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How to Create a Social Media Plan: The Complete Guide + Templates

Written by: Raja Mandal

If you've been wondering how to create a social media plan and have been searching high and low on the internet, your search ends here.

Social media is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. According to a recent study by HubSpot, 77% of marketers say social media marketing has been somewhat to very effective for their company in 2022.

But including social media in your marketing plan can also be overwhelming. How do you know what type of content to post, who to engage with and when? A social media plan helps you organize your strategy so that it's easy to implement and measure.

This guide will walk through the steps for creating a successful social media plan.

Table of Contents

What is a social media plan, what to include in a social media plan, how to create a successful social media plan.

A social media plan is a document that defines the goals, strategies and action items for your social media marketing efforts. It provides a framework for making decisions about how and when to use each network, which can be helpful if you're just starting with social media or your company wants to revamp its strategy.

Social media plans help businesses understand what they're trying to achieve with their online presence, how they will do it and how they will measure their success. Without one, businesses can easily make mistakes that cost them time or money while not having enough information about their audience or potential customers.

Simply put, a good social media plan helps companies set goals, identify audiences and create content to improve their social media presence.

Before we dive into the specifics, it's important to remember that a social media plan is just that: a plan. It doesn't have to be set in stone; rather, it should be a flexible document outlining your business's social media strategy. The plan should include the following:

Executive Summary

The executive summary is a short overview of your plan and should be one-page maximum. It should include the following:

• Brief description of your business and its social media goals
• Timeline for implementation (if applicable)
• Detailed information on what you plan to do with each platform

Current Social Media Presence

Before you create or update your social media plan, it’s important to identify the current state of your business's social media presence. Do a social media audit and include the following:

• A list of all the platforms you're currently using and their purposes
• The number of followers/following for each platform (if applicable)
• An evaluation of whether or not your current strategy is working and what could be improved in the future

Competitor Benchmarks

This section outlines the competitive landscape of your industry and how it relates to social media. It should include the following:

• A list of your competitors with their current social media presence
• An analysis of how each platform is used by them, including strengths and weaknesses compared to your own strategy
• A list of any gaps in the market that you can take advantage of and any opportunities to collaborate with other companies within your industry

Target Audience

Include your target audience, how they use social media and each platform's demographics. Additionally, you can consider the following:

• A list of your audience's interests, age range and location
• An analysis of how these factors affect their behavior on each platform
• Examples of content that resonates with them and why this is so

Goals and Objectives

Your social media plan heavily relies on your social media goals and objectives. Consider the following to ensure a flawless social media plan:

• A list of goals for each platform, including specific metrics that will be used to measure success
• How these goals will help you achieve your business objectives and why they are essential
• The level of effort required to achieve these goals (both in terms of time, money and other resources)
• A list of resources available to assist with this process and any other factors that may impact it

Social Media Tactics

Once you have established your goals and objectives, it is time to create a list of social media tactics to help you achieve them. These should include the following:

• How often will each platform be updated (and by whom)?
• Which content types are appropriate for each platform?
• The tone, style and voice of the content.

Now that you've decided to craft a social media plan for your company, the next step is creating the actual plan. While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to creating your strategy, there are some best practices that you can follow.

Follow these simple yet effective steps to create a social media plan for your business.

1. Do a Social Media Audit

The first step in creating a social media plan is to do a social media audit of your existing channels. This will give you an idea about what's working, what isn't and how to improve the things that are falling flat.

What is a Social Media Audit?

A social media audit is an overview of all the activities and campaigns you have been running on various networks—including posts, comments and replies, ads, and any other interactions with followers (like likes/shares). It will also include information about each channel's demographics: who's following them, where they're located, etc.

2. Know Your Target Audience

You should know your target audience. If you don't, how can you expect to connect with them on social media? Several things need to be considered when deciding who your audience is:

Demographics: Age, gender, race, marital status and income are all critical in determining the makeup of an audience.

Psychographics: In addition to demographics, psychographics also help define an audience by focusing on interests and opinions rather than other factors such as age or gender. For example, a person may have specific political views that distinguish him from most other people his age (or vice versa).

Interests: Knowing what types of content interest your target audience allows you to create more appealing posts — it's easy to share something if it resonates with them!

According to a survey by ITSMA, 90% of companies that use buyer personas understand their customers better than their competitors. Therefore, it would be better to create a buyer persona to make this process easier.

Here are 20 customer persona templates from Visme that you can customize to create your own.

Watch this video below to learn more about creating a persona.

3. Set S.M.A.R.T Goals

Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is the most efficient way to reach your goals. For example: "I will increase Instagram followers by 100 within 30 days." This goal is specific because it names an exact number (100) and a timeframe (30 days). It's measurable because it assigns a metric (the number of followers) and benchmarks for improvement (increased by 100).

It's achievable because your company already has followers and increasing their numbers by 100 seems like an attainable goal for someone with your level of expertise. And finally, it's time-bound; if you don't hit that target by the next 30 days, then we're going home!

Read this article about creating S.M.A.R.T. goals and using the S.M.A.R.T. goal template below to create goals and never fail to achieve them again.

4. Identify KPIs to Monitor Your Progress

You've set some SMART goals for yourself or your team members' social media accounts or profiles. But what about key performance indicators? These metrics help measure how much progress has been made toward meeting those objectives regularly and can be applied across multiple platforms.

With so many social media metrics available, it takes time to know which ones are most important for your business.

The key is to choose KPIs that align with your objectives, goals, and what you want to measure. This will help you determine whether or not you are progressing toward those goals.

Here are some of the most common KPIs:

• Social media followers and reach
• Engagement rate (likes, comments and shares)
• Brand awareness and brand equity
• Sales and lead generation
• Customer service satisfaction
• Cost per lead and R.O.I.

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

5. Choose the Right Social Media Channels

As of 2022, there are over 4.5 billion social media users worldwide, equivalent to 58% of the current world population. But this doesn't mean every social media platform will work for you.

Social media is all about engagement. So you must choose channels where your audience spends their time. For example, if your business caters to millennials, you must be on Facebook and Instagram. If your target market includes women over 35, Pinterest might be a good channel for you.

To choose the right social media platform for your business, you’ll have to find answers to these questions:

• Where does your audience hang out online?
• Do they prefer Facebook or Instagram, or Twitter?
• What type of content do they prefer the most?

Here is an infographic template that you can use to compare the different social media platforms and choose the perfect one for your business.

Define Your Brand Voice

Sharing information with your audience is one of the primary purposes of using social media. You must ensure that your posts are relevant and exciting if you want people to engage with them. This means you must define your brand voice before creating any content for your social channels.

You can start by defining what kind of content you want to share on social media. For instance, if you're a B2B company, you might want to focus on providing educational content or industry news relevant to your audience. If you sell products online, you can share some tutorials or product reviews to help customers make informed buying decisions.

Here is an infographic that will help you find your brand voice.

Create Engaging Content

Now that you know your target audience, goals, social media channels and brand voice, it's time to create content that attracts and engages your audience.

In the world of social media, there is a lot of noise. The average person is exposed to more than 4,000 ads each day on social media. For your brand to stand out in that crowd, you must ensure your social media content is on point.

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Here are some types of content that you can create for your social media:

Videos are a great way to engage your audience on social media. A study by HubSpot shows that 54% of consumers want to see more videos from a brand they follow on social media. They're fun, visual, and easy to share—which is why they're such a popular choice for consumers and online marketers.

You can make videos in a variety of ways:

Micro Videos: Micro videos are short, snappy videos that are usually no longer than 30 seconds. These videos are ideal for social media because they can be shared easily and quickly. If you want to create micro videos, Visme can help you create explainer videos , product videos , promo videos , YouTube video ads and many others.

Check out Visme's broad collection of video templates and edit them using the free online video maker to fit your needs.

YouTube Shorts: Similar to micro videos, shorts have more room to tell a story or explain something complex. They can also be longer than 30 seconds—but they should still be short enough that people won't get bored watching them!

Here is an example of a YouTube short from Visme that explains top design tips to improve your social media graphics.

TikTok: This platform lets you create and share short video clips in real-time with friends like Snapchat did before it was sold to Facebook. The app is viral among teens and young adults, so if you want to reach that audience, TikTok might be worth checking out!

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YouTube Videos: With over 2 billion active users , YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform worldwide. YouTube lets you upload video content, including product reviews, tutorials on how to use specific products/services offered by your business, customer interviews, behind-the-scenes footage from events hosted by your team members/employees, and many others.

Watch this video to learn more about creating social media videos.

Infographics can be a fantastic way to combine text and images to convey your message. They're easily shareable and engaging and help people understand complex concepts in an easily digestible way. An infographic could be the perfect solution if you have a difficult concept to explain to your audience.

Visme offers thousands of infographic templates in various categories such as statistical, informational, comparison and more that you can use. Choose your favorite infographic template from the vast library and customize it using Visme's free online infographic maker to share with your audience.

Here is how you can create an infographic in minutes using Visme.

Images are what people see first before they read your content. So use engaging and eye-catching images that relate to your content. A picture of a popular travel destination would be relevant and exciting if you're posting about how to save money while traveling.

Visme has a rich library of social media graphics to level up your social media strategy. Simply pick your preferred template, tweak a few elements and boom your graphics is ready to go live.

The best part? With just a few clicks, you can publish your content directly to your social media channels from Visme's editor.

Social Media Templates

Trick or Treat Facebook Post

Spooky Halloween - Facebook Post

Happy Halloween - Facebook Post

Spooky Halloween Day - Facebook Post

Halloween Party - Facebook Post

Thanksgiving Thank You Facebook Post

Create your social media graphic View more templates

Read our detailed guide about the 10 types of social media content you can use to improve your social media game. Watch the video below to learn more about it.

Visme offers a wide range of social media graphic templates you can easily customize. With these templates, you can create your own Facebook Ads , Facebook Posts , LinkedIn Headers , YouTubeThumbnails , Instagram Stories and almost every type of content you need to run your social media campaigns effectively.

Watch the video below to learn how it works.

8. Create a Social Media Content Calendar

A content calendar helps you stay organized and on track to avoid posting at the wrong time or forgetting to post altogether. It keeps all your posts in one place so you don't have to search for them when it's time to post. Also, it lets you see what types of posts are popular with your audience, which helps you create more engaging content for them.

But how do you create a social media content calendar?

There are many different ways to create a social media content calendar. Some people prefer using spreadsheets or Google Docs, while others like using advanced apps such as Visme's Social Media Scheduler . The key is finding a system that works best for you and then sticking with it!

With Visme, you can create your social media content and use the social media scheduler to automate your posts. Here is a detailed guide to creating a social media calendar in Visme.

9. Create an Engagement Strategy

You need to start engaging with your audience to build a loyal audience and increase your brand awareness . The key to engaging with your customers on social media is to listen to what they have to say, respond in a timely fashion and be helpful.

Here are some tips for creating a social media engagement strategy:

Engage with Your Audience in Comments

If you have an active community on social media, then you're probably already doing this. But if not, then it's time to get started! Make sure whenever someone posts something on your Facebook page or Twitter feed, they get a response from the company itself.

This can be as simple as thanking them for their comment or sharing their story. If one person starts a conversation, others will join in — and soon, you'll have a lively discussion going on about your brand!

Provide Excellent Customer Support

If people are talking about your brand online, there's no better way to encourage them than by providing customer support through social media channels. Users have a place to ask questions directly about products or services without waiting for an email response from customer service reps.

The more you can do to connect with your audience and provide a way for them to get in touch with you, the better. This will keep them engaged with your brand and help you build strong brand loyalty .

10. Track Performance and Make Adjustments

We've already discussed the KPIs you should track to monitor your social media performance. Once you have tracked your performance, it's time to make adjustments based on what worked and didn't. If there are specific posts that drive more traffic than others, then you need to continue posting those types of content.

If a particular post receives a lot of negative feedback from followers, you should avoid posting that type of content in the future. Consider changing platforms or deleting one if it isn't performing well for you.

With Visme's collaboration features , your team can create and publish content on social media directly from the Visme app. So, collaborate with your team to make changes in your social media plan, adjust the calendar and even work on a design project together.

Watch the video below to learn more about this amazing feature.

Create Your Next Social Media Plan with Visme

Social media is a powerful tool. The key to using it effectively is creating an effective social media plan. You can use this guide as a template to get started on your plan.

But remember that there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to social media. The best thing you can do is experiment with different formats and see what works best for your brand!

Now you know that Visme can be a great help in every step of the process of creating your social media plan. Sign up for Visme's all-in-one design tool and social media scheduler to get started with your social media plan.

Create an effective social media plan with Visme

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About the Author

Raja Antony Mandal is a Content Writer at Visme. He can quickly adapt to different writing styles, possess strong research skills, and know SEO fundamentals. Raja wants to share valuable information with his audience by telling captivating stories in his articles. He wants to travel and party a lot on the weekends, but his guitar, drum set, and volleyball court don’t let him.

How to Create a Great Social Media Strategy in 2024 (+New Data)

Create a comprehensive plan for leveraging social media platforms to achieve your marketing and growth goals with this free workbook.

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY WORKBOOK

Updated: 03/13/24

Published: 03/11/24

Creating social media strategies can be overwhelming, especially when you're just launching your brand or just building your online presence for the first time. So many channels, features, tools, and products available – but so little time to fit them all into your marketing strategy.

If you don’t have a full-time team of social media experts at your disposal, it’s even harder. But the fact is that your online success depends on having a sensible and straightforward strategy that fits your resources and goals.

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I spoke with three top-tier social media experts, and dug into recent HubSpot research (including our 2024 State of Social Media Report), to show you how to develop a social media strategy that drives traffic and ROI to your brand.

What is a social media strategy?

Why you need a social media strategy, how to create a social media strategy.

A social media strategy is an outline of the content that your business will post, the responsibilities of your social media team, and the social media channels you will use to promote your business. A social media strategy includes social media goals that complement your business' overall digital marketing strategy.

Your social media strategy is your master plan for how you create, post, and engage with your social media content.

It encompasses your social content guidelines, posting cadence, social media marketing campaigns, target audience, and engagement strategy that promote your business and brand.

To track and analyze your social media marketing performance, HubSpot’s Marketing Analytics and Dashboard Software can help you get insights, including customer lifecycle.

Many companies use social media to connect with customers, provide support, advertise new products and features, and promote special offers.

The State of Social Media in 2024

Explore the top trends in social media for brands to know and optimize your social strategy.

• AI Content Creation
• Community Building
• Social Media Shopping
• Social Vs. Search Engine

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According to our most recent The State of Social Media , social media marketers' top challenges include creating engaging content, generating leads, and reaching target audiences. While these are some of the trickiest challenges, they're also the items you'll want to think about most when making an effective plan.

Ultimately, well-thought-out social media strategies equip you to set goals and guardrails, track performance, and tweak your benchmarks over time.

“One of the biggest challenges I think social media marketers face is saturation and competition. There is so much content on social media that sometimes it makes it challenging to stand out from the crowd. Having a robust strategy that understands the target audience includes strong copy and unique content can help to cut through the noise,” says Ellie Nash , social community executive at Kurago .

Without a starting point, you can‘t measure what’s working and how to shift your activity to hit your goals.

A social media strategy also helps you set expectations for broader team involvement and get everyone aligned on what they should and shouldn't do on your social networks.

• Define your target audience.
• Incorporate ecommerce.
• Optimize your social channels for search.
• Focus on a few key channels.
• Make a plan for customer service.
• Develop a recipe card to guide you.
• Measure your results.
• Adjust your tactics.

1. Define your target audience.

If you haven’t already identified and documented your buyer personas , start by defining the key demographics of the audience you’re trying to reach — such as age, gender, occupation, income, hobbies, and interests.

To meet your audience where they are with marketing that won't annoy them, you first need to learn out what they want and why. 

Social Media Motivations

Are social media users visiting these apps to learn, explore, shop, or just have a good time?

In our most recent State of Consumer Trends Survey this summer, we asked over 500 general consumers to pick the three most common reasons they use social media. 

