Being at the forefront of a multi-faceted industry, it's important that we know the ins and outs of social media and stay on top of current trends. This includes strategically planning content calendars and everything in between. This week we are giving you a run-down of our steps we take to execute a successful strategy for client social media.
First things first, determine your accounts goals: This is something we will go over in the initial social strategy meeting. Not only will we do our own homework beforehand, looking at where the current social status stands versus their competitors, but we also ask the client what realistic goals they have within the month. Are you wanting to focus on growing your following? Drive engagement on posts? Boost outbound clicks and sharing? All of these are questions are something we ask first thing, as it sets the direction for the rest of the strategy.
Next, you need to learn everything you can to understand your target audience: What current posts are generating the most engagement, success, or saves/shares? What is it about those posts that are so successful? The aesthetic, the caption, the hashtags? Many different pieces fit into the quickly changing puzzle social media is. Once you've narrowed down which posts do the best, you need to audit further using the platforms analytics. Look into what times have the highest engagement so you know when to post; pay attention to what colors and mood the content is giving off so you can replicate it; see if there is consistent interaction on posts similar. After taking all of these statistics and data into account, draw up a persona of your target audience and refer back to it when planning monthly content. Remember we mention monthly because analytics, and social platforms constantly fluctuate and you have to stay on top of things.
Brainstorm ways to differentiate yourself from the competition: While scoping out the competition remember to ask yourself what makes you different from them? Write the answer to that question down - and hone in on it when strategizing your content calendar. If your turnaround time for products in 1/3 of the time of your competitions, make it known! Draw elements of inspiration from many outlets, and make it unique, and fit to your brand.
Next, and one of our favorite parts, is deciding on aesthetic and appearance: Combining your branding, knowledge of your target demographic, and analytics from successful posts, now is the time to create a unique aesthetic to stick to. Finding a balance of consistency, but not repetency, happens when you lay out your content calendar and look at the grid as a whole. Make sure everything reads cohesively, but not to the point that it looks like the same 2-3 posts each row!
Find an application or program that best suits you to schedule in: There are sooo many scheduling platforms that are similar but cater to different brands needs. Doing your research and finding the best fit will make your social media strategy much easier to execute.
Finally, create and schedule your content calendar using everything you've put together in your social media strategy. Ensuring you captions, content, aesthetic, and analytical choices align with your original goals you set at the start.
Now adding our 5th social media clients (not counting our own!) we have quite a bit of experience! If this information feels overwhelming, or you'd just like the help to start, we'd love to make you our 6th. Feel free to DM us or schedule a consult here, and let's chat about how we can make your brand grow.
Xx,
Chase
