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Social Media Strategy

Developing a Social Media Strategy from Scratch


Informed by Public Relations Research
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Development

The first step to developing a social media strategy is deciding what platforms you will use, who you are trying to target on those platforms, and your goals for your social media presence.

  • Goals should be measureable. If recruiting volunteers is a goal, a key performance indicator (KPI) could be link clicks on a virtual sign-up page.
  • It's okay to start small. It's better to start with one or two platforms than trying to take on too much in the beginning.
  • Balance is key. Call to action posts (i.e. posts trying to get a user to show up to an event, donate, etc.) should be balanced with information delivery posts. Some posts will be more content heavy but those should be balanced with visually focused posts. Posts that include images of people typically perform better than graphics.

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Implementation

Next is establishing a procedure on how to maintain your strategy. This can be how far you plan and schedule content in advance, how content collaboration will work with your team, and how often someone will actively check social media.

  • Flexibility with stability is key. Leave room for at least 1-2 impromptu posts each week in your strategy, but always try to plan in advance. Information delivery posts are great to schedule in advance but scheduling too many posts in one week may make it difficult to move posts around if something important needs to be posted last minute.
  • Encourage collaboration at your organization. If you are working with a large team or organization, encourage everyone at the organization to send suggestions for content, even if they are not in marketing. This can be through a digital channel like Slack or at routine planning meeting.
  • Find a reliable scheduler that works for you. There are a lot of different options when it comes to social media schedulers, both free and paid. Try to simplify as much as possible and find one that works best for you. If multiple people work on implementing social media strategy, find a platform that allows multiple users to collaborate and access.

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Evaluation

Last is evaluating your social media strategy through analytics and KPIs established in the development phase.

  • Track analytics from the beginning. Even if the accounts have been in active for awhile, tracking analytics in the beginning can give an inactive baseline to compare to. If the accounts are brand new, begin tracking a couple weeks after initial posting on the account.
  • Evaluation is continuous. Once a month, the social media manager should document analytics in some way and compare to how it's helping achieve overall goals. However, it's good practice to routinely check analytics, especially when it comes to what content is making people follow your account.
  • Make changes to your strategy. Social media strategy is trial and error, especially in the beginning. Digital audiences will vary depending on the sector and goals you're trying to accomplish. Use analytics to inform your decisions on adapting your strategy, whether it be content type, when you post, or your goals for posting.

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