While 65% actually use it socially to keep up with friends, 53% just want to be entertained while 50% want to learn new things. Unfortunately, 28% say they prefer to go on social media to learn about new products or brands. 

The good news? Later in the survey, when we asked consumers how they prefer to research and learn about brands and products, a whopping 41% said they like to do this on social media channels (a slight increase from a similar survey we ran six months prior).

While Gen X and Boomers skew lower on this average, Gen Z and Millennial generations are using social for brand research more often – which is not surprising due to their hyper-connectedness to the web.

As you might be able to tell from our data above, your target audience plays a role in how successful the right strategy will be. And, better catering to them helps you create focused advertising that addresses your ideal consumer’s specific needs.

For instance, the below-sponsored post by Monday.com , a project management platform, highlights the platform’s flexibility and workflow customization feature.

The post targets business owners and project managers who may feel limited by other project management software.

Image Source

Consider your ideal consumer’s challenges and what problems they're solving daily. Focus on no more than four types of people representing most of your buyers. Don’t get hung up on the exceptions or outliers, or you’ll never get started.

Once you start creating content for your audience, focus on engaging your audience at every level.

Pay close attention to any questions or comments your audience posts, and be quick to address them, as that engagement could make or break a conversion or purchase.

Consumers like feeling like they’re part of a community when they’re on your social media pages. More than 1 in 5 social media users joined or participated in an online community in the last year.

Speaking of communities, creating social media groups is a smart move to attract, keep, and engage the audience, with 90% of marketers agreeing.

Here's why:

• Groups help people get involved.
• Followers can learn from each other.
• Your brand becomes a connector — something like a helpful friend.
• Communities feel more friendlier to chat compared to pages. 

In 2020, HubSpot made a small Facebook Group called Marketer to Marketer with 4.9k followers. It's not as big as our Facebook page, but conversions prove its worth it.

Pro tip: To reach the right audience, use social listening tools . These tools check social media for keywords, assess if the talk is positive or negative, and give you reports. This helps in creating a buyer persona for better targeting.

2. Incorporate ecommerce.

As more and more people use social media to discover new products, they’re also finding convenience in shopping for those products directly in the social app they found them in.

While one-fourth of social media marketers are already seeing more effectiveness in social shopping tools than they are with ecommerce site strategies, 80% of social media marketers believe consumers will eventually buy products directly within social apps more often than on brand websites or through third-party resellers. 

What's more, 25% of users between the ages of 18 and 44 had already bought a product on social media by summer of 2023. We wouldn't be shocked if this number increased in 2024.

Lastly, if we look at how this trend is fairing across the globe, several other countries have already made social media shopping a norm.

For example, check out this comparison of data from the UK, China, and the US:

• In the UK, social shopping saw a rise from 2021 to 2023 , with 4.1% of the population engaging in this trend. Anticipated data suggests a further increase in 2024 and a growth of approximately 2% in 2025.
• In 2022, around 84% of Chinese consumers have shopped on social media platforms. Despite some COVID-19 challenges, it reached 850 million users in 2021 , making the market worth more than 2.5 trillion.
• In 2023, the US made $68.91 million from social commerce , which is 5.9% of all online sales. This is a sharp increase from $39.51 million in 2021.

Translation? If you sell products, social media should be a key part of your ecommerce strategy in 2024. It doesn't matter where you are. Social selling is a big deal — so it’s time to take it seriously.

Most platforms offer built-in e-commerce features like shoppable posts, and 47% of social media marketers are already taking advantage of selling products directly within social media apps.

The most popular social selling tools for marketers are:

• Instagram Shops and Instagram Live Shopping — high ROI.
• Facebook Shops — average ROI.

(Psst: Need help building a Facebook page for your business? We have you covered.)

If you need inspiration for incorporating e-commerce into your social strategy, take a cue from Sephora .

Whenever the beauty brand shares an image of a product, it uses a product tag that links to its shoppable page above.

This makes it easy for its followers to instantly buy something they see on the page without ever having to leave the app.

One critical element of successfully selling on social media is establishing brand trust so users feel comfortable purchasing your products directly on the app.

While Sephora has built an established brand reputation over time, you can build trust in other ways, even if you’re building your social media strategy from scratch.

Focus on sharing customer reviews and testimonials, user-generated content (UGC), and product data to build social proof.

Pro tip: Go with image, video, and carousel ads for brand awareness to emphasize store visits, ad impressions, and engagement. For increased sales, select product, collection, or shopping ads to drive direct purchases and product page visits.

3. Optimize your social channels for search.

Social search is on the rise.

As more people turn to social with their queries instead of search engines, 89% of social media marketers agree that social search is important to their overall social media strategies in 2023.

Nearly 24% of consumers aged 18-54 use social media first to search for brands.

Pro tip: You don’t need to film an hour-long video. Even short videos, aka YouTube Shorts, can help you rank higher in SERP. You can use UGC videos and testimonials for that purpose.

4. Focus on a few key social channels.

Most small businesses or social teams don’t have the bandwidth to establish and sustain a quality social media presence on every single channel.

It's also overwhelming to learn the rules of engagement on multiple networks simultaneously.

Focus on the channels that will bring in the highest ROI. For most brands, this will be Instagram.

Instagram has proven to be the best source of ROI, engagement, and quality leads. Additionally, 23% of marketers believe Instagram offers brands the most potential to grow their audiences in 2023.

Adding an Instagram feed to your website is also a smart move to keep your site looking fresh and even to nudge people towards buying, as social media content can increase conversions by up to 29%.

With a tool like Flockler, even if you’re not a tech expert, you can make your site more lively and exciting with your latest Instagram posts. See their easy guide on how to embed an Instagram feed on a website .

Or as Annie-Mai Hodge says, “You don’t need to be on every single social media platform, full stop — for most businesses, it’s a waste of time and resources to be on platforms where your audience isn’t active.”

When creating your strategy, Hodge says, “You would’ve looked at where your audience is, what your competitors are doing, and what you’re aiming to achieve with social media — all of this will help inform you as to what social media channels you should be focusing on.”

Pro tip: Check where your competitors are most active and what kind of content they post. You’ll see what works or doesn't and how engaged their audience is. Don’t copy them — just use that info to make smart decisions for your strategy.

5. Repurpose your content.

Why stress over creating different content for each platform? 

Keep it simple: repurpose and use the same awesome content in different places – within reason of course.

According to our research, most marketers repurpose content in some way, shape, or form, while 19% consider it one of their key strategies. Meanwhile 40% plan to invest more in content repurposing in 2024.

This makes sense. By repurposing content, you can leanly and easily:

• Get your message to more people on different platforms.
• Save time by using what you already have instead of starting from scratch.
• Stay visible on search engines by updating and reusing content.
• Cater to your audience's preferences with different formats.
• Make your content last longer by updating timeless pieces.
• Improve your strategy by checking how your content performs on different channels.

…to hilarious TikTok video:

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However, one word to the wise is to not lean on it for every single campaign. Although most marketers do it, only 7% told us it yields them substantial ROI compared to content that's more catered to platforms. 

So, if you're low on time or bandwidth, experimenting a new platform that's similar to one you already use, or can make light tweaks to optimize content for different channels – feel free. Just make sure you're giving your audience what they're looking for and not over-spamming them with content they've seen several times already.

Pro tip: Looking for a creative content idea that feels more personal than repurposed? Make catchy quote pictures from customer thoughts, share email insights on X or LinkedIn, and whip up quick videos from podcasts — people love that kind of stuff.

6. Make a plan for customer service.

When putting together your social media strategy, consider how you’ll use your channels for customer service.

Social media is so ingrained in our day-to-day lives that it’s no surprise that people turn to these platforms for everything from brand discovery to customer service.

According to our State of Social Media and Consumer Trends research, 1 in 5 social media users contact a brand through social DMs for customer service each quarter.

43% of marketers use customer service reps, 41% rely on platform managers, and 13% employ automated tools like chatbots.

Whether you create a separate account dedicated to customer service or have an auto-reply set up when people DM you on Instagram, have a plan for how you’ll handle customer support through social media.

Now, let’s talk a little bit about the importance of good customer service on social media. According Khoros research :

• 42% felt disappointed, 43% were unhappy, and 41% reported anger with poor customer care.
• 67% shared bad experiences, and 65% switched to a different brand.
• 43% are more likely to buy from a brand after a good customer service experience.
• 83% feel more loyal to brands that resolve their complaints.
• 73% of brands expect more inbound channels, and 53% anticipate more outbound channels in the next one to two years.
• Pro tip: Apart from clearly stating working hours, let customers know the expected response time and inform them about quicker alternative resources if available.

7. Develop a recipe card to guide you.

Social media isn’t an exact science. It doesn't work the same for every business or industry.

To see results for your business, create a recipe card. A recipe card is a posting and engagement schedule that keeps your team on track and helps you post content consistently.

HubSpot has a list of social media tools and templates that you can use to plan your content and create a posting schedule and content calendar.

One of the best ways to manage an SM content calendar is the method Bazile shared with me.

Here’s how she categorizes it:

• Evergreen engagement content.
• Evergreen promotional content.
• Specific campaign content.
• Recurring communications content.

“Breaking down content into these buckets allows social teams to maintain regular presences online while also separating content data into easily trackable pieces,” she says.

Develop a reasonable recipe card and well-organized calendar. Stick to it and get your team to follow. Set goals for your posting and engagement frequency, and hold yourself accountable for following your recipe.

Pro tip: Choose platforms that allow easy editing and content management within your team. This ensures smooth collaboration and calendar updates.

8. Talk WITH, not AT, your followers.

In our latest Consumer Trends research, 41% of consumers pointed to relatability as the most memorable aspect of posts from brands or companies on social or the web. 

Friendly brands win more followers (and hearts). So, skip the self-promotion overload. Instead, get into conversations and respond to comments authentically.

People love it when you chat with them, not just throw information their way. It makes them feel special, creating a genuine affection for your brand.

You don't have to sound super professional. Casual talk works even better on social media. Just take a cue from McDonald’s:

And here’s something interesting to remember — very few people, less than one percent , interact with the brands’ posts. 

Here are the platform breakdowns:

• Facebook: 0.09%.
• Instagram: 1.22%.

So, once you get a comment, find the right way to interact and show that you care.

Don't just ghost and ignore. These comments boost your post higher in algorithms and make it more visible. 

Pro tip: Never delete negative comments unless they’re super offensive or totally inappropriate. Instead, use them as an opportunity for constructive engagement and improvement.

9. Measure your results.

“Without goals, a product roadmap, or even a full brand strategy, social media managers will struggle to know what to prioritize in the social space, what metrics to measure to convey progress, and what sort of content or social presence is ideal for the brand,” Bazile says. 

There are countless things to track on your social media channels. Start by looking at how much traffic your social accounts drive to your website or blog.

Social media platforms offer tools to help businesses track analytics.

For example, you can use Facebook’s Page Insights , Instagram’s Account Insights , and LinkedIn’s Visitor Analytics to see what people are responding to and look for trends related to topics or keywords that generate the most interest.

Once you get an idea of your average traffic and post-performance, set goals for key metrics and keep a scorecard to measure your progress.

Be sure to choose metrics that are easy to gather because if it’s too time-consuming to track, you won’t be motivated to do it.

Examples of simple metrics include the total number of interactions, traffic to your website, and sales or revenue that can be attributed to social.

“One of the most valuable indicators, in my opinion, is impressions,” Nash says, “Impressions measure the number of times a piece of content is displayed on users' screens and help to evaluate the effectiveness of your content strategy in terms of exposure and brand awareness.”

Pro tip: Don’t only focus on platform numbers. Track the social sentiment as well. See if people express positive or negative feelings about you in online conversations. It takes a bit of manual work, but it's worth it. Check regularly for better insights.

10. Adjust your tactics as needed.

Social media won't start working overnight.

Establishing a following, stabilizing your brand, and seeing the results of your efforts take time. So, experiment to find the right combination of channels, content, and messaging that works for your audience.

We can pick up some cool tricks from Victoria's Secret in this regard.

They’ve shifted from using only professional photos and videos to incorporating more casual content. Now, VS’s Insta feed also includes UGC and interviews with random people on the street and in their stores.

Victoria's Secret proves that even as a high-end brand, you don't lose anything by including everyday people. 

Actually, you gain. 

More followers, more engagement, more exposure.

Keep track of changes in your post views, audience demographics, and post interactions, and make changes as needed.

Over time, you’ll be able to adjust your recipe card, content, and personas based on the information you’re gathering, which will help you fine-tune your strategy and generate more consistent results.

Trying new stuff might seem a bit daring, but sometimes, it's just necessary to “survive.”

For instance, try to use funny content whenever possible.

In our 2023 survey of over a thousand global social media marketers, 66% said funny content works best, followed by relatable (63%) and trendy (59%) content. While 45% talk only about their brand values, the key is to use humor for the most impact. 

Don't believe that humor can pay the bills? One-third, or 34% of Consumer Trends respondents also told us funny content is most memorable to them. 

I asked Hodge to tell me about a time when changing tactics improved social media results. She recalls that at the start of 2023, Girl Power Marketing stopped growing on social media and started losing engagement. 

“It wasn’t until I sat down and reassessed my strategy that I was missing something, and that was humanization,” Hodge recounts. “Why should people trust my thoughts, opinions, and guidance if they have no clue who was behind GPM or the mission behind it?”

Hodge shares that she started showing up more intentionally. She created content that showed more of herself, her personality, and GPM’s mission. 

“And a year later, GPM has grown to a community of 180k+ people - all because I switched up my tactics that no longer worked,” says Hodge.

Pro tip: Tailor your content to match seasonal trends and holidays. This helps keep your brand messaging timely and relatable. And most importantly — people love it.

Keeping Up With Social Media Strategies

While these tips will help you optimize your strategy for ROI in the present day, it's important to get your footing and keep up with the big shifts that are inevitable as new tools, channels, and trends arise.

To keep up with low stress, keep following research like our State of Social Media Report and check out our blog and resources for the coverage of social trends and tactics you actually need to keep on your radar.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Free Social Media Strategy Template

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• Content Strategy
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Create a plan for leveraging social media platforms to achieve your marketing and growth goals with this free workbook.

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• Sample Business Plans
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Social Media Marketing Business Plan

If you are planning to start a new social media marketing or digital marketing company, the first thing you will need is a business plan. Use our sample social media marketing business plan created using Upmetrics business plan software to start writing your business plan in no time.

Before you start writing your business plan for your new social media marketing agency, spend as much time as you can reading through some examples of  advertising and marketing-related business plans.

Reading sample business plans will give you a good idea of what you’re aiming for, and also it will show you the different sections that different entrepreneurs include and the language they use to write about themselves and their business plans.

We have created this sample Social Media Marketing Business Plan for you to get a good idea about what a perfect social media marketing business plan should look like and what details you will need to include in your stunning business plan.

Social Media Marketing Business Plan Outline

This is the standard social media marketing business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• The Business
• 3 Year profit forecast
• Company Owner
• Why the business is being started?
• Startup cost
• Startup Requirements
• Products and services
• Market Trends
• Marketing Share
• Institutions & Organizations
• Media & Celebrities
• Business Target
• Product Pricing
• Competitive Analysis
• Sales Monthly
• Sales Yearly
• Sales Forecast
• Company Staff
• Average Salary of Employees
• Important Assumptions
• Brake-even Analysis
• Profit Yearly
• Gross Margin Yearly
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Business Ratios

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After getting started with Upmetrics , you can copy this sample business plan into your business plan and modify the required information and download your social media marketing business plan pdf or doc file. It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

Download a sample social media marketing business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free social media marketing business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your house-flipping business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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Social Media Marketing Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Social Media Marketing Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their social media marketing businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a social media marketing business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Social Media Marketing Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your social media marketing agency as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Social Media Marketing Agency

If you’re looking to start a social media marketing business or grow your existing company, you need a business plan. A social media marketing business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your business in order to improve your chances of success. Your business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your social media marketing agency grows and changes.

