The Best Way to Structure a Social Media Plan
Image via Hexclad on Flaunter.
In today’s digital world, having a strong social media presence is no longer optional for brands—it’s essential. But diving into social media without a plan is like setting sail without a map. To navigate the vast array of platforms, trends, and audiences effectively, you need a well-structured social media plan.
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, the best way to structure your social media plan is to follow a clear, strategic approach that aligns with your overall business goals.
Set Goals
First things first, it’s essential to set clear, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that align with your overall business objectives. Understanding your audience deeply through detailed personas allows you to tailor content that resonates, ultimately driving better engagement. Selecting the right platforms is another foundational step—focus on where your target audience spends most of their time, whether it’s Instagram for visually-driven content, LinkedIn for B2B networking, or TikTok for younger demographics. Importantly, don’t feel that you need to be ‘everywhere’ - selecting even a couple of channels to focus on and then making sure you do those well is better than having every social media account without having the time to focus on your content and audience engagement. Once your platforms are chosen, allocate resources wisely, including budget, tools, and personnel, to manage and execute your plan effectively.
Content Themes
At the core of your social media plan should be well-defined content pillars—key themes that represent your brand’s message and values. These pillars guide your content creation, ensuring that every post is consistent and aligns with your brand’s voice. For example, here at Flaunter we break down our social media content into themes, making sure that we balance the mix of content across each week. For example:
Testimonials & case studies: our ‘proof’ and why brands and media should choose us.
Blogs: insights and helpful articles which are published.
How to Flaunter: tips and tricks to make the most of your Flaunter account.
New content: product promotion for new brands and content on Flaunter.
Promotional: social posts that directly promote our platform and have a sales message attached.
Imagine if all we posted was sales message after sales message, we would lose our social media audience very quickly - so try to keep your ‘sales’ posts to less than 20%. It’s important to balance your content and provide content which is useful, helpful and engaging.
Aesthetics play a significant role here; maintaining a cohesive look and feel across your social media channels helps in building brand recognition and trust. Whether it’s through a specific colour scheme, typography, or photography style, your visual identity should be consistent and reflective of your brand’s personality. Tools like Canva for design, Hootsuite for scheduling, and Later for Instagram planning can streamline your content creation and management process, ensuring everything looks polished and professional.
Engage with Audiences
Engaging with your audience is as crucial as the content you post. Social media is about building a community, not just broadcasting messages. Responding to comments, participating in conversations, and showing appreciation for user-generated content fosters a sense of connection and loyalty among your followers. It’s also important to be agile - keeping up with social media trends and being ready to adapt your strategy in response to new platforms, algorithm changes, or viral moments. Leveraging platform-specific insights can help you monitor performance, track key metrics, and make data-driven decisions to optimise your strategy consistently.
Content Scheduling Tools
A critical aspect of your social media strategy is content scheduling. Using tools like HubSpot, Canva (yes!! Canva), Sprout Social, Later, Planoly, and CoSchedule allows you to plan and automate your posts, ensuring a consistent presence without overwhelming your team. When crafting your captions, focus on clarity, engagement, and value. Captions should be more than just descriptive—they should invite interaction, ask questions, or include a call to action that encourages your audience to comment, share, or click a link. Incorporating relevant hashtags can also expand your reach, while tagging collaborators or influencers can increase visibility.
Crisis Management
Finally, it’s essential to prepare for any potential social media crises. Even the most meticulously planned strategies can encounter unexpected challenges, whether it’s negative feedback or a broader PR issue. Having a crisis management plan in place ensures that your team can respond swiftly and appropriately, protecting your brand’s reputation. By focusing on these key elements—goal setting, content pillars, aesthetics, engagement, and scheduling—you can create a robust social media plan that not only meets your business objectives but also resonates deeply with your audience.
Image from Hexclad via Flaunter.