.
- If you have been posting for a while, you can use tools to determine the best time to post, and you can refine your posting strategy as you go along.
Analyze, test, and iterate
To analyze the performance of your campaign, keep in mind the following:
- Set a benchmark. A month into your campaign, you can check your stats and check the average number of shares, clicks, likes, and comments. This can act as your benchmark going forward. You can update the number at any time as your influence and followers grow.
- Try something new. If you hear about a new idea that's worth trying, don't shy away from giving it a go and see if it works for you.
- Check your stats regularly. Check your current stats versus your benchmark. This can help you see the things you are doing right and the areas you need to work on.
Final Thoughts
Creating an effective social media marketing plan from scratch can be tricky if you don't know where to start and how to go about it. Fortunately, the guide above can get your efforts off to a superb start and help ensure you can achieve your social media marketing objectives with ease.