Funding Sources for Social Media Marketing Agencies

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a social media marketing business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for social media marketing agencies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a social media marketing agency.

If you want to start a business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below we detail what should be included in each section of your own social media marketing business plan:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of social media marketing business you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a social media marketing business that you would like to grow, or are you operating social media marketing in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the social media marketing industry. Discuss the type of social media marketing business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of social media marketing business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of social media marketing businesses, or a full-service agency:

• Paid Ads : this type of marketing business focuses on creating social media ads and optimizing social media ad campaigns. A social media marketing agency may specialize in ads for one platform in particular or across all platforms.
• Content: this type of business focuses on creating content, either for specific platforms or across all platforms.
• Strategy: this type of marketing is where campaigns are created around specific goals that help businesses or individuals tailor where and how to best achieve results that will help them succeed.

In addition to explaining the type of social media marketing business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, number of positive reviews, total campaigns, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the social media marketing industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the social media marketing industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your social media marketing business plan:

• How big is the social media marketing industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your social media marketing business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: corporations, small business owners, nonprofits and individuals. Customers may also be segmented by industry, such as healthcare, technology, beauty, restaurants, music, B2B, and more.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of marketing business you operate. Clearly, individuals in the music industry would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations in the healthcare industry, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Only select social media marketing agencies primarily serve customers living in their same city or town. However, if your niche is to provide social media services to local businesses, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.  

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other social media marketing agencies.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes digital freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr. You need to mention such competition as well.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will have a similar niche audience.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What types of social media services do they provide?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide better social media strategy, content and ad services?
• Will you provide services that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a social media marketing business, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of social media marketing agency that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to social media marketing, will you provide web design services, copywriting or any other services?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your agency. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your business located in a busy professional district (good if targeting local businesses), or is it fully remote (good if targeting clients that aren’t place-specific). Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your business, including discovery calls, onboarding new clients, attending campaign meetings, managing employees and working on campaigns.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to take on your 10th client, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your social media marketing business into a new market.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your social media marketing business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing social media marketing businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing social media marketing agencies or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you gain one new client per month or per quarter? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your social media marketing business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a social media marketing business:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc. (if there will be a physical location)
• Cost of equipment and supplies (including hardware and software)
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or outlines of campaigns you are currently working on.

Social Media Marketing Business Plan Template PDF

You can download our social media marketing business plan PDF to help you get started on your own business plan.

Putting together a business plan for your social media marketing business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the social media marketing industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful social media marketing business.  

  OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to see how Growthink’s professional business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.   Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How to Start a Social Media Management Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Dreaming of turning your social media savvy into a thriving business? You’re not alone. With the digital world spinning at a breakneck pace, there’s never been a better time to dive into social media management. It’s an exciting journey, filled with opportunities to connect, engage, and grow brands in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

But where do you start? Launching a social media management business might seem daunting, but it’s absolutely achievable with the right approach. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a social media enthusiast looking to professionalize your passion, this guide is your first step towards building your empire. Let’s get the ball rolling and turn your dreams into reality.

Researching the Market

Before you dive headfirst into the world of social media management, it’s critical to understand the landscape you’re about to enter. Researching the market isn’t just a preliminary step; it’s your roadmap to carving out a successful niche for your business.

Identify Your Target Audience

The first step is to pinpoint who you’re aiming to serve. Different industries have varying needs, and your services must align with those demands. Whether it’s small local businesses, mid-sized tech firms, or large e-commerce platforms, understanding your target audience’s pain points will shape your offerings.

• Small local businesses might need more engagement and community building.
• Tech firms may prioritize brand awareness and lead generation.
• E-commerce platforms could focus on conversions and sales-driven campaigns.

Analyze Your Competition

You’re not the only one eyeing the social media management space. There’s a good chance you’ll find competition, but that’s not necessarily bad news. Analyzing your competitors can reveal gaps in the market you can exploit. Look at their service offerings, pricing structures, and client reviews. Identify what they’re doing well and areas where you could offer something different or better.

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Stay Abreast of Social Media Trends

Social media is an ever-evolving platform. What worked yesterday might not work today. Stay updated with the latest trends, algorithms, and features across different platforms. This not only helps you in crafting effective strategies but also positions you as a forward-thinking business.

• Platforms like Twitter and Instagram often update their algorithms and features.
• New social media platforms can emerge, offering fresh avenues for marketing.

Understand the Legal and Financial Aspects

Running a social media management business isn’t just about creativity and strategy. You need to be well-versed in the legal requirements, including contracts, copyright laws, and privacy policies. Additionally, understanding the financial side, like setting up your pricing structure and managing invoices, is key to maintaining a healthy business.

Defining Your Niche

When diving into the social media management realm, pinpointing your niche is like discovering your secret sauce. It’s not just about choosing a field you’re passionate about; it’s about leveraging your unique skills and expertise to stand out in a crowded market. Remember, when you try to appeal to everyone, you often connect with no one. That’s why honing in on a specific niche can help you become the go-to expert for a particular audience or industry.

First off, let’s break down how you can identify your niche. Think about the intersection of your interests, skills, and market demand. Are you a wizard at creating engaging content for health and wellness brands? Or perhaps you have a knack for boosting the online presence of local restaurants. Whatever it might be, your niche should capitalize on your strengths and interests .

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Here’s a simple exercise to get you started:

• List down your passions and areas of expertise
• Research industries or sectors that resonate with your interests
• Identify the common challenges or needs of these sectors in terms of social media marketing

This process might take some time, but it’s a crucial step in establishing a solid foundation for your business. Once you’ve identified your niche, you’ll find it easier to create targeted strategies that resonate with your audience. It also simplifies the process of marketing your services, since you’ll know exactly who you’re talking to and what problems you’re solving for them.

Moreover, specializing in a niche allows you to stay updated more effectively . Social media trends evolve at breakneck speed, and having a focused niche means you can keep your finger on the pulse of the trends and changes that matter most to your target audience. This level of insight positions you as a thought leader and gives your business a competitive edge.

Embracing a niche does not limit your business—it empowers it. It enables you to create more personalized, impactful social media strategies that truly resonate with your clients. This focus not only enhances your service quality but also builds your brand’s reputation as a specialized, knowledgeable entity in the social media landscape.

Creating a Business Plan

Starting a social media management business without a robust business plan is like navigating a dense forest without a map. You’ll want to outline your mission, understand your financials, and have a clear strategy for acquiring clients.

First off, define your mission statement . This should encapsulate why you’re starting this business and what you hope to achieve. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should be compelling enough to motivate you and resonate with your potential clients.

Next, dive into the market analysis . Here, you’re assessing the demand for social media management in your target niche. Use the insights gained from researching your market and analyzing your competition to refine your value proposition. Knowing who needs your services and why they can’t do without them is crucial.

One of the most critical components of your business plan will be the financial projections . Even if numbers aren’t your forte, it’s essential to get a handle on this. Estimate your startup costs, pricing strategy, and forecast your revenue for at least the first year. Consider using tools or software to help if you’re not confident in your accounting skills. Here’s a basic breakdown:

Finally, outline your marketing and sales strategy . How will you attract your first clients? Maybe you’ll leverage your social media expertise to create a compelling online presence or network at local business events. Whatever your approach, ensure it aligns with your strengths and the preferences of your target market.

Remember, a well-thought-out business plan is your roadmap to success. It’ll help you stay focused, make informed decisions, and, most importantly, turn your passion for social media into a thriving business.

Building Your Brand

When you dive into the realm of a social media management business, you’re not just offering a service; you’re crafting a brand that resonates with your target audience. Your brand is essentially your business’s personality, and it’s what sets you apart in a saturated market. It’s the story you tell and how you tell it.

Your journey into branding begins with defining your brand identity . This involves pinpointing what your business stands for, its core values, and the unique voice you’ll use to communicate with your audience. You’re creating an identity that your customers can relate to and trust. Ask yourself what emotions you want your brand to evoke, and let that guide your narrative.

Next step: Visual Branding . This is where the fun really starts. Your logo, color scheme, and design elements need to reflect your brand’s personality. These visuals become your uniform ; they’re what people will recognize and associate with your brand wherever they see it. Whether it’s bold and energetic or soft and soothing, ensure your visual branding tells your story at a glance.

Consistency is key . Once you’ve established your brand identity and visuals, it’s crucial to maintain consistency across all platforms. This consistency helps in building familiarity and trust with your audience. Whether it’s your website, social media profiles, or marketing materials, your brand’s essence should be unmistakable.

Engagement is the next frontier. Building a brand is more than just broadcasting messages; it’s about creating conversations and building relationships with your audience. Show genuine interest in their needs and preferences. Feedback is golden—it’s not just information; it’s a signal that your audience cares enough to share their thoughts.

Lastly, tell your story. Every brand has a story, and sharing yours creates a powerful connection with your audience. It’s your journey, your struggles, and your victories. Letting your audience in on your story not only humanizes your brand but also inspires loyalty and trust.

Remember, building a brand doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey of continuous refinement and engagement. As you evolve, so will your brand, but the core of your brand—its identity and values—should remain steadfast, guiding you towards creating a lasting impact in the world of social media management.

Setting Up Your Infrastructure

After you’ve carved out your niche and fleshed out a killer business plan, it’s time to get down to the brass tacks of setting up your infrastructure. This is where the rubber meets the road in launching your social media management business. Getting your infrastructure right sets you up for efficiency, scalability, and ultimately, success.

First things first, you’ll need reliable tech tools. Your arsenal should include a powerful laptop, reliable internet connection, and subscriptions to essential social media management tools. Consider platforms like Hootsuite or Buffer for scheduling posts, and analytics tools like Google Analytics to track your campaigns’ performance. Remember, the right tools can significantly streamline your workflow, allowing you to manage multiple clients effectively.

Next, build your digital presence starting with a professional website. Your website is often the first point of contact for potential clients, so make sure it reflects your brand’s personality and showcases your services clearly. Implement SEO best practices to ensure you’re easily found by those looking for your expertise. Also, don’t forget about setting up professional social media profiles. They’re not just platforms for your clients’ campaigns but also potent tools for marketing your business.

Lastly, consider the backend of your operation. Establishing a legal structure for your business, like an LLC or sole proprietorship, safeguards your personal assets and lends credibility to your venture. Additionally, setting up a separate business banking account streamlines finances, making it easier to manage cash flow and prepare for tax season.

Remember, while these steps might seem daunting at first, they’re crucial for laying a solid foundation for your social media management business. By investing the time and resources upfront to get your infrastructure in place, you’re positioning yourself for smoother operations and greater focus on what you do best: driving social media success for your clients.

Creating Service Packages

After you’ve laid down the foundation of your social media management business by identifying your niche, building your brand, and setting up your infrastructure, it’s time to think about the services you’ll offer. Crafting well-defined service packages is crucial . Not only do they make your life easier, but they also help your clients understand exactly what they’re getting for their investment.

Start by listing all the services you’re capable of and willing to provide. This could range from creating and scheduling posts, managing ad campaigns, analyzing performance metrics, to providing strategic consultations. Remember, diversity in your offerings can help appeal to a broader audience.

Next, group these services into packages that make sense together and cater to different needs and budgets. Typically, businesses benefit from offering three tiers – basic , standard , and premium . The basic package could cover the essentials of social media management, the standard package could include additional services like engagement strategies or influencer partnerships, and the premium package could offer comprehensive management plus detailed analytics reports and strategic planning sessions.

Let’s talk pricing . It’s a delicate balance between valuing your time and expertise and remaining competitive within the market. Research what others in your niche are charging but also consider the unique value you bring to the table. It’s often helpful to base your prices on a combination of your experience, the demand for your services, and the outcomes you deliver.

Here’s a simple example of how you might structure your packages:

Remember, these packages aren’t set in stone. You should regularly review and adjust your offerings based on feedback, market trends, and your own capacity. This way, you’ll continue to meet the evolving needs of your clients and stay ahead of the competition.

Pricing and Billing Structure

Deciding on your pricing and billing structure is like laying down the financial foundation of your social media management business. It’s not just about what you earn; it’s about setting a value for your expertise, time, and the results you deliver. Let’s dive in, shall we?

First off, it’s crucial to break down your services into Hourly, Project-Based, and Retainer models. This structure allows flexibility and caters to a wide range of client needs and budgets. Here’s a quick outline:

• Hourly : Ideal for smaller tasks or consultations. You’ll charge based on the time you spend working on a client’s project.
• Project-Based : Best for one-off projects with a clear start and end date. Think campaign launches or setting up social media profiles.
• Retainer : Perfect for long-term relationships where clients need ongoing social media management. This guarantees you a steady income.

Next, let’s talk numbers. Setting your rates isn’t a one-size-fits-all; it’s a balancing act between what you need to earn and what the market will bear.

Remember, these rates are ballpark figures to get you started. Dive into your specific niche and adjust accordingly. Knowing your unique value proposition and understanding your target audience’s budget constraints will guide you to a sweet spot in pricing.

Finally, don’t shy away from being upfront about your billing practices. Whether you choose net-30 payment terms or require a 50% upfront payment for projects, clear communication is key. Consider offering multiple payment methods to accommodate your clients, including credit cards, PayPal, or bank transfers. This flexibility can enhance client satisfaction and streamline your cash flow.

Incorporating these strategies into your pricing and billing structure not only sets the stage for your financial success but also builds trust and transparency with your clients. Keep in mind, as your business grows and evolves, so should your pricing strategies. Stay attuned to market changes, client feedback, and your own business growth to ensure your pricing remains competitive and fair.

Marketing and Promoting Your Business

Once you’ve got your social media management business up and running, it’s crucial to get the word out. Don’t underestimate the power of marketing and promoting your venture. This stage is as critical as setting up your infrastructure or crafting your service packages.

Firstly, leverage social media . It might sound obvious, but your business needs to be as active and engaged on social media as the services you’re offering to clients. Showcase your expertise by sharing insights, tips, and success stories. It’s your playground and portfolio all in one.

Networking is key. Attend industry conferences, webinars, and local business events. Connecting with other professionals can lead to referrals, partnerships, and valuable insights into what’s trending in the social media realm. Remember, every person you meet is a potential client or a link to one.

Content marketing is another powerful tool. Start a blog, create videos, or even a podcast to discuss trends, offer advice, and share your success stories in social media management. This not only helps in establishing you as a thought leader but also improves your SEO, making it easier for potential clients to find you online.

Don’t shy away from paid advertising . Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram offer targeted advertising options that can significantly increase your visibility to the exact clientele you’re trying to reach. A well-crafted ad campaign can bring you right in front of decision-makers looking for social media management services.

Email marketing can’t be overlooked. Collect emails from your website through free offerings like ebooks, checklists, or webinars, and nurture these contacts with regular updates about your services, success stories, and special offers. Personalized, valuable email content can turn a casual visitor into a paying client.

Remember, marketing is not a one-off task but a continuous effort. Keep experimenting, measuring your results, and tweaking your strategies. Your business needs to evolve as rapidly as the social media landscape does, and so should your marketing efforts.

Finding and Onboarding Clients

After you’ve nailed down your marketing strategy, it’s time to focus on finding and onboarding clients, a critical step to kickstart your social media management business. Remember, every successful entrepreneur was once at this step, figuring out how to translate their passion for social media into a thriving business.

First off, networking is your golden ticket. Start with your immediate circles. Let your friends, family, and acquaintances know about your new venture. You’d be surprised how word-of-mouth can work its magic. Attend industry meetups, conferences, and webinars. Not only do these events offer knowledge, but they’re also ripe with potential clients and collaborators.

Next, social proof plays a crucial role. Build a robust portfolio showcasing your personal success stories or any projects you’ve worked on. If you’re just starting out, consider offering your services at a discounted rate to local businesses or non-profits to get those initial testimonials.

