Why a Social Media Strategy is More Complex Than You Think

And how to develop one for your brand

By now you already know that developing a social media strategy is essential for your brand. By doing so you can manage your content, social platforms, and how you communicate with your audience. When developing a social media strategy, however, brand owners tend to underestimate the complexity of this document, resulting in oversimplified strategies that don’t resonate with the audience. 

If you’re having trouble understanding why a social media strategy is so complex, take a look at 10 must-have (yes, there’s that many!) components to developing one.

1. Budget definition
   
   Defining your budget will help you determine how to move forward with your strategy. Will you post organic content or sponsored ads? Are you planning on developing in-mail messages, or are you targeting a specific audience? The more specific your goals get, the closer your budget will be to your real expense. Make sure to include all of it here!
   
   
   
2. Audience definition
   
   Developing the right message for the right audience at the right time is the ultimate formula for successful marketing. To do so, you must truly know who you’re selling to, what their pain points are and how to talk to them in a way that will matter.
   
   When building personas, I like to start by defining their profile by gender, age, socioeconomic status and interests. This will help you put yourself in their shoes and think of how you would like to be talked to in their situation.
   
   
   
3. Channel definition
   
   Once you’ve developed the profiles of who you’re selling your product or service to, it’s important to find out where they are spending most of their time. If you’re targeting females between 15 and 20 years old, for instance, Instagram might be the best platform to create content for. But remember that not all platforms are the same, so what works for a certain channel won’t necessarily translate to the next one.
   
   
   
4. Tone definition
   
   A big component of a social media strategy is defining the voice and tone you’ll use to communicate with your prospects. Remember that consistency is going to be key, and you’ll want your tone to be easily recognizable and associated with your brand.
   
   If you love Twitter as much as I do, take a look at these seven brands that are doing a great job at keeping a consistent sense of humor.
   
   
   
5. Content development
   
   Once you’ve defined the who, what and where, it’s time to start working on content. The beauty of a social media strategy is that you can develop content far in advance and not have to worry about running out weekly. This is a great way to stay on top of your social platforms without spending too much time out of your day-to-day.
   
   
   
6. Graphic development
   
   Because social media can be so visual, you’ll also want to develop the right graphics to go along with your content. Here is where you get to be creative with dynamic ads, video, memes and original images that represent your brand well.
   
   
   
7. Customer interaction
   
   Social media is not just about posting, but it’s also a great way to interact with customers who have questions, comments and concerns. Your social media strategy is the place to define how your customer service will be applied to social, and how you will communicate with your audience in a timely manner.
   
   
   
8. Live content
   
   In an effort to better engage with your audience, your strategy should also contain a plan for live content, such as stories, live videos, and contests that let your followers get to know you better. It’s important to fully take advantage of all the functionalities your preferred platform offers.
   
   
   
9. Channel integration
   
   A common mistake people make is seeing social media as an isolated effort that doesn’t integrate with email, web, and even call campaigns. Remember that your audience can access your brand through multiple points, so you’ll want to include a section to describe the integration amongst your marketing and advertising efforts.
   
   
   
10. Testing and metrics
    
    Once you’ve executed your social media campaigns, testing will be key. If you fail to do so, you’ll be missing out on valuable information that’ll help inform your future decisions and new programs.
    
    A portion of your social media strategy should include how you’ll be measuring goals, what metrics you’ll be looking at and what are your key performance indicators.

If you’re ready to start working on your social media strategy, contact me now!

About Bshelko Social Media Strategy & Management

Our digital marketing agency provides full-service social media marketing to commercial, not for profit and government organizations. Our entrepreneurial leadership experience, among a range of specialized industries and talents, gives this agency the ability to provide organizations of all sizes data-driven and sustainable promotional services.