Forward plan your content with a social media plan

Engaging content is one of the most powerful tactics for attracting new customers and retaining their loyalty, an important tool used for storytelling, which is essentially the heart of public relations! It is our job as communication professionals to provide guidance on what type of content will increase or grow brand awareness and business reputation, and position organisations as the ‘go to’ in their industry.

With this in mind, how can we ensure that we tick all the boxes when it comes to capturing our audience’s attention online? Because relying on a ‘one-hit wonder’ social strategy won’t cut it. A sustainable, long-term digital marketing strategy requires planning and consideration.

You might think it’s a waste of time but honestly, as someone who does this day in and day out, I can assure you that planning content in advance, and drafting social schedules actually SAVES time and so many “what will I post today” headaches! As long as you can map out the direction of your weekly, fortnightly or monthly content, the rest will come quickly and effortlessly.

Here’s just a few key reasons why integrating a social media plan into your business strategy is beneficial in helping you meet your strategic commercial and marketing objectives.

A social media content plan covers your behind for when there’s a rainy day

It’s no surprise that we all have ‘off’ days. No matter what our industry or role, our jobs generally demand accuracy, attention to detail and most importantly, the ability to meet multiple conflicting deadlines. This can make you susceptible to forgetting other tasks such as posting on social media for example. While I understand that this might be the most important task for many industries, for others, it is important to stay consistent in every part of your business, including online. This is where your competition, your potential customers and your current clients see you. The image you portray to the world is just as important as what you’re doing in the office where no one can see you. Planning and scheduling allows you to stay on top of your content and safe-guards you on those ‘off’ days, allowing for consistency.  

Social media content plans produce clear and measurable results

All businesses have different goals when it comes to social media but if you plan on posting online as part of a campaign to measure results – like tracking website traffic and click through rates, not investing in social media marketing and instead focusing on sporadically posting content on socials, will potentially lead to inconsistent results (if any). Others might rely solely on adhoc content, but either way, you need to set clear goals and objectives for yourself. In my opinion, a few pictures on Instagram and a video here and there on Facebook with no clear content direction, will not produce reliable results and does not set a benchmark for what you want your company to achieve. An overall goal needs to be set for your social media strategy, whether it is to increase sales, increase brand awareness or increase website traffic to your business page. Whatever it is, use that as the driving force to plan your content, then organise them by channel and week. Leverage your business assets and showcase your company culture and values throughout your content, ensuring you’re constantly thinking about the calls to action.

Struggling with planning content for your social media channels?

Even communication professionals get bitten by writers block every now and then, so it’s okay if you’re struggling with content ideas. But the whole point of planning your content is to minimise the chances of that happening on the day that it’s due. Scope enough time to plan your content and ensure you take the time to consider your key messages and calls-to-action in most of your posts – not all content will require a call-to-action. Don’t forget about adhoc and ‘behind the scenes’ content either – they go a long way into showcasing who you are as a brand!

If you need help forming a social media strategy or want to increase your online presence, contact the Elevate team today.