When it comes to onboarding clients , clarity and organization are key. Ensure you have a straightforward process in place. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

• Initial Consultation: Offer a free consultation to discuss your client’s needs, goals, and assess how your services can align with their expectations.
• Proposal: Following the consultation, send a customized proposal outlining your services, strategy, and pricing.
• Agreement: Once the proposal is accepted, move forward with a clear contract that outlines the scope of work, timelines, and payment terms.

Remember, communication is paramount throughout this process. Keep your clients informed and involved, making them feel valued and part of the journey.

In this digital age, tools and software can significantly streamline your onboarding process. From CRM platforms to project management tools, leveraging technology not only saves time but also enhances your professional image.

By focusing on these key aspects of finding and onboarding clients, you’re setting the foundation for not just acquiring clients but building long-term relationships.

Managing Client Relationships

After setting up your social media management business, finding clients, and onboarding them, it’s crucial to focus on managing client relationships effectively. Strong relationships are the backbone of any service-based business. They determine client retention rates and open doors to referrals that can grow your business exponentially. Here are key strategies to ensure you’re building and maintaining these vital connections.

First, consistent communication is key. You need to establish clear lines of communication from the get-go. Decide how often you’ll update clients on the progress of their social media campaigns, whether it be weekly emails, bi-monthly reports, or monthly calls. Stick to this schedule religiously. By doing so, you reassure your clients that their business is in good hands.

Transparency is another critical element. Always be honest about what’s working and what isn’t. If a particular strategy isn’t yielding the expected results, let your client know, and suggest alternatives. This honesty builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to their success.

Remember, feedback is a two-way street. Encourage your clients to share their thoughts on your services regularly. This can be done through simple feedback forms or during your update calls. Listening to your clients’ concerns and suggestions not only helps you tailor your services to their needs but also shows that you value their input.

Lastly, personalization goes a long way. Treat each client as if they’re your only client. Customize your services to fit their unique needs and goals. Recognize important dates like the anniversary of your working relationship or their business milestones. Small gestures like these can make a client feel valued and foster a deeper, long-term partnership.

By focusing on these aspects of client relationship management, you’re not just working for your clients; you’re working with them. This collaboration is what will set your social media management business apart from the competition and fuel its growth.

Scaling and Growing Your Business

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for your social media management business, it’s time to think about scaling and growth. You’ve mastered client acquisition, honed your services, and built a brand people trust. Now, let’s turbocharge that momentum.

Automation and Outsourcing are your best friends for scaling. Automating repetitive tasks frees up your time for strategy and business development. Consider social media scheduling tools, analytics reporting, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. For tasks that require a human touch but not necessarily your expertise, outsourcing to freelancers or virtual assistants is a game-changer. This can include content creation, graphic design, or even administrative tasks.

Expanding your Service Offerings can attract a broader audience and encourage existing clients to invest more in your services. Stay abreast of the latest social media trends and tools. Could you offer training or consulting? What about diving into emerging platforms or specializing in video content? The digital landscape is your playground.

Networking is essential for growth. Attend industry conferences, join professional groups, and connect with peers and potential clients online. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn and share knowledge, but also to Build Strategic Partnerships . These partnerships could be with complementary businesses, such as web design agencies or marketing firms, where you can refer clients to each other.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of your Existing Client Base . Offering impeccable service can turn clients into advocates for your business. Encourage referrals by creating an incentive program. Happy clients are often your best salespeople.

As you scale, remember to maintain the personal touch and high service quality that got you here. Growth is exciting, but your reputation is everything. Keep evaluating your processes, seek feedback, and always look for ways to improve. The journey of scaling your business is continuous, filled with learning and adaptation. Keep pushing forward, armed with your passion and the strategies you’ve developed along the way.

Embarking on your journey to start a social media management business might seem daunting at first. But with the right steps, it’s entirely achievable. Remember, the key is not just understanding social media but also the intricacies of running a business. Stay true to your niche, keep abreast of the latest trends, and don’t shy away from leveraging technology to streamline your operations. As you grow, remember the importance of maintaining that personal touch—it’s what will set you apart in a sea of competitors. Here’s to your success in turning your social media savvy into a thriving business. Cheers to your future achievements and the exciting journey ahead!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the first steps to turning social media savvy into a business.

The initial steps include researching the market, understanding your target audience’s needs, and analyzing competition. It’s also crucial to stay updated with social media trends and comprehend the legal and financial frameworks of running a business in this field.

How important is it to define your niche in the social media business?

Defining your niche is vital as it guides your marketing strategies, helps you understand your audience better, and sets you apart from the competition. It lays the foundation for building a focused and successful brand.

What role does creating a business plan play in starting a social media management business?

Creating a business plan is essential in mapping out the specifics of your business, including your value proposition, marketing strategies, financial projections, and operational plans. It acts as a roadmap for your business’s growth and helps attract potential investors or partners.

How can one effectively market and promote their social media management business?

Effective marketing and promotion can be achieved through leveraging social media platforms, engaging in content marketing to showcase your expertise, networking, and employing digital advertising strategies. It’s crucial to create a consistent and compelling brand message across all channels.

What strategies are important for scaling and growing a social media management business?

For scaling your business, consider automating repetitive tasks, outsourcing to specialists, expanding your service offerings, and building strategic partnerships. Networking and increasing customer retention by leveraging your existing client base can also fuel growth.

How can businesses maintain a personal touch while scaling?

Maintaining a personal touch involves continuing to engage with clients on a personal level, customizing services to meet individual client needs, and ensuring customer service remains a top priority. It’s about balancing growth with maintaining the quality of service that made your business successful.

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Ryan Kingsley

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How to create a social media strategy (with template)

I've been in the social media game for years now, and despite the vile cesspool of nonsense on social, there are plenty of decent people looking for what we marketers are offering. But you need to know what you're offering.

To make the process easier, I developed this downloadable social media strategy template. Read on for details on how to fill it out.

How to create a social media strategy:

What is a social media marketing strategy? 

A social media marketing strategy is a game plan for using social media platforms to promote your offerings and stand out in an oversaturated digital market. It's not just a five-minute whiteboard drawing; it's a comprehensive document detailing how you'll use social media to achieve your business objectives.

Here are three questions to ask yourself when you're getting started, which you'll want to comprehensively answer in your strategy:

What are your goals? Your social endeavors should tie back to your business objectives. Be it driving sales, boosting engagement, or elevating brand visibility—know what you want to get out of it.

Who's your audience? Understand who you're talking to. Tailor your content to resonate with the people you want to reach, ensuring your messages aren't just broadcasted but effectively land.

What's the competition up to? Take a look at your rivals. Learn from their hits and misses, then carve your unique path. Inspiration is good; plagiarism isn't.

Remember, the purpose of this strategy is to guide your online endeavors so that every post, every comment, and every share has a purpose behind it.

Benefits of a social media strategy

Having a strategy for your social media isn't about cramping creativity but rather channeling it effectively. Setting a clear direction ensures that your online efforts lead to tangible business benefits:

Increase sales: When done right, your social media content should funnel people to your website or store. Then, you can use more middle- and bottom-funnel content to turn those visitors into paying customers.

Boost engagement: Strategic content isn't just seen; it's interacted with. And that doesn't just mean more likes. We're talking real engagement, like shares, comments, and conversations. That's what really builds brand awareness and fosters trust within your audience.

Track preferences: Predetermined metrics like reach, engagement, conversion rates, and ROI provide awesome insights into what types of content are and aren't effective, so you can take that content and scale it beyond social media.

Build communities: Your brand isn't just about selling; it's about connecting. A well-honed strategy helps cultivate spaces where enthusiasts can rally around what you offer and get the word out to others.

Gather feedback: Your digital communities also become treasure troves of insights. They're your direct line to what customers adore, desire, or would change.

Support cross-functional efforts: A cohesive social media strategy amplifies other departments' efforts, whether announcing a product launch, amplifying a PR campaign, or driving attendance to a corporate event.

How to create a social media marketing strategy

I've run quite a few social media campaigns for my personal brand as well as different businesses I've worked for. Each one had different goals, which is to be expected. But regardless of your end goal, you can use the same big ideas to formulate your social media marketing strategy.

1. Establish a clear purpose

I can't tell you how many social media managers I've seen just throw as many things at the wall as possible and hope something sticks: giveaways that get short-term engagement, services that guarantee followers and likes, or jumping on whatever the most recent bandwagon is. What these lack is a clear purpose. 

Within three months, increase website traffic by 15% and online sales by 10% by implementing effective call-to-action (CTA) strategies and conversion tracking on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).

Within 12 months, identify and hire at least 50 brand advocates who consistently share our content and refer new customers through the implementation of a brand advocacy program.

When you have an overarching purpose, the rest of the strategy planning is simple. It also makes it easy to adjust your social media strategy as you go without losing sight of your long-term goals. Each time you make a social media decision, ask yourself: does this align with the purpose? Yes? Keep it. If not, get rid of it.

2. Understand your target audience

From there, orient each part of your strategy—from which platform you post on and when to what metrics you're trying to hit—toward that target audience. 

Aim to create a strategy that answers all of these questions:

Is your strategy respectful of your audience's backgrounds and experiences, and what value does it add to their lives?

What are you hoping they take away from your content, and what are they hoping to take away from it?

What existing knowledge do you expect them to come with, and what can you teach them?

3. Research your competitors

As much as we all want to feel like unique, creative geniuses, everything is inspired by something. But don't just copy what your competitors are doing—ask yourself why they're doing it that way and what the thought process is behind it. 

Here are some questions you can consider when filling out the social media strategy template:

Who are your competitors trying to target?

Why is their strategy working?

What social media platforms are they using and why?

What social media platforms aren't they using and why?

How often do they post content to each platform?

Are they replying to comments?

What is the ratio of posts trying to sell something compared to fun, interesting, or educational content?

Look for gaps and opportunities that your competitors—whether they're crushing it on social or not—aren't taking advantage of. What are they missing that you think your target customers would enjoy?

Let's say you're a vegan restaurant and other vegan joints only post images of their food. They may have plenty of followers, likes, and sales, but you know you can do more. You can post behind-the-scenes videos, recipe tutorials, and images of your clientele with rich anecdotes as captions, Humans of New York style, to show your audience you're more than a menu.

4. Research your audience

Outlining a social media strategy without doing audience research first is like going out of your way to get your friend an iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso when they hate oat milk, brown sugar, and turns out they drink tea. But unlike your pal, your audience won't just smile and say thanks—they'll keep scrolling.

You need to know what type of content your audience likes, so you don't leave them scrolling for something better. Take these steps to get to know your audience:

Analyze engagement metrics: Look at posts from your account and your competitors' accounts that get the most engagement. What topics resonate the most? Do they prefer short, funny videos? Or educational deep dives?

Segment your audience: Not all of your followers are the same, so you'll want to divide them into groups based on their behaviors or preferences, like followers who engage more with your trending content rather than business updates. This can help you more precisely target your audience rather than trying to appease everyone with broad messaging.

5. Choose the right social media channels

Make sure the social platforms you choose are right for your brand. Consider some of the following questions:

Does the platform host your target audience?

Is it working for your competition?

If it's not working for the competition, is it because your target audience isn't there or because competitors are doing something wrong?

Does it fit well with the content you plan on making?

Is it worth your time and effort to create content for it?

Once you've chosen the social media platforms you plan to use, check out these channel-specific guides for more detailed strategy tips:

6. Determine your KPIs

So, what exactly does social media "success" look like? Bringing in more business, sure, but that's a little vague. You want to see that your social media strategy is hitting smaller goals along the way. To gauge how your strategy is paying off, define some quantifiable key performance indicators, or KPIs. 

Here are some examples.

You need to please the social media algorithms in order to get your content promoted organically, and the algorithms care about engagement. Social media engagement, like shares, comments, and likes directly impact every other KPI due to how the algorithms work, so engagement should be your main focus.

7. Conduct a social media audit

It's probably a good idea to audit your accounts before embarking on a campaign to get a sense of where you're starting off. But most importantly, perform an audit after each campaign to ensure your strategy is paying off. 

Other than your KPIs, here are some things to track when you audit yourself:

What types of content you're posting and on which platforms

How much engagement each post received

How many followers you have (or gained/lost)

Any positive or negative comments

Whether you're reaching your target audience or not

8. Perfect your publishing cadence

If you send me an email at 5 p.m. on a Friday, you can expect a response Monday morning at the earliest . And if you spam me with 11 messages that definitely could've been consolidated into one, there's a chance they're all going in the trash.

The same goes for your social media strategy. When and how often you post can make a big difference in how your content performs.

Here's how to figure out a publishing cadence that works best for your brand:

Analyze peak times: Use analytics tools within social platforms or external tools like HubSpot or Later to find the days and times your audience is most active. Remember, time zones and holidays can affect engagement.

Prioritize quality over quantity: It's better to post high-quality content a couple of times per week than bad content every five minutes.

Test and learn: Conduct A/B tests by posting at various times and days of the week, and monitor engagement to see which posting times perform the best.

Plan ahead with a content calendar: Use a social media scheduling tool to plan your content in advance. Look for a tool that lets you schedule posts and view and adjust how your feed will look.

Stay on top of trends: You have to be able to adjust to changes like trending topics or news that's relevant to your brand. Hold space in your content calendar to create trending content.

Bonus: Get inspired by these 6 examples

Here are some examples of how real-life social campaigns knocked it out of the park. Each one has a clear strategy behind it (which I've teased out based on the campaign itself).

1. Olivia Rodrigo #ShotoniPhone15Pro campaign

Apple wanted to flaunt the iPhone's camera capabilities and knew it had to resonate with the younger demographic obsessed with photography and music. Enter Olivia Rodrigo—a contemporary musical sensation. Through their collaboration, Apple seamlessly blended tech and pop culture, using platforms like YouTube, where both visuals and melodies reign supreme. This helped showcase Apple's camera and Olivia's music while also boosting brand recognition among younger demographics.

Audience: Tech-savvy and pop culture-conscious Gen Z users 

Goal: Increase awareness of the iPhone 15 and its advanced camera capabilities

Tactics: Celebrity partnerships; high-quality videography and photography

2. Marcus Theatres

Audience: Gen Z and Millennial TikTok aficionados

Goal: Build brand loyalty and resonate with the TikTok community

Tactics: CEO-led TikTok videos; tapping into trending sounds

Audience: Tech and Zapier enthusiasts

Goal: Generate buzz for an upcoming product and reinforce brand community

Tactics: Interactive teasers; encouraging audience predictions

4. Poppin Candy

In a sweet twist, Poppin Candy turned to its followers for new candy concoctions. Instead of guessing what their audience might want, they went straight to the source. By letting followers have a say, they're boosting engagement and making sure their treats hit the sweet spot every time.

Audience: Sweet-toothed fans and creative candy connoisseurs

Goal: Enhance engagement and customer connection to the brand

Tactics: Audience-driven candy mix challenges; crowdsourcing flavor ideas

Audience: Kids, teens, and those with nostalgic connection to Barbie

Goal: Promote the Barbie movie and its doll catalog

Tactics: Brand collabs; capitalizing on viral TikTok trends

6. Starbucks

Starbucks knows a thing or two about creating a buzz. Their September ThursYays BOGO on fall drinks was all over social media. And if the long lines post-noon on Thursdays are any indication, their cups—and registers—were overflowing.

Audience: Fall flavor fans and deal hunters

Goal: Drive up sales and increase word-of-mouth promotion of fall flavor release

Tactics: Limited-time deals; heavy promotion of seasonal specials

How to get the most out of our social media strategy template

This article was originally published in November 2020 by Tierney Mosier. The most recent update, with contributions from Michael Kern, was in October 2023.

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Chris Boutté

Chris is a Las Vegas local and has years of experience in content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing. He is also an author, YouTube influencer, podcast host, and committed advocate for mental health.

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The Beginner's Guide to Creating a Social Media Marketing Plan From Scratch

When I went rock climbing for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. My friends and I were complete newbies about ropes and rappelling and every other bit of jargon and technique that goes with climbing. We saw others doing it spectacularly well. We were thrilled at the thought of reaching the top of the climbing wall; we had no idea how to get there.

