Ooh, a shiny object there! And there! Look, there goes another one! Okay, does it ever feel like social media gives you shiny object syndrome? So many channels, amirite? Well, here’s the thing. You need social media for your business. But the trick to making it work and not getting shiny object syndrome is creating a social media strategy. 

Why do you need a social media strategy?

Because creating a social media strategy will give you a roadmap and a clear set of objectives to hit, so you stay on track. Without a social media strategy, you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. And if you follow the tech giants, you know they’re always changing and adding new things to their platforms. 

Without a strategy, you will get shiny object syndrome. You’ll waste a lot of time chasing the next big thing in social media. A lack of focus is going to lead to a waste of time and marketing budget. 

But hey, that’s not gonna happen to you! Because you’re going to follow my 8 tips for creating a social media strategy, right? Right. So let’s get to it. 

#1: Know Your Audience

Okay, this tip for creating a social media strategy is crucial. In fact, this tip is crucial for marketing in general. Know your audience so you know what they want from you and how you can deliver the type of content they most want to see. This is vital to turning your social media audience into paying customers. Know their:

• Age
• Location
• Income range
• Occupations
• Interests

Etcetera, etcetera. Chances are, you’ve got several different audience members that you’ll market to. Create a couple of different personas. 

Also, keep in mind what social media platforms different people use. 

For example, Gen Z likes to use Snapchat and TikTok. Suburban moms and millennial women will hang out on Pinterest. LinkedIn skews heavily toward college grads, and so forth. Focus on the platforms where your particular audience personas are most likely to congregate. 

#2: It’s All About You Them 

This is a huge mistake a lot of new entrepreneurs make. They start posting content that interests them the most. Instead, think about what your audience wants to see. 

But Denise, I have no idea what my audience wants from me. Gah! What do they want from me?!

I know. It’s not easy to develop content all on your own without some objective insight into what your audience actually wants. Fortunately, young grasshopper, there’s data you can mine on each social media platform. 

Take a gander at the metrics in your social media accounts. You’ll see which types of posts get the most engagement from your followers. 

#3: Set Goals and Track Metrics for Each Platform

All right, so what’s going to work for Facebook might not perform so well on Instagram or YouTube and so on. If you’re focusing on several social media platforms for marketing, you’ll want to set goals and track metrics for each. That way, your social media strategy is a tailored one. 

Do you want to use a Facebook page to increase your brand awareness? How about your Facebook group for growing a community? For YouTube, maybe you want to use it to increase website traffic and conversions. Either way, you must pinpoint your specific goal for each platform and plan your content accordingly. 

Also, be sure to track your metrics and use UTM parameters. You need access to raw, objective data instead of simply relying on gut feelings for what’s going to work for your specific social media goals. 

#4: Plan and Give Your Content a Purpose

Creating content for creation’s sake isn’t a good social media strategy. Your content needs to work for you. Plan it, and give it a purpose and a CTA. 

Want people to like and share on Facebook, so you build that brand awareness? Ask for it. Want people to download your new guide on Pinterest? Put that CTA in there! Your audience needs clear direction on how to take action on your offers. 

#5: Batch Product Content

Whoa boy. This one right here. If you let it, social media can be a huge time suck. I want you to be in control of your social media, not the other way around. If you batch product your content, you’ll have a strategy that will create high-quality content, in an easy, efficient way. 

Batch-producing content is like making all of your delicious dinners on a Sunday and storing them for eating the rest of the week. Easy, efficient, delish. 

My course, Create Content That Converts will show you exactly how to do this. If you’re sick of spending a ton of time on social trying to grow your business and it’s not giving you the ROI you want, get the course. Do things the easy way. 

#6: Schedule Your Content

Maybe you’ve got kids. Or pets. A significant other. An entertaining series on Netflix you’re dying to binge on. What I’m trying to say is, that you’ve got other things you’d rather be doing than engineering your busy schedule around when to post your social media content. 

Think about it. You’re chillin’ on the couch with a bowl of delicious popcorn, and you’re about to start the next show when boom! Suddenly, you remember that you need to post to Facebook because, oh gosh, it’s a Friday night. That’s when your people are expecting to hear from you, and oh sh$t you forgot!

Yeah, let’s not let that ever happen again. Use free and low-cost tools to schedule your social content for you. 

#7: Use Social to Funnel Traffic

People aren’t on social media to buy stuff. They’re on there to entertain themselves, learn new things, catch up with friends, etc. But you want to harness the power of social media to sell your offerings. 

Your social media strategy needs to include a way to funnel the traffic on your accounts to where you can control it and then funnel it down to your offerings. 

Get your social media audience onto an email list. 

Make building an email list an integral part of your social media strategy. Pin a post on Facebook with your email list-building magnet. Make it a permanent feature of your YouTube profile, etc. You need your social media traffic to eventually do something besides just passively consume your content. 

#8: Monitor, Measure, Manage, and Be Brave Enough to Pivot 

Listen, friends, you must continuously measure, monitor, and manage your social media accounts. Get hold of your data so you know what’s working and what needs tweaking. 

But I don’t have a social media account for my business yet. So like, no data. 

That’s a-okay my friend. Start small. Start with the one you think is most likely to reach your target audience. Then start mining that data. 

If you discover that one of your social media profiles just isn’t getting much traction, it’s okay to pivot your strategy. You don’t have to marry it. 

Remember, you’re the one in charge. Don’t be afraid to change course if needed. 

Creating a Social Media Strategy: The Easy Way!

Now that you’re equipped with these powerful social media strategies, it’s time to supercharge your efforts with tools that turn plans into action. Check out our specially crafted resources designed to maximize your social media impact:

Yearly Content Plan of Action:

Plan your social media content with confidence! Our Yearly Content Plan of Action is your guide to a year of impactful and organized social media engagement. It’s crafted to help you maintain a consistent, captivating online presence. Get Your Plan

Curated Captions:

Struggling to find the right words? Our Curated Captions service provides personalized, engaging captions that speak your brand’s language, ensuring every post resonates with your audience. Elevate your social media content with ease. Check It Out

Social Media Template Pack:

Make a statement with our Minimalist Social Media Templates. Designed for aesthetic appeal and ease of use, these templates will give your content a professional, cohesive look, setting you apart in the crowded digital world. Explore Templates

Take advantage of these tools to streamline your social media strategy, engage your audience more effectively, and build a stronger online brand presence!