When I went rock climbing for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. My friends and I were complete newbies about ropes and rappelling and every other bit of jargon and technique that goes with climbing. We saw others doing it spectacularly well. We were thrilled at the thought of reaching the top of the climbing wall; we had no idea how to get there. I’d imagine that a social media marketing plan could feel the same way. If you’re starting from square one, it might feel equal parts thrilling and overwhelming. You know what you want to do and why. You can see that others have climbed the social media mountain; you’ve got few ideas how to get there yourself. It’d help to have a plan. We’ve shared before about different parts of a social media marketing plan — the data and research and personal experience behind what works on social media. Update: we have a 25-day long (free!) email course on social media strategy now, too! You can join the course here. Now we’re pleased to put it all into a cohesive, step-by-step blueprint that you can use to get started. If you need a social media marketing plan, start here. Oh, and our friends at online infographic maker Venngage were kind enough to wrap all that follows into a comprehensive infographic that’s easy to keep, share and reference. Social Media Marketing Plan Starting at the ground flour and building up, here is our overview of how to create a social media marketing plan from scratch. I like to think of this plan like a roadtrip. Start out by pointing yourself in the right direction, then choose the way you’re going to get there, check in regularly to make sure you’re on track, and have some fun along the way. Step 1: Choose your social networks Step 2: Fill out your profiles completely Step 3: Find your voice and tone Step 4: Pick your posting strategy Step 5: Analyze and test Step 6: Automate and engage Step 1: Which social media sites you should use
Social media is as homogenous from network to network as soda pop is from brand to brand. Sure, it’s all social media, but Google+ and Twitter might as well be Mountain Dew and Pepsi. Each network is unique, with its own best practices, own style, and own audience. You should choose the social networks that best fit your strategy and the goals you want to achieve on social media. You don’t have to be on them all — just the ones that matter to you and your audience. Some things to consider that can help you choose not only which social networks to try but also how many to try. Time — How much time can you devote to a social network? Plan on at least an hour per day per social network, at least at the start. (Once you get going, tools like Buffer can help you save a bit of time.) Resources — What personnel and skills do you have to work with? Visual social networks like Pinterest and Instagram require images and photos. Social networks like Google+ emphasize quality content. Do you have the resources to create what’s needed? Audience — Where do your potential customers hang out? Which social network has the right demographics? For the latter part of this decision, you can reference the audience research and demographics from surveys like those conducted by Pew Research. For instance, Pew has complete data, collected last fall, of the demographics for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Here is a side-by-side comparison of Facebook and Twitter demographics.
A — Authenticity: Whether you are a brand or an influencer, your social accounts should be bullshit-free zones. Be real and passionate about what you post online because even though you’d hate to admit it, your audience can smell inauthenticity a mile away. B — Brand Voice: Avoid having a visible identity crisis and determine your brand’s voice before all else. Jot down a few words that are representative of your brand and create a persona: your dream brand ambassador if you will. Be sure to stay in character when communicating with your audience and publishing content across platforms. C — Consistency: As I’m sure you’ve heard over and over again, “consistency is key.” The best way to gain, and more importantly, retain followers is to show that your brand is on top of it! You should do your absolute best to commit to the brand voice, while maintaining the same level of quality and quantity of the content you are publishing. D — Dedication: The internet does not sleep, which means social media is a 24/7 beast. Content and conversations are constantly being pumped out into the social world. Be sure to dedicate time and effort into backtracking and analyzing what you’ve missed while unplugged. E — Engagement: This is a big one! If you’re looking to build a following that looks more like brand ambassadors rather than just followers, you will need to actively communicate with them. The foundation of a good relationship is communication, right? I mean, imagine going on a blind date and not saying a single word; your date would be out the door while simultaneously logging back into Tinder. Don’t let your followers lose interest — engage, engage, engage! F — Fun: Between new social channels poppin’ up all over the place, the people you connect with and impromptu trends, remember to remain agile while enjoying every damn minute of it. G — Goals: Set channel specific goals so you know exactly what you’re working toward. Collect data weekly to see if you’re on the right track and execute based on those insights. H — Humour: Try to inject as much personality into your social presence as possible, no one likes answering to a robot. A punny or emoji-filled post here and there won’t hurt anyone and it can draw attention to your account.
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