I’d imagine that a social media marketing strategy could feel the same way.

If you’re starting from square one, it might feel equally parts thrilling and overwhelming. You know what you want to do and why. You can see that others have climbed the social media mountain, but you have few ideas for getting there yourself.

It’d help to have a plan.

We’ve shared different parts of a social media strategy— the data, research , and personal experience behind what works on social media .

Now we’re pleased to put it all into a cohesive, step-by-step blueprint that you can use to get started. If you need a social media marketing plan, start here.

Step 1: Determine which social media sites you will use

Social media is as homogenous from network to network as soda pop is from brand to brand. Sure, it’s all social media, but Instagram and Twitter might as well be Mountain Dew and Pepsi. Each network is unique, with its own best practices, own style, and own audience.

You should choose the social networks that best fit your strategy and the goals you want to achieve on social media.

You don’t have to be on them all—just the ones that matter to you and your audience.

Some factors to consider when choosing which social networks to try and how many to try.

• Audience – Where do your potential customers hang out ? Which social network has the right demographics?
• Time – How much time can you devote to a social network? Plan on at least an hour per day per social network to start. (Pro Tip: Once you get going, scheduling content ahead of time with tools like Buffer can help you save time.)
• Resources – What personnel and skills do you have to work with? Networks like TikTok emphasize consistent and relevant content. Visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest require images and videos. Do you have the resources to create what's needed?

For the first part of this decision, you can reference the audience research and demographics from surveys like those conducted by Pew Research. For instance, Pew has complete data collected in 2021 on the demographics of social media users in the U.S. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the major social media platforms’ user demographics.

Credit: Pew Research Center

Step 2: Fill out your profiles completely

One of our monthly checks here at Buffer is to visit our social media profiles and ensure that our profile photos, cover photos , bio , and profile info are up-to-date and complete. It’s a crucial part of our social media audit . A completed profile shows professionalism, cohesive branding, and a signal to visitors that you’re serious about engaging.

Profiles will require two parts: visuals and text .

For visuals, we aim for consistency and familiarity with the visuals we use on social media . Our profile photo on Instagram matches our profile photo on Facebook. Our cover photo on Twitter is similar to our cover on LinkedIn.

To create these images, you can consult a social media image size chart showing you the exact breakdown of dimensions for each photo on each network. For an even easier time of it, you can use a tool like Pablo or Canva , which comes with prebuilt templates that set the proper sizes for you.

For text, your primary area to customize is the bio/info section. Creating a professional social media bio can be broken down into six simple rules:

• Show, don’t tell – “What have I done” often works better than “Who I am”
• Tailor your keywords to your audience
• Keep language fresh; avoid buzzwords
• Answer the question of your potential followers: “What’s in it for me?”
• Be personal and personable
• Revisit often

Step 3: Find your marketing voice and tone

The temptation at this point might be to jump right in and start sharing. Just one more step before you do. Your foray into social media will be more focused and more on point if you come up with a voice and tone for your content right off the bat.

To do so, you could spend time developing marketing personas and debating the finer points of your mission statement and customer base. These are all well and good. But for a social media marketing plan just getting off the ground, you can make this process a bit easier.

Start with questions like these:

• If your brand was a person, what kind of personality would it have?
• If your brand was a person, what’s their relationship to the consumer? (a coach, friend, teacher, dad, etc)
• Describe in adjectives what your company’s personality is not.
• Are there any companies that have a similar personality to yours? Why are they similar?
• How do you want your customers to think about your company?

At the end of this exercise, you should end up with a handful of adjectives describing the voice and tone of your marketing. Consider this to keep you on track:

Voice is the mission statement; tone is the implementation of that mission.

Here are a few places to take inspiration for developing your brand's voice and tone:

• Sprout Social

Cultivate a voice that delights your customers, then your customers will be thrilled to spread the love about you.

Step 4: Pick your posting strategy

What’s the ideal amount to post per day ? How often should you post ? When should you post ? What should you post ? The solid gold, ironclad answer for questions like these is:

It depends.

So much of the social media experience is about your individual audience and niche. What works for you might not work for me, and you never know until you try (we’ll get to trying in step five).

That being said, there is some pretty good data and insight about where to start. Here’s what we’ve found to be good jumping-off points.

What should you be posting?

Videos are ideal for engagement.

The push toward video content has plenty of anecdotal evidence — the success of TikTok and constant updates to Instagram – and you’re likely to see videos all over. There’s data to back up this trend : Videos posts get more views, shares, and Likes than any other type of post. And it’s not even close.

On Facebook, video posts get higher average engagement than link posts or image posts, according to BuzzSumo who analyzed 68 million Facebook posts .

On Twitter, videos are six times more likely to be retweeted than photos and three times more likely to be retweeted than GIFs , according to Twitter .

If you want to start creating social videos, here’s our video marketing guide on creating epic content on Facebook, Twitter, and more .

The 4:1 Strategy

Now that you know what works, you can place these different types of updates into a consistent strategy. One of my favorite systems is the one used by Buffer’s co-founder Joel Gascoigne . It works like this:

• Start with the basic six types of updates we all post: Links, videos, images, quotes, reshares, plain-text updates
• Choose a “staple” update , a single type that will make up the majority of your shares
• Create a 4:1 ratio of sharing : for every four “staple” updates, publish one different type for variety

This way your followers know what to expect from you, and you can hone your sharing to a specific type, making it easier to perfect and experiment.

(Note: You might not want to post the exact same updates across each of your social networks. Adopt a cross-posting strategy that considers each platform's uniqueness and its audience.)

How often should you be posting?

There’s been a lot of interesting data out there about how often to post to social media . Some of the factors that might impact your specific sharing frequency may include your industry, your reach, your resources, and the quality of your updates. The social network you’re using will also have its best practices.

If people love your updates, you can typically always get away with posting more.

For a specific number, here are some guidelines we’ve put together based on some really helpful research into how often to post on social media .

• Twitter – Three to fifteen times per day
• TikTok – Three times a day
• Instagram – Once or twice per day
• Instagram Stories – Eight to 16 Stories, twice per week
• LinkedIn – Once a day
• Pinterest – Three to ten times per day
• Facebook – Thrice a week

When should you be posting?

Here’s an overview of what they found regarding timing (all times are Eastern Time).

• Twitter –Mondays and Thursdays at 8am
• Facebook – Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 9am to 1pm
• LinkedIn – Tuesday and Wednesday at 9am
• Instagram – Tuesday between 11am to 2pm is the most ideal time
• Pinterest – Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 1-2pm
• TikTok – Any day between 2 am to 12 pm is ideal

I would recommend experimenting with these times (in your local time) and a few randomly-picked times as you’re starting out.

Once you have been posting for a while, you can use your own data and tools like Instagram Insights and Followerwonk to find your brand’s best time to post and refine your posting strategy.

Step 5: Analyze, test, and iterate

Remember how we talked about social media sharing being a very individual, specific endeavor? Your stats will likely start to bear this out.

The more you post, the more you’ll discover which content, timing, and frequency is right for you.

How will you know? It’s best to get a social media analytics tool . Most major social networks will have basic analytics built into the site; it’s just a little easier to seek and find this information from an all-encompassing dashboard.

These tools (I’ll use Buffer’s analytics as an example) can show you a breakdown of how each post performed in the critical areas of views, clicks, shares, Likes, and comments.

Which social media stats are best? We’ve gained some insight from looking at each of these main statistics and the composite engagement statistic on a per-post basis. The resulting stat gives us a great look, over time, of how our social media content tends to perform, and we can then test and iterate from there.

Here’s one way to analyze your performance .

• Set a benchmark . After two weeks or a month of sharing, you can go back through your stats and find the average engagement rate per post . This'll be your benchmark going forward. Remember to revisit and update this number as your following and influence grow.
• Test something new . Avoid getting stuck in your ways – social media is dynamic and you should be too. We're open to testing just about anything at Buffer and find ourselves trying new things and adapting our strategy based on the success of our experiments.
• Did it work? Check the stats from your test versus the stats of your benchmark. if your test performed well, then you can implement the changes into your refular strategy. And once your test is over, repeat!

Step 6: Automate, engage, and listen

The final piece of a social media marketing plan involves having a system you can follow to help you stay on top of updates and engage with your community .

To start with, automate the posting of your social media content.

Tools like Buffer allow you to create all the content you want to, all at once, and then place everything into a queue to be sent out according to your schedule. Automation is the secret weapon for consistently excellent sharing day after day.

Your plan doesn’t end with automation, though. Social media requires engagement, too.

When people talk to you, talk back. Set aside time during your day to follow up with conversations that are happening on social media. These are conversations with potential customers, references, friends, and colleagues. They’re too important to ignore.

One way to stay up on all the conversations that are happening around you and your company is to create a system for listening and engaging. Tools like Buffer and Mention will collect all social media mentions and comments on your posts in a single place, where you can quickly reply to your followers.

What would you share with someone new to social media?

Creating a social media marketing plan is an excellent step toward diving into social. If social media looks thrilling and overwhelming all at once, start with a plan. Once you see the blueprint in front of you, it’s a little easier to see what lies ahead.

• Pick your networks
• Fill out your info
• Find your voice
• Choose your strategy
• Analyze and test
• Automate and engage

How did you develop your social media strategy? I’d love to keep the conversation going on Twitter @buffer !

Did you find this article helpful? You might also like our all-you-need social media toolkit.

The all-you-need social media toolkit

Publish Flawlessly. Analyze Effortlessly. Engage Authentically.

Buffer is the all-you-need social media toolkit that lets you focus on doing what you love for your business.

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Picked for you.

Social Media Marketing Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Social Media Marketing Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Social Media Marketing business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Social Media Marketing businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Social Media Marketing business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

The Blizzard Social Media Marketing business is a startup social media marketing company located in Stamford, Connecticut. The company is founded by Trace Parker, who has a history of a decade within the social media marketing industry Now, with the expertise of knowledge and business acumen, Trace has determined he can confidently start and effectively grow a successful social media marketing company. Trace believes his experience of strategic growth, marketing skills, financial capabilities, and wide and deep knowledge of social media marketing practices will provide everything needed for long-term growth and profitability.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will provide a comprehensive array of services for a wide variety of clients. Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be the premier social media marketing company, providing unique services to each client while supporting the strategic goals of the company. Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be the ultimate choice in social media marketing for clients by ensuring that every need of the customer is fully and completely met.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Blizzard Social Media Marketing will provide:

• Creative social media marketing strategies, customized for each client
• Content management and on-going management
• Social media community engagement with daily/weekly management options
• Paid social advertising opportunities
• Performance reports and analytics: weekly reports to clients
• Unique, digitally-designed program that scans 24-hours daily, monitoring positive and negative customer feedback.

Customer Focus

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will primarily target the small to medium-sized social media marketing companies in Stamford. The company will secondarily target the large-sized social media companies in the greater region around Stamford, including the outer areas of New York City. Blizzard Social Media Marketing will target marketing companies that are emerging into the social media category, as well.

Management Team

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be owned and operated by Trace Parker, who graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has been working at a local social media marketing company for over a decade as an account executive. As he considered starting his own company, Trace began successfully securing former clients who will follow him to Blizzard Social Media Marketing when the company fully launches. Trace believes his experience of strategic growth, marketing skills, financial capabilities, and wide and deep knowledge of social media marketing practices will provide everything needed for long-term growth and profitability.

Trace Parker recruited Angela Turner, a former business associate, to be the Administrative Manager in the new company. In this role, Angela Turner will oversee and direct staff members in the execution of the company vision, as well as run the operational portion of the technical department.

Trace Parker also recruited Anthony Collins to be the Financial Manager, overseeing the bookkeeping and accounting duties on a regular basis. Anthony Collins formerly served as the accountant for their former employer and was exemplary in handling complicated portions of this role.

Maryann Critcher has been recruited to manage the office clerks and serve as the Personnel Manager, overseeing all personnel with human resource responsibilities and management included in her role.

Success Factors

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team of Blizzard Social Media Marketing
• Comprehensive menu of services and an accurate and complete social media management report offered to the client every month.
• Short and long-term growth forecasts via various social media programs best suited to the clients
• Experienced understanding of client-positioning within social media markets
• Unique, digitally-designed program that scans 24-hours daily, monitoring positive and negative client feedback.
• Blizzard Social Media Marketing offers the best pricing in town. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition.

Financial Highlights

Blizzard Social Media Marketing is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Blizzard Social Media Marketing. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Blizzard Social Media Marketing.

Company Overview

Who is blizzard social media marketing.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing is a newly established, full-service social media marketing company in Stamford, Connecticut. Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be the most reliable, cost-effective, and efficient choice for social media clients in the city and the surrounding communities. Blizzard Social Media Marketing will provide a comprehensive menu of services backed by extensive experience for any client to fully utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive coverage package of social media advertising, platform management and new vision development.

  Trace Parker will be able to manage each of his team members, who are highly qualified and experienced in the most important aspects of social media marketing. Blizzard Social Media Marketing removes all headaches and issues of building a long-term growth perspective for social media companies and ensures all issues are taken care of expeditiously while delivering the best customer service.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing History

Blizzard Social Media Marketing is owned and operated by Trace Parker. As a former social media marketing executive for several years, he developed a unique capability to design and implement social media marketing successes that clearly reflect his skills and abilities. He has managed over one hundred successful projects for fifty nine clients and has now determined he is ready to take his professional skills and knowledge to venture out on his own by starting his own company. Trace Parker has gained the trust and commitment of several clients in advance of opening his business and will sign contracts with each when the company launches.

Since incorporation, Blizzard Social Media Marketing has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Blizzard Social Media Marketing, LLC to transact business in the state of Connecticut.
• Has a contract in place for a 10,000 square foot office at one of the midtown buildings
• Reached out to numerous contacts to include Blizzard Social Media Marketing in upcoming advertising and marketing programs.
• Began recruiting a staff of five and six office personnel to work at Blizzard Social Media Marketing

Blizzard Social Media Marketing Services

The following will be the services Blizzard Social Media Marketing will provide:

• Unique, digitally-designed program that scans 24-hours daily, monitoring positive and negative customer feedback
• Superior day to day client management

Industry Analysis

The social media marketing industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $14 billion.

The growth of the social marketing industry will be driven by very robust activity in acquisition and growth of companies that focus solely on social media marketing. As companies are formed in today’s marketplace, the demand has moved more and more toward the need for social media marketing versus traditional marketing forms, such as print advertising and radio spots. This increase in the use of social media marketing demands companies that specialize in formulating the brand identity and customer approach that brings the performance desired by the client base.

Costs will likely be reduced as more social media marketing companies enter the field of the profession. The positive result will be seen in a greater use of social media, indicating a continual evolution of how social media is utilized in marketing. It will also require new digital techniques, new methods of social media delivery and other yet-to-be-determined equipment to stay on top of the social media marketing curve.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will target companies that currently utilize social media marketing and those that have a need for social media marketing in Stamford, Connecticut and, in the greater region, New York City. They will target small-to-medium sized companies who have not yet acquired social media marketing and they will target large corporations without an effective social media marketing vision or presence.

Customer Segmentation

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Companies that currently use social media marketing
• Companies that have a need for social media marketing in Stamford, Connecticut
• Potential clients in the greater region of New York City
• Small-to-medium sized companies who have not yet acquired social media marketing
• Large corporations without an effective social media marketing presence

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Cutting Edge Social Media

The Cutting Edge Social Media Company was founded by Tina Lockland in 2020. Tina holds a master’s degree in social media design from the Parsons School of Design in New York City and has five years of experience as a social media manager. Cutting Edge Social Media concentrates on paid social advertising, with the creation and management of advertising campaigns. Clients include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The singular purpose of marketing paid social media advertising indicates that Cutting Edge Social Media has backburnered other forms of social media marketing, such as social media promotions and other advertising methods. The company currently has four management staff and five employees. Contract self-employed individuals are also hired to create content.

Marketing Bites

The Marketing Bites business was formed by Alicia Dunstreet in 2022 and currently has three employees. The concept of Marketing Bites is a simple one: social media marketing messages that are extremely brief are developed and sold to a variety of clients. Clients may include those who want a 30-second clip, a 1-minute promotion, or a cartoon caricature as a marketing message. The emphasis of Marketing Bites is on short-fire marketing that captures attention and builds customer loyalty. This is accomplished by humor, shock-and-awe value, or a clip that makes a definitive statement. The company has secured three major clients in the food and beverage industry, with more development in that sector promised in the future.

Executive Marketing, Inc.

Executive Marketing, Inc. has been in business since 1988 and was established by Floyd Wilson and his wife, Sherry Wilson. In its inception, it was a traditional marketing firm that focused on high-profile individuals who represented major manufacturers. The marketing tools used were print advertising, radio spots, news articles related to the clients, select marketing offers, and other personality-related marketing efforts.

As the decades have created the demand for new forms of sales and marketing, the Executive Marketing business has evolved under the leadership of Nan Wilson, the daughter of the founders. She took the company from traditional marketing to marketing that focused on the high-profile clients and the glamorous lives they led, which induced positional purchases by customers in response. In 2019, the granddaughter of the original owners, Mae Townsend, brought the company into social media marketing, where the emphasis remains on individual profiles and the marketing incentives those individuals represent to buyers.

Competitive Advantage

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will offer a unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide a comprehensive social media marketing program that brings revenue and long-term profitability to their clients
• Unbeatable pricing for its clients; they will offer the lowest pricing in the city.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Blizzard Social Media Marketing is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

The executive team at Blizzard Social Media Marketing have built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their clients. The contacts and clients will follow them to their new company and help spread the word of Blizzard Social Media Marketing.

Professional Associations and Networking

Industry associations and local networking will become a top priority for the team at Blizzard Social Media Marketing. In addition to potentially becoming gold standard clients, the contacts and networking prospects invite the attention of those at Blizzard. Active leadership roles will be attained and the increase in industry contacts will help strengthen the marketing sector overall.

Social Media Marketing

Blizzard will focus primarily on marketing their services and relationship opportunities via social media efforts. There will be a concentrated effort on showcasing the skills, capabilities and creative force in the management team at Blizzard. Further, there will be a demonstrable survey of former and current clients indicating the superior results obtained by using Blizzard social media marketing techniques.

Website/SEO Marketing

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Blizzard Social Media Marketing provides. The website will also list their contact information. The website will engage in SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “social media marketing company” or “social media marketing company near me,” Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Blizzard Social Media Marketing will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Blizzard Social Media Marketing. Operation Functions:

• Trace Parker will be the owner and President of the company. He will manage client relations. Trace Parker has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Angela Turner will be the Administrative Manager, who will oversee and direct staff members in the execution of the company vision, as well as run the operational portion of the technical department.
• Anthony Collins will be the Financial Manager, overseeing the bookkeeping and accounting duties on a regular basis.
• Maryann Critcher has been recruited to manage the office clerks and serve as the Personnel Manager, handling human resource responsibilities and management in her role.

Milestones:

Blizzard Social Media Marketing will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for Blizzard Social Media Marketing
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Blizzard Social Media Marketing clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Blizzard Social Media Marketing office
• 7/1/202X – Blizzard Social Media Marketing opens its doors for business

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Blizzard Social Media Marketing are the fees they will charge to clients for their services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Blizzard Social Media Marketing. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of clients Per Month: 20
• Average revenue per Month: $200,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement.

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

Social Media Marketing Business Plan FAQs

What is a social media marketing business plan.

A social media marketing business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your social media marketing business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections. You can easily complete your Social Media Marketing business plan using our Social Media Marketing Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Social Media Marketing Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of social media marketing businesses, some examples include: Paid Ads, Content, and Strategy.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Social Media Marketing Business Plan?

Social Media Marketing businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Social Media Marketing Business?

Starting a social media marketing business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster. 1. Develop A Social Media Marketing Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed social media marketing business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your social media marketing business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your social media marketing business is in compliance with local laws. 3. Register Your Social Media Marketing Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your social media marketing business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your social media marketing business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 7. Acquire Necessary Social Media Marketing Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your social media marketing business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your social media marketing business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

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How To Start A Social Media Management Business

• Dorien Morin-van Dam
• June 19, 2020

Are you ready to start a social media management business?

This is a great time to start as a social media freelancer or start your own agency; many small business owners and brands need help navigating social media. 

Today on the Social Media Pro blog, we share a 10 step process so that you, too, can become a social media manager and start your social media management business!

The 10 Step Process to Starting a Social Media Management Business

While there might be several additional (mini)steps, this 10 step process lays out in large strokes what it takes to become a social media manager. 

And while it’s not cut and dry, and your previous business knowledge , your geographical location as well as your other skills play a role in your overall success as a social media manager, we believe this 10 step process will help those who are new to this industry and interested in starting a social media management business. 

Let this serve as a roadmap to your new career !

1 Learn Social Media Management

First things first. 

Having personal social media accounts does not make someone a social media manager. 

Social Media Management requires additional skills beyond an understanding of each platform.

Skills needed for social media management success include:

• Resourcefulness
• Organization
• Productivity 
• Customer service
• Consistency
• Flexibility

While anyone can learn the business of social media management, not everyone grasps the importance of friendliness, a serving attitude, business ethics and so on. 

You will need to a be well-rounded, service-minded individual if you are going to succeed in this field!

You might consider not just learning social media management, but also getting certified in social media management . This might help you get your first client !

2 Understand the Business of Being a Freelancer or Agency

Starting out a freelancer is a great way to test the waters for those who are already employed and might be looking for a career change . Starting a social media management business as an agency is perfect for those who have previous management and leadership experience. It takes a special type of leader to run an agency. 

Learning about setting up an LLC, invoicing, strategic planning, proposals, selling, project management, contracts and setting rates are all important details to keep in mind. Not all social media courses and training program teach you the business of social media management ! 

3 Research Social Media Niches

There are many industries and nearly as many social media skills; when it comes time to niche choose carefully . 

We always recommend combining your current knowledge with your passion and applying that to your social media marketing business ! 

For example:

• Photoshop Expert + Love for Animals = Graphic Design for Veterinarians
• Facebook Expert + Love for People = Community Manager
• Video Editing + Love for the Outdoors = Drone Services for Realtors
• Facebook Ad expert + Love for Travel = Run ads for Digital Nomads
• Copywriter + Love for Food = Content Marketer for a Food Blog

You get the picture. 

Note : Not everyone starts out with a planned niche. Sometimes social media managers fall into an opportunity and then develop that into a niche. At other times, niches come and go and focus shifts from B2B to B2C or from Content Management to Community Management. That’s perfectly fine. Starting out with a plan will help you focus better when finding your first clients, but is not a requirement to get you started! 

4 Define The Target Audience You Want To Serve

This goes along with what was talked about in the previous paragraph; make sure you define who you want to serve . Build that avatar for your business as you will help your future clients build theirs. 

Doing this exercise will help you get clarity on your future marketing messages

5 Figure Out Your Product or Service Offering 

Now it’s time to find out what to offer. Once you know who you serve, you’ll quickly find out what they want, but more importantly, what they need. 

Offer services and products that will help a future client solve their pain points.

Bundling services and products is a great way to offer choices to a client.

Think of service and products that will help a client

• Amplify social media efforts
• Enhance overall marketing efforts
• Manage social media platforms
• Grow an audience

6 Create A Social Media Strategic Plan

Now before you are up as running as a marketing company, you are in need of a business plan, a marketing plan and part of that marketing plan – even for your own social media management business – should include… wait for it… a social media strategic plan . 

You can’t grow what you don’t measure. 

In order to grow a business you need goals, measurable KPIs and a plan of action. 

7 Name and Register Your Social Media Management Company

Next up you will need to take a bit of time to first name your new business and then register your business.

Take care to research the name you want! You will need to make sure it’s not trademarked and that your preferred domain name for your future website is available

TIP: Once you settle on what you want and it's available, purchase that domain name!

With registering a business comes setting up a business bank account and making sure you are able to invoice a client and receive funds.

8 Set Up Social Media Accounts Plus a Website

Once you have a name and you are in business, set up your social media profiles and pages , social platforms and of course, your website. 

Once you have experience, or if you have previous experience working in-house in the social media industry, you can also link a portfolio to your website. 

On your website, list the social media services you are offering, create links to your social media pages, and start posting content on your blog! 

9 Start To Network with Fellow Social Media Managers

Now is the time to let everyone know what you are doing! 

Start with social media posts letting your current connections know that you’ve started a new career as a social media manager. Ask for referrals, but make sure to offer value as you post to Facebook Instagram and elsewhere. 

Next, reach out to other social media managers, professionals and experts. Learn how to do this the right way by reading this . 

Last but not least, consider putting your digital marketing skills to good use by running Facebook ads to attract new clients! 

10 Take Daily Action To Find New Clients and Grow

The last step to starting your social media management business is to never stop prospecting . Every day take action to learn, improve, provide, reach out and grow. 

Make new connections and gain experience. 

After all: commenting, liking and sharing on social media is… free!

Use this to create new relationships. 

Reach out and be genuine, interested and real! 

Asking for help will start conversations. Conversation leads to relationships. Relationships lead to trust. Trust leads to new opportunities!

I am a Certified Social Media Manager, Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Organic Specialist and Agile marketer! Blogging is my creative outlet. Running, hiking and skiing are how I recharge. You'll recognize me on stage and online by my always present orange glasses, a nod to my Dutch heritage.

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How To Create an Effective Social Media Plan and Strategy

September 11, 2023 12 min read

To stay relevant on social media, you need a good strategy that caters to your target audience. It’s tempting to automate your social media content strategy, but the problem is that you must figure out what will work and when it will work.

A solid content plan can help you reach your marketing goals and business objectives. Also, it can amplify your brand’s voice and drive traffic to your website.

We’ll take you step by step through creating a social media marketing plan that helps you achieve your business goals.

Understanding the Importance of a Social Media Plan

Every business should create a marketing plan to boost its social media presence. 

A social media marketing plan is no longer a luxury but a necessity. This roadmap helps to align your social network activities, such as social posts, with your business goals.

Planning out your social strategy is more than having social media accounts on various platforms. These social media channels allow you to resonate with your ideal customers and engage them effectively.

And while social media is primarily used to advance digital marketing efforts, it’s common to involve other departments like customer service and product development. Doing so ensures that you’re not pigeonholed into merely posting tweets. 

So why do you need a social media plan? Perhaps this research from Content Marketing Institute (CMI) will describe why it’s critical for small businesses to invest in planning  and  operating their social media usage.

Given that social media and content strategy are hard to separate, businesses with well-defined content plans generally outperform those that do not have them. 

It’s ideal to commit resources who can brainstorm scroll-stopping campaigns and give input on content creation to stay out front. 

Before you scope out the types of content and formats, you need to think about your ideal customer and your business objectives.

Unlike traditional marketing, the interactions are bidirectional. This introduces risk to some organizations. Your social media plan should anticipate customer pain points and define internal workflows. 

Social media plan checklist

What should you include in your social media strategy template? Here’s a quick checklist of what it should entail.

• Current reality (SWOT)
• Brand voice and positioning
• Ideal customer research
• Top performing content
• Competitive examples
• Analytics and KPIs
• Business goals/workflows
• Budget and resources

Leveraging social media to achieve marketing goals

Social media has reshaped how businesses connect with customers. Companies can use it to communicate with customers, build relationships, and create a community.

Businesses can learn a lot about their customers through social listening. They can discover what customers like, what they need, and their pain points. They can then use this information to improve their products, services, and social media campaigns for customers.

Moreover, social media platforms have become a key source of information for consumers. People turn to social media to discover new products, read reviews, and seek recommendations from their peers.

Benefits of a Detailed Social Media Plan

A well-structured social media marketing plan affords many benefits. It allows you to focus on outcomes, address internal and external challenges, and ensure your team understands your priorities and needs regarding social media. 

Here are some of the noteworthy benefits of a robust social strategy. 

Business integration

Social media functions aren’t on an island. They roll up to broader business objectives such as customer support, marketing, and product development. Clearly outline your social media goals to fit your business strategy. A social media marketing plan helps you to advance goals like brand awareness, website traffic, leads, and sales.

Effective posting schedule

A well-structured social media plan allows you to maintain a consistent posting schedule. Consistency is crucial in social media marketing, as it helps build brand recognition and keeps your audience engaged. With a social media content calendar, you can plan and schedule your social posts ahead of time.

Performance evaluation

Lastly, a social media plan helps you to analyze and track your performance on social media. Track engagement rate, reach, and click-throughs to see if your social media marketing is effective. Reach and post engagement are also quantifiable, even if it’s not about driving traffic to your site. 

It helps to perform brand social media audits to see what kind of content is doing well and the type that falls flat. Apply these insights to tighten your publishing workflow. 

Steps to Make an Effective Social Media Plan

With a clear understanding of the importance of a well-structured social media strategy , let’s delve into the essential steps required to create an effective social media plan.

Step 1. Define your social media goals

Defining social media goals and objectives is essential to having a clear strategy. Articulating your social media goals helps you to focus on social media and measure success or find improvement areas. 

When brainstorming social media goals, consider the overall purpose of your business. Avoid vanity metrics or  simply  growing followers. People quickly tune out brands that don’t give them a reason to listen. 

Social media goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For instance, instead of saying “grow followers,” a SMART goal might be “increase Instagram engagement by 15% over the next three months.”

Typical social media goals to consider include:

• Increasing engagement
• Scaling product and brand awareness
• Website traffic growth
• Speeding up social support response times
• Growing attributed sales leads and pipeline

However, you have to present them in the SMART manner.

Step 2. Research your target audience’s social media platforms

Choosing your company’s social media channels is vital for reaching individuals in your target audience. But which social networks do they use? 

Go beyond simple demographics. By developing a few buyer personas, you can segment your social media content around a few archetypes in your customer base. 

Consider interviewing those who appear to be your typical customers. Seek to learn how they consume social media, where they get trustworthy recommendations, and the top publishers and brands they follow. 

Begin with some hypotheses and test them. Find your future customers and the content around your industry, including that of competitors. You might need to adjust your plan if you can’t find real-world examples.

Here are some considerations for each of the top social networks.

1. Facebook : A powerful platform with  3 billion users  for reaching a wide audience. Personalized advertising options lead to effective campaigns. The algorithm showcases content to interested users, ensuring targeted outreach.

2. Instagram (IG) : Popular among the under-34 demographic ( 70% of users ); ideal for visual-focused businesses like fashion, food, or travel. Showcase products through captivating images and videos. Use relevant hashtags to expand reach and consider creating new ones.

3. Twitter (now “X”) : Directly engage with your audience and provide customer service through succinct tweets. Perfect for news sharing and conversations. Limit the use of hashtags and posting links to your site for increased reach.

4. TikTok : Fast-growing platform for creative video content. Engage younger audiences by following trends and using popular audio, hashtags, and influencer collaborations. Showcase brand through entertaining content that aligns with trends.

We recommend using Instagram and TikTok for consumer brands; there are some cases when B2B brands can excel on them, but it’s more difficult. 

If you serve professionals or B2B clients,  LinkedIn  is your best bet. It’s great for long-form content and for engaging with others, and it skews heavily on sales and marketing. You can network, share industry insights, and establish your business as a leader. 

Twitter is generally an effective channel for sharing company updates, but true brand-building tends to revolve around individual personalities rather than corporate brands. 

Step 3. Creating engaging social media content

When you plan your social media strategy, focus on creating exciting content that people will want to share because the content is vital in social media marketing. But what exactly does engaging content look like? 

Let’s explore some types of content that you can share on social media to captivate your audience.

Types of social media content

Now, let’s dive into greater detail.

• Images : High-quality images can spark interest and increase engagement. An appealing image can catch the eye of your audience and make them stop scrolling. Images of a beautiful landscape or a delicious dish can convey a message and evoke emotions. Take the time to select and edit your pictures to ensure they align with your brand and resonate with your target audience.
• Videos : With mobile video consumption rising, creating short, engaging videos can help you reach a larger audience. Videos allow you to tell a story, showcase your products or services, and connect personally with your audience. 

Videos can capture attention and keep your audience engaged. They can show behind the scenes of your business, provide tutorials, or share customer testimonials. Remember to optimize your video content for mobile viewing and include captions for those who prefer to watch without sound.

• Blog Posts : Sharing blog posts from your website can drive traffic and position your brand as a thought leader in your industry. Blog posts provide an opportunity to dive deeper into topics that are relevant to your audience. They allow you to showcase your expertise, provide valuable insights, and establish credibility. 

When you share blog posts on social media, create interesting captions that make people want to click and read the entire article. Consider adding a captivating excerpt or a thought-provoking story to build interest and curiosity.

• Infographics : Infographics condense complex information into easily digestible, visually engaging formats. They can communicate insights, data, processes, and more in a manner that holds the viewer’s attention. Infographics perform incredibly well on visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
• Customer Media : Build trust by showing user-generated content and social proof. This will create a sense of community and give your brand a more authentic, human voice. Make it easy for fans to tag and share their experiences with your brand on social media.

When you’re posting on social media, here are some tips to bear in mind.

• Keep it simple . Short and clear messages work best because people’s attention spans are really short these days. Make sure you focus on one main point in each post.
• Call to action . Don’t forget to ask people to do something after they read your post, like asking them to comment or share. This is known as a “call to action.” Just give them a little nudge to get involved.
• Hashtags can be tricky . They were once a staple of social media to reach and connect you with more people, but hashtags aren’t as helpful anymore. Hashtags tend to  reduce reach and engagement  on Twitter. Proceed with caution when using hashtags, and be aware of less flattering interpretations.

Related: 10 Ways to Spark Social Media Conversations (with Examples)

Step 4. Scheduling and posting your social media content

At a tactical level, knowing your publishing schedule allows you and your team to make decisions faster. You will know the volume of the content, the tools, and the resources you’ll need. 

But it’s not just about randomly throwing your content out there. Think through when and what you’ll post to stand out to your target audience. 

When is the best time to post on different platforms? 

Well, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. The ideal posting time can vary depending on the platform and your specific audience. However, here are some pointers to get started.

Best times to publish on social media

• Weekday mornings and afternoons are the best times to post on Facebook.  Most people take a break from work or school and scroll through their newsfeeds between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
• Weekday mornings and afternoons are the best times to post on Twitter.  This is likely when people take lunch or quick work breaks.
• People are most active on Instagram weekdays in the late afternoon and early evening.  Posting between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. can help you get more likes and comments on your social media posts.
• Posting content on LinkedIn during business hours performs better than on weekends.  The best times to post are usually between 9 a.m. and early afternoon until 2 p.m. Only post on weekends or late evenings when professionals are less active.

Related: Noteworthy Social Media Trends for Business Growth in 2023

Step 5. Using social media management tools

As a part of a well-rounded social media plan, consider the following elements and workflows.

1. Feedback Handling

• Negative Feedback : Have  negative response templates  ready to respond to unhappy customers. Keep feedback polite and try to resolve issues.
• Positive Feedback : Acknowledge and thank people for their kind words. These  positive response templates  boost your online image.
• Crisis Management : Prepare a plan for handling unexpected issues or controversies. Swift and transparent communication is key.
• Escalation:  Identify who should deal with serious matters. If something needs urgent attention, know who to bring it to.

2. Reporting and Analytics

• What to Measure:  Define the social media metrics to be tracked, such as engagement (likes, shares, comments), reach, and click-through rates. These show how well your content is performing.
• Sharing Results : Share these analytics with your team regularly, as they help everyone to understand what’s working and what might need tweaking. It might be helpful to share with other business leaders as well. 

3. Access and Content Removal

• Access Control : Limit who can post on social media from your team. Not everyone needs access.
• New Content:  Provide a pathway for internal team members to request or suggest new content to be sent out. Rather than operating like an order taker, consider these as a starting point to collaborate with them to create a successful campaign. 
• Content Removal:  Have a clear protocol for removing inappropriate or outdated content. Quick action helps uphold a positive image. Juggling different social media sites can feel like a lot, especially without a proper workflow. That’s where  social media management tools  like Nextiva come in handy.

These tools can make scheduling and posting content on many social media channels easier. You can make a calendar for your social media content, then schedule your posts in advance and automatically dispatch them at the best times for more reach and engagement.

In addition, these tools provide valuable data and information to track audience growth, engagement rates, and which types of content perform best. This data can steer your future social media marketing strategy and help you make data-driven decisions.

Related: Social Media Management: What It Is and How to Do It Well

Step 6. Measuring and adjusting your social media plan

Reviewing your social media performance can help you meet your objectives. When setting goals, think about the key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your dreams. To generate leads, track click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per lead.

Monitor and use this data to tweak and adjust your social media marketing plan. To see if your strategies work, compare your social media metrics to benchmarks. To improve your social media marketing, track KPIs and compare them to your goals.

Generally, measuring engagement, follower, and click-through rates can show how well you’re doing on social media. These metrics show how well your social media marketing works to catch and keep your audience’s attention.

• Engagement rate.  This metric gauges audience interaction with your content, including likes, comments, shares, and clicks. It reflects the content’s resonance and interaction.
• Follower growth.  This signifies growth in your social media reach, indicating the effectiveness of your strategy in attracting new followers and expanding reach. SocialInsider  benchmarked the average engagement across the top four social media platforms.  TikTok had the highest engagement rate at 4.25% . The rate is more than 400% higher than other platforms.

• The click-through rate (CTR).  It measures call-to-action clicks in social media posts, indicating successful traffic redirection. Monitoring the CTR enables evaluation of the call-to-action effectiveness and aids in optimization for improved outcomes. As a tip, not every social media post must drive clicks—it’s best to optimize your message  on  social media platforms. 

Luckily, social media analytics tools make it easier to report on these metrics. 

These tools show how well your social media is doing and let you efficiently study your data. They provide reports and visuals that help you see trends, find opportunities, and track progress.

Related: Best Brands on Social Media: 10 Inspiring Examples to Follow

Charting Your Own Path to Social Media Success

Now that you know how to make a good social media plan, you can create a strong brand that stands out from your competitors. It’s a lot of work — from creating great content, planning out publishing, and setting goals to connecting with your audience. 

The fusion of creativity and data-driven insights paves the way for sustainable growth. Remember, social media is ever-changing, so stay innovative, fresh, and willing to learn. 

Ready for a social media workflow tune-up?  See how our  social media management tool  helps nimble marketing and support teams stay on top of social media. Check it out today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Manna was a senior content marketing manager at Nextiva. He blends his marketing acumen and deep technical background to improve people's lives with technology. His expertise helps companies large and small serve more customers. He enjoys a rich iced latte and a non-fiction business book when he's not pressing words.

Free Social Media Marketing Plan Templates

Choose from the best social media plan templates to streamline your marketing efforts. Below you’ll find free templates for strategic planning, scheduling, and tracking in Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.

Templates on this page include a social media marketing strategy plan, a social media content calendar, and a social media audit. You’ll also find details for creating an effective social media strategy and mastering calendar planning.

Social Media Strategy Plan Template

Create a strategic social media marketing action plan. The template features a simple layout to help you organize each stage of planning and implementation; separate sections for research, competitive analysis, objectives, and actions; and space for revising social media goals based on performance. Edit the template to meet the specific marketing needs of your business or organization. Use the social media channel plan template to help execute your strategy. 

• Download Social Media Strategy Plan Template - Excel

Social Media Marketing Plan Template

This social media campaign marketing plan template includes sections for defining goals, identifying a call to action, scheduling important dates, and planning marketing tools and content. The form is easy to read and edit, thanks to alternate row colors. Create a clear campaign plan that includes social media platforms, related online marketing tools, and metrics for tracking progress. 

• Download Social Media Marketing Plan Template - Excel

Social Media Planning Calendar Template

Adjust the dates on this template to create a custom daily and weekly social media calendar. Perfect for small businesses and startups, the template has an hourly schedule and sections for multiple social media networks. Plan your posts and keep track of images used, linked content, and customer engagement. 

• Download Social Media Planning Calendar Template - Excel

Social Media Editorial Plan Template

Designed as an annual social media plan template, this editorial calendar includes multiple spreadsheets. Use the first sheet for an overview of important events occuring during the year, with months and quarters highlighted. Each month also has its own sheet for detailed planning and tracking. For each month, schedule social media projects while tracking target audience, editorial goals, and measurements of success.

• Download Social Media Editorial Plan Template - Excel

Social Media Content Plan Template

Create a monthly and yearly content plan for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Use this template to build a comprehensive marketing plan for each month while also viewing a yearly outlook on one page. Keep track of the status of each post, whether it’s in progress or on hold or it needs updating.

• Download Social Media Content Plan Template - Excel

Social Media Posting Plan Template with Dashboard

This social media plan template includes a sheet with sample data so you can see how the dashboard displays posts per week for each social platform. The schedule covers a four-week time period, so you can create a 30-day social media plan template for all content channels. Create a log of social media posts while tracking content type, topics covered, and posting stats.

• Download Social Media Posting Plan with Dashboard Template - Excel

PowerPoint Social Media Marketing Plan Template

Enhance a marketing presentation with this social media PowerPoint template. Include key elements in your marketing plan for each section: target audience, objectives, strategy, and content. Use the bullet points to describe your customers, what makes your company unique, how your business and marketing goals align, and how you plan to meet those goals with social media tools.

• Download Social Media Marketing Plan Template - PowerPoint

Social Media Multichannel Plan Template

Organized by month and channel, this template helps you track activities on all your social media outlets. Add or delete sections to create a yearly, six-, or three-month social media plan template. To create a detailed schedule, add rows under each social platform and list upcoming posts and publishing dates. Keep track of assigned owners, calls to action, and the sales funnel stage that matches your marketing goals.

• Download Social Media Multichannel Plan Template - Excel
• Download Social Media Multichannel Plan Template - Word

Social Media Schedule Template

This basic social media template provides a spreadsheet for scheduling posts. Use it as a calendar, log, and planning tool for social marketing. Columns include publishing date, post status, topics, content description, hashtags, and character count. You’ll also find a checklist with various social media outlets that offers a quick view of where you are posting and when.

• Download Social Media Schedule Template - Excel

Social Media Audit Template

Conduct a social media audit to inform your marketing plans. Analyze your activity, customer engagement, audience reach, number of followers, and recent changes. Use this data to refine your social media strategy, as well as create and share more effective content. Customize the template to include all the marketing channels and KPIs you want to measure.

• Download Social Media Audit Template - Excel

Maximize Your Social Media Strategy Plan with Smartsheet

The best marketing teams know the importance of effective campaign management, consistent creative operations, and powerful event logistics -- and Smartsheet helps you deliver on all three so you can be more effective and achieve more. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Creating an Effective Social Media Strategy Plan

For more templates, as well as information on creating a social media strategy and planning a social media content calendar, visit our post “ Free Social Media Templates for Excel .” We also offer a guide to social media calendars , including benefits, best practices, planning tips, and additional calendar tools. For a comprehensive marketing overview, see the “ Definitive Guide to Strategic Marketing Planning .”

Improve your marketing efforts and deliver best-in-class campaigns.

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• What is a social media plan?

What is a social media plan? Actionable tips and best practices

A social media plan helps an organization determine their target audience, the social networks to join, and the type of content to develop and share. It is a vital part of your overall marketing strategy . Once you have a plan outlined, you can get to work refining your content and cadence, analyzing follower engagement, and building deeper relationships with your audience.

Nearly every business has a social media presence. But succeeding on social networks takes more than just posting daily updates. Do you know what your goals are and who you are trying to reach? Do you understand the type of content that your audience truly cares about and why they would want to engage with you? Answering those questions and moving beyond ad hoc social presence requires a strategic plan .

Skip ahead to any section:

How to build a social media plan

How to implement your social media plan, showcase the value of social media.

Most marketing teams build and refine social media plans a few times per year. This likely happens alongside other team-level and company-level planning. You might also build separate social plans for special launches or campaigns — these would also support the broader social media strategy. Follow these steps to build a plan that drives real results:

Define social goals and KPIs

The first step to an effective social media plan is reviewing your broader marketing goals and initiatives. Your social goals should ladder back to top-level marketing goals — these objectives inform your social strategy.

Social media goals typically fit into the following categories:

Increase share of voice

Gain new followers

Drive traffic to your website

Generate new leads or trial sign-ups

Boost community engagement and loyalty

Triage customer support requests

Depending on the size of your team, you may want to pursue more or fewer goals. For example, if you do not have a team member from customer support available to monitor social media, you may not want to provide in-depth customer support on social networks. Instead, direct support requests to email or a help desk.

Next, you are ready to align social goals with relevant KPIs. If your goal is to drive website traffic, for instance, meaningful KPIs would include click-through rates on social content and referral traffic from specific sites. Many teams make the mistake of tracking every metric available on social networks (e.g., followers, influence scores, post reach, shares, and likes). Lots of data can be useful but it is often simpler and more effective to trim KPIs to those that directly correspond with intended objectives.

Know your audience and competitors

Revisit your existing buyer personas to gain a better understanding of who you should be targeting and what kind of content will boost engagement. This may require a bit of guesswork, but you can also use social media analysis tools to identify key demographics, track interests, and gain insights about a competitor's audience.

Then, look at how your competitors use social media — evaluate the networks they use, the type of content they share, and how often they post. It is up to you to decide if you want to have a social presence on the same networks as competitors or if you would prefer to target channels that are more relevant to your goals.

You can get started with this target audience template in Aha! software. It is helpful for outlining who you want to reach with your social media plan — including sections for capturing your audience's demographic information, preferences, behaviors, and more.

Define your target audience in Aha! software. Sign up for a free trial .

Start using this template now

Choose social networks

Each social network fulfills its own niche. You do not need to have a presence on all of them. Prioritize the networks where your audience spends the most time and where your brand can be most useful. For example, if you do not develop video content, there is no sense in creating a YouTube or Vimeo channel. (This might seem obvious, but plenty of marketing teams feel pressure to be everywhere just because you can.)

Consider smaller platforms that might be uniquely relevant to your audience and market. Sites such as Houzz , Goodreads , or Behance give you a chance to build relationships with folks who have specific skills and interests.

Review past performance

Many teams use the start of a new year or quarter to audit marketing programs. If you are revising an existing social media plan, you need to review what you have tried before. Seek answers to the following:

Which networks should we continue to invest in? Which, if any, should we leave?

What type of content performs best — by reach, clicks, shares, or other KPIs?

How much time and resources have we been investing in social? Do the returns justify the investment?

What should we keep or stop doing?

Create a playbook

A social media playbook is the culmination of your strategic plan as well as smaller details that guide your daily posts — such as content themes, audience segmentation, and posting frequency. A playbook typically contains the following components:

You have defined the "why," "what," and "when" of your social media plan. Now let's briefly look at the "how" — all of the activities involved in creating, scheduling, and measuring your posts. There are three main areas to consider:

Identify the right tools

Social media management tools give you the ability to publish posts, monitor performance, and manage social ads. Some of these tools can be integrated with other marketing platforms that you use. Others are stand-alone.

A roadmapping tool like Aha! Roadmaps has purpose-built workspaces for marketing teams so you can set strategy, build marketing calendars, and share plans across teams. Teams generally use Aha! software for building broader marketing plans and they use a purpose-built tool for publishing content and monitoring social media.

Build workflows

Well-defined workflows harness your team's focus and momentum. You may want to develop workflows for the following areas of focus:

Research (e.g., audience, competitors, content topics, hashtags)

Community management (e.g., listening, monitoring, and responding to mentions)

Content and creative (e.g., developing campaigns, writing posts, designing images and ads)

Approvals and outbound scheduling

Measurement and analysis

Identify any workflows that you can automate — this will save time and even boost engagement. For instance, if your audience clicks on content shared at 5 a.m., it is far simpler to schedule automated posts at that time rather than designate an early bird on your team who has to set their alarm every day.

