Back to my childhood, I was enamoured by my friends who skilfully handled roller skates. It was amazing to see them perform spectacular stunts with ease, and decided to learn myself, but had no idea how to do that. They often discussed the technicalities of the sport about which I was clueless.
It can happen with anyone while coming across something for the first time. The same is true for a social media marketing strategy, especially for someone who is trying to adopt it for the first time.
Like in roller skating, if you’re starting from point zero, it might feel thrilling and overwhelming because you know you are going to do something that you always wanted to do and why. At the same time, you will be apprehensive of whether you will be able to do it as efficiently as others.
You can see how others have negotiated the social media ride; you may have got few ideas how to get there yourself. But don’t worry; you have come to the right place. Here I am to help you to have a plan. Anyone that needs a social media marketing plan should start here.
Social Media Marketing Plan
Let’s begin from the point zero to create a social media marketing plan from scratch. Think of your plan like a road trip, and start out by pointing yourself in the right direction, then select the route you’re going to get there, check in regularly to make sure you’re on course, and have some fun along the way.
Step 1: Use the best social media sites
Although all networking sites in the beginning may look same to you, but believe me they are different in the same way as all chocolate ice-cream bars aren’t same and differ from brand to brand. Sure, it’s all social media, but each social networking site is unique, with its own features, own style, and own audience.
Make sure, you should choose the social networks that best fit your strategy and objectives you want to achieve on social media. Remember, it’s not necessary for you to be on every site—just the right ones that serve your purpose and your target audience.
There are certain things you need to consider that can help you choose not only which networks to try but also how many. Find out where do your potential customers hang out and which social network has the right demographics? Besides, how much time can you devote to a social network? To begin with, you can plan on at least an hour per day per social network, and once you begin your journey, tools like Buffer can help you save a bit of time. The next important element is resources. So, what personnel and skills do you have to work with?
Social platforms like Facebook emphasize quality content while visual networks like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok require images and videos. Do you have the right resources? Here, you can get help from the audience research and demographics from Pew Research surveys which has extensive data of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Connected India, and Helo.
Step 2: Give your complete profile
One of the most important things you need do on Buffer is to visit each of your social media profiles and make sure that your profile pictures, cover photos, bio and profile info are updated and complete. It’s an essential part of your social media audit that shows professionalism, cohesive branding, and indicator of the fact that you’re serious about engaging.
The social media profile has two parts: visuals and texts. For visuals, you need consistency and familiarity with your visuals. Make sure your profile photo on Instagram matches with one on the Facebook. Therefore, your cover photo on Twitter should be similar to your cover on LinkedIn. You can take help from a social media image size chart to create such images for each network. There are tools like Crello or Canva, which comes with prebuilt templates that will decide the proper sizes for you. For text portion, you should focus on customizing the bio/info section.
Step 3: Get your marketing voice and tone
You might get carried away at this stage and think about jumping right in and start sharing. Just hold it; you are still a step away before you do that. Your arrival on social media will be more meaningful and targeted if you come up with a unique voice and tone for your content straightway.
Take your time, and consult with the marketing experts to decide the finer points of your mission statement and customer base. Begin with asking questions like these: Suppose your brand was a person, what kind of personality would it have?
If your brand was a person, what kind of relationship it would likely have with consumer – a coach, teacher, friend, father, etc.? Use adjectives to explain what your company’s personality is not. What about other companies that have same personality to yours and why are they similar?
What kind of opinion you want your customers to have about your company? Finally, describe the voice and tone of your marketing. Remember, voice is the mission statement; while tone is the implementation of that mission. Choose a voice that delights your customers, and your customers will be more than willing to spread the love about you.
Having a social media marketing plan is a great first step toward diving in to the ocean of social. If social media looks exciting and overwhelming all at once, start with a plan. Once you see the blueprint, it becomes easier for you to decide what needs to be done.