Social media will not be successful without a strategy.
Social Media can be an incredibly effective marketing tool when used correctly. But more often than not, social campaigns fail. This is because it requires dedication, adaptability and a lot of hard work to be successful in social.
Posting random photos every few weeks may look good on the social account, but is it helping achieve business goals? Most likely the answer is no.
Without planning and proper measurement, a successful social media strategy will be hard to achieve. These two key factors allow marketers to successfully promote key events and information, understand what is working within the social channels and adapt strategy accordingly.
So how are effective social media plans and measurements developed? Farfetched Studios has outlined some key steps to social success.
Planning Ahead
Set SMART Goals
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. These SMART key notes are pivotal in the success of your social media goals.
A prime example of a SMART goal would be to increase your social media click-through rate by 10% over the next year. This is an exact and definable achievement, that can be measured, is realistic, and is relevant to the growth of the business and has a specified time frame.
Your SMART goals should also serve a greater overall objective for the business, such as increasing brand awareness or increasing conversions on your site.
Research and Communication
Up to date knowledge of business events is critical to developing a social media plan. Creating an event calendar to manage and update frequently will help develop a stronger plan.
Relevant current affairs and national or global events are also important to planning a social strategy. Customers are attracted to brands with an authentic voice and stand for something on social platforms. Which can include anything from supporting charity or safety measures taken in the light of the recent pandemic in a way that is relevant to the brand.
Keeping an eye on upcoming trends and predictions for social platforms can allow marketers to be proactive with their strategies versus reactive.
Create a Quarterly Calendar for Social
Up to 2-3 Months in advance of planned social media content is a strong scale to have. This leaves room for adjustments and to correctly assign content, but not running far enough ahead that you risk posting outdated content.
The calendar should include all individual channels, date of postings and its content. Each post should include an attention grabber or offer and a clear call to action. Relevant video content and images are the key to a successful social post. Utilizing a social media platform tool such as SEM Rush or Hootsuite can help you schedule your posts and develop your calendar.
Adapt the Plan if Needed
Things often happen that are unpredictable and it is important for any social strategy plan to be adaptable. Improvised social media posts can be just as important as planned posts in certain situations. Its key in the planning phase to leave room for adjustments and impromptu posts, but there is a fine line between letting spontaneous posts take precedence. Having a solid mixture of both and not being afraid to deviate from the plan is key to success.
Measuring Data
It is important to find the optimal times for engagement. Utilize the analytics attached to the social media accounts. These will identify highs and lows of engagement throughout the week and will vary depending on audience demographic. Once the target audience is defined, make posts based upon which times have generated the most engagement.
Tracking Engagement and Top Content
Tracking engagement across all social media channels can help identify which content is the most relevant. Use this knowledge to create more posts that follow a similar format to replicate successful content and create more engagement.
Run Experiments
Farfetched Studios has one final piece of advice for social measurement and that is to not be afraid to run experiments. Advertisers can learn a lot from engagement and current high performing content. Setting up mini social tests to confirm or disprove what content style is performing for the target. So long as the results are tracked and changes are made accordingly, this can lead to new and even more creative posts.