Define roles and responsibilities

Sophisticated social media management requires a dedicated team. For every workflow, map out roles and responsibilities so everyone understands what is expected. You will likely need to identify folks across the organization who can help in a pinch. For example, you may want to choose teammates on the support or IT team who can help if technical questions from customers come through social channels.

Finally, make a real effort to track and share results. Most of the major social media networks provide detailed engagement reports — pay attention to the metrics you identified when goal-setting. Set benchmarks and monitor your progress regularly. And use what you learn to recalibrate audience segments, content themes, and posting frequency.

The details may change but your overall strategy should remain constant. With a great plan in place, you will gain the confidence that comes with driving business results.

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• How to refine the product backlog
• Capacity planning for product managers
• What is requirements management?
• What is a market requirements document (MRD)?
• How to manage your product requirements document (PRD)
• What is a product feature?
• What is user story mapping?
• How to prioritize product features
• Common product prioritization frameworks
• JTBD prioritization framework
• Introduction to marketing plans
• What is a marketing plan?
• How to create a marketing plan
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• How to create a marketing budget
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• Agile vs. lean
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• What is an agile roadmap?
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• What is unit testing?
• Introduction to agile metrics
• Agile dictionary
• What is kanban?
• How development teams implement kanban
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• How to set up a kanban board
• Kanban vs. scrum
• What is scrum?
• What are scrum roles?
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• What is the role of a product manager in scrum?
• What is a sprint?
• What is a sprint planning meeting?
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• Product release vs. sprint in scrum
• Themes, epics, stories, and tasks
• How to implement scrum
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• What is the Scaled Agile Framework®?
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How to Create a 30-day Social Media Plan

30 is your new lucky number. 🌟

Whether you’re a social media manager in a new role or a solopreneur managing multiple accounts, creating a social media plan is a great way to realign your goals, stay organized, and grow your online community.

And while the task may seem daunting, we’ve got you covered. 

We’re breaking down how to build a successful (30-day!) social media plan, so you can hit the ground running — plus, the best tool for managing your posts . 

Table of Contents

What is a social media marketing plan.

• How to Create a Social Media Plan

Bonus: Get Inspired & Stay on Trend

A social media plan is the blueprint you create to optimize your social media strategy.

From auditing your social media profiles to building your content calendar , a 30-day plan will keep you calm and collected — rather than doing everything all at once.

The best part? We’ve laid it all out for you, week by week (keep reading). 

FYI: Later is trusted by over 7M social media managers, brands, & creators to organize, publish, and analyze their social media content — saving them tons of time. Create an account today.

How to Create a Social Media Plan (That You Can Use Again and Again)

Ready to tackle creating your very own 30-day social media plan? Social media success awaits, below. 

Week 1 (Days 1-7): Set New Goals & Metrics

Week 2 (Days 8-14): Audit Your Social Media Profiles 

Week 3 (Days 15-21): Create & Build a Content Calendar 

Week 4 (Days 22-30): Revisit & Readjust Your Strategy

Week #1 (Days 1-7): Set New Goals & Metrics

Social media goals are the foundation on which your social media plan (and strategy) are built. 

They inform the type of content you create, the cadence , and define your "why."

So, it’s fitting that your first seven days will be to choose your success metrics and create long-term SMART goals:

M easurable 

A chievable 

Whether you want to improve engagement or build brand awareness, defining these goals and metrics with the SMART method will help you drive your strategy forward.

TIP: Learn how to set intentional, SMART goals in this Later blog: How to Set Social Media Goals (+ Free Course)

Week #2 (Days 8-14): Audit Your Social Media Profiles

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork for your social media plan, it’s time to figure out what's working, and what's not.

How? With a social media audit. 

This process involves a comprehensive evaluation of your social media platforms, content, and performance metrics — whether you have a few posts or hundreds. 

Our advice? Spend the first couple of days sweeping the surface: Is your tone of voice consistent across platforms? Is it obvious who you are and what you have to offer?

TIP: Creating a consistent bio across platforms makes it easy for followers to find you and identify with your content. 

For the second half of your week, dig into platform analytics to see how you’re tracking towards your goals.

Make note of high-performing social media posts, their captions, the visuals used, and any relevant hashtags (or keywords). 

Then, start thinking about how you can replicate your success (more on that, later). 

NOTE: If you’re starting from scratch , opt for auditing similar brands in your niche for inspiration!

Week #3 (Days 15-21): Create & Build a Content Calendar 

Ultimately, content is the key to building (and sustaining) a community online — so it’s no surprise it’s the center of a solid social media plan. 

Dedicate the first part of this week to drafting a social media calendar , choosing your content pillars , and defining how often you’ll post on every platform. 

By getting a macro look at the upcoming week (or month), you’ll know what type of content needs to be created, identify any gaps, and leave room open to jump on a potential trend or meme .

PRO TIP: Download our free ready-to-use social media calendar to streamline your social media strategy. 

Next, put on your brainstorming hat and then start creating content — whether it’s educational carousel posts, short-form videos for Reels, or longform LinkedIn captions.

Once your content is up to par, congrats — the hard part is officially over.

You’re now ready to populate your calendar and schedule your posts! 

With a social media management platform like Later , you can drag and drop images from your Media Library onto your content calendar, insert your captions, schedule at your best time to post , and more.

TIP: Improve your social media workflow with Later's features and tools! Create an account in just two clicks.

Week #4 (Days 22-30): Revisit & Readjust Your Strategy

And just like that, you’re nearing the finish line of your social media plan. 

The final week is all about digging into the performance of the posts that have gone live and making light adjustments to better your results. 

This is also the perfect time to set the cadence for reviewing your insights on a weekly and monthly basis. 

With Later's in-depth analytics tool , you can track key metrics like comments, likes, and your engagement rate:

You can also dig into your top performing posts, audience demographics, your growth rate, hashtag analytics, and more.

Create a free account — or try one of our paid plans — and start diving into your data today.

Need more help?

Lucky for you, we have a long list of resources to keep you inspired, on trend, and dominating social media feeds everywhere: 

The Top TikTok Trends to Try This Week  

The Top Instagram Reels Trends to Try This Week  

How to Create Shareable Content on Social Media

How to Go Viral on Social Media — With Original Content

The Ultimate Guide to Evergreen Content (+ 5 Ideas To Get You Started)

15 Easy Instagram Reels Ideas to Post Today (+ Free Planner)

10 TikTok Ideas for Your Next Post

7 of the Best Apps for Editing Your Instagram Reels

65 of the Best Instagram Captions for Brands

25 Instagram Stories Ideas to Level-up Your Social Strategy

And just like that, your social media strategy is revitalized and ready to shine. 

Whether you’re looking to grow your existing social accounts or start from scratch, a social media plan is the first chapter of your brand’s social media success story. 

ICYMI: Our free weekly newsletter shares the latest social media news and tips — right to your inbox. Subscribe now .

Alyssa is a Toronto-based creative writer and Content Marketer at Later. If you can’t reach her, she’s probably glueing gems to her face, rollerskating, or thrifting. Keep up with her nonsense on Instagram – @alygagliardi .

Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.

Related articles, 8 of the best social media management tools.

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The complete guide to social media for businesses

Written by by Brent Barnhart

Published on  May 25, 2023

Reading time  10 minutes

Hot take: mastering social media is what sets businesses today apart.

Competition is fierce among brands and attention is scarce. Establishing an identity and sense of community via social is key to standing out.

Not to mention attracting valuable new customers.

Done right, a goal-driven social strategy means positive results for your business. Countless brands have been built from the ground up via Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Wrangling your social media strategy can be daunting with so many moving pieces. This is especially true if you’re totally new to the space. We get it.

That’s why we put together this post breaking down the basics of social media for business.

Table of contents

Benefits of social media for business

Setting social media goals for your business, follow these 5 social media tips for business.

• Use social media marketing tools for business

Uncover social analytics and reporting for business

Involve your c-suite and employees to amplify your business, work on a corporate communication plan.

• Go beyond the basics of social media for business

“Okay, so why is social media important for business?”

Good question! A decade ago, the upsides of social media for business were tougher to quantify.

Thankfully, times have changed and ROI is no longer a question mark. Let’s be crystal clear:

Social media is valuable for businesses of any size or industry. Finding customers on social media has a direct impact on sales and your bottom line.

Building awareness. Nurturing leads and driving sales. Community-building.

The list goes on given that the benefits of social media aren’t one-size-fits-all. That said, here are five upsides that brands can see from a smart social presence.

Like it or not, social media has become a go-to research channel for consumers at large.

Think about your own experience looking up businesses.

Chances are you’ve visited a restaurant’s Facebook to confirm their hours. Maybe you’ve combed a company’s IG content and comments to see if their products live up to the hype. This highlights how social media builds awareness for brands in a way that your website can’t.

Your business’ social presence is a powerful touchpoint with new customers. That’s because social media serves as an authentic reflection of what a company is all about.

Comments and shout-outs from satisfied customers speak volumes about your business. If someone’s first impression of your business is a glowing social review, that’s a huge plus.

Create a meaningful connection with your customers

It’s no exaggeration to say that social media serves as a Swiss Army Knife for customer support .

For reference, many brands use their social presence to…

• Answer questions from potential customers
• Handle concerns from existing customers
• Celebrate and welcome new customers
• Gather feedback from your target audience

Show off your products (and what makes them compelling)

From testimonials to tutorials and beyond, social media is a prime place to show off products.

As noted in the Sprout Social Index™ , the most popular types of posts teach people how products work.  For example, an IG Reel or TikTok can educate a potential customer in a matter of seconds. Contrast this with static photos and traditional product descriptions.

Formats such as short-form video empower brands to bring their products to life. Bonus points if you can feature real people and satisfied customers in your content.

Increase your brand’s visibility and reach

Recent demographics show us that people are spending hours per day on social media, not just a few minutes here and there.

This highlights the value of businesses having an established social presence. Many potential customers will see your brand’s Facebook or IG before they see your website.

Look no further than the rise of social search as evidence of this. Trends and research say that young consumers treat social media like a search engine .

The more word of mouth your business earns, the easier it is for your audience to find you. This applies to social searchers and potential customers alike.

Gather real-time insights to make data-driven business decisions

Social media marketing for business is about so much more than promotion.

Consider how you can use analytics to research the following in real-time:

• Audience pain points
• Competitor messaging and content
• Sentiment analysis (and how people feel about your brand)
• The most popular types of products and content among your follow
• The latest trends in your industry

And that only scratches the surface!

From your audience to competitors, there’s no better place to conduct market research . That’s because social media is a treasure trove of data points that are all out in the open.

The benefits of using social media for business speak for themselves.

That said, achieving them doesn’t happen by accident. That’s why goal-setting is so important.

Keep in mind that social media goals > are unique as they’re totally dependent on your business. Also, you can set multiple goals that actually overlap and influence each other. Goals affect everything from your content strategy to the social platforms you use.

Setting social media goals for business

There’s no “right” way to set goals but the process can be a lot. A few tips to get you started:

• Start with the big picture before getting granular. Why does your business need a social presence? What resources do you need to make those results a reality?
• Look at your target audience and customer personas . For example, how are your customers using social media? Is your audience glued to TikTok or Instagram? What types of content do they want to see? Brainstorm how using social media for business can help you reach your audience.
• Think about your business’ holistic marketing strategy and how social media fits in.
• Tie your social media goals to actual metrics and KPIs . This is a big one in an era where marketers are under pressure to prove ROI. From engagement to traffic and beyond, there’s plenty to track.

Sample B2B social media goals and KPIs

• Brand awareness (growth, engagements) and consideration (link clicks, web traffic)
• Lead generation (marketing qualified leads)
• Competitor analysis (share of voice) and market share
• Audience engagement (likes, replies, shares, etc.)
• Drive customer loyalty (+ CX) and reduce churn
• Customer service efficiencies (engagement speed and rates)
• Reputation management
• Customer satisfaction
• Positive reviews
• Customer sentiment online

Sample B2C social media goals and KPIs

• Find new sales opportunities (conversations to join)
• Uncover brand expansion opportunities
• Reputation management (engaging with inbound messages)
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Inspire customer loyalty
• Product launch analysis
• Competitive analysis

Create a social media strategy for business

Let’s say you have your goals squared away.

Remember: effectively using social media for business means having a plan. Posting at random won’t do you any favors. Without a strategy, your social presence can quickly become a time-sink.

No pressure, right? Mapping your social media marketing strategy doesn’t have to be daunting. To keep your focus and avoid getting overwhelmed, here’s what we suggest you focus on:

• Ensure social goals solve challenges
• Extend social marketing efforts throughout your organization
• Focus on networks that add value
• Create engaging content
• Identify business opportunities through social
• Engage instead of ignore
• Track, improve and market your effort

If you focus on these points, you’ll already be way ahead of the curve.

There’s no shortage of social media tips out there to help you fine-tune your strategy.

Some best practices related to social media for business are relative. Below are five universal tips that are fair game for companies of all shapes and sizes.

1. Build a human, people-first social presence

This might seem like a no-brainer.

That said, busy businesses tend to get stuck in a “copy-and-paste” approach to social. Comments and social captions should feel like they were written by a real person, not a robot.

Injecting personality into your posts is a low-hanging way to relate to your audience. Beyond that, personalizing your replies to people shows that you’re there to help them. This is an example of how to use social media for business to build connections.

2. Look at your social presence as a resource ( not just a promotional channel)

Don’t make the mistake of treating your social presence as a dumping ground for offers. Building an audience means being genuinely helpful, not salesy.

Many of the best practices across social media treat their accounts as resources. That means:

• Creating actionable, educational content (think: how-tos, tutorial videos)
• Answering questions and sharing advice with your audience
• Sharing company updates and keeping customers in the loop (see below)

Imagine that your social accounts are your first touchpoint with a potential customer. Sharing resources makes a better first impression than screaming “BUY NOW!”

3. Show up consistently

This applies to both publishing content and engaging with customers.

Conventional wisdom says that social media algorithms reward consistency. Sprout’s own research on the best times to post on social media confirms this.  If nothing else, letting your social feeds gather cobwebs isn’t a good look.

Neither is leaving your followers hanging. Making a conscious effort to reply to questions and comments is crucial. This is why you need to keep a close eye on your @tags and social notifications.

4. Be prepared to experiment with different types of content

Brands are spoiled for choice when it comes to the types of content they can post.

Below are two examples of brands with diverse social feeds in terms of content.

From short-form videos to Stories and slideshows, you have plenty of options. Different industries and types of brands thrive on different types of content.

That said, don’t make assumptions when it comes to what performs best.

Just because a competitor posts a bunch of memes doesn’t mean you should follow suit. Let your own analytics and engagement guide your content strategy.

5. Don’t treat your social presence like an island

Social media shouldn’t be a siloed channel separate from the rest of your marketing efforts.

From announcements to offers and company initiatives, social can be in the middle of it all. For example, a feature rollout isn’t something a SaaS brand should restrict to its email list. These sorts of updates should be front and center on social, too.

A more holistic approach to social media marketing for business is ideal. In turn, you maximize your marketing assets elsewhere and see a greater ROI for your efforts.

Use social media marketing tools for businesses

Good news: you’re not expected to do everything totally DIY when building your presence.

There’s no shortage of social media marketing tools out there to help with the heavy lifting. Depending on your needs, you might consider investing in a combo of the following:

• Scheduling tools that allow you to queue up content across multiple platforms
• Analytics tools that measure content performance and engagement (see Sprout Social below)
• Listening and monitoring tools that make it easier to track audience conversations

Remember: the purpose of these tools should be to make you more productive. A big challenge in building any sort of marketing stack is redundancies. It’s easy to invest in tools that overlap. This results in brands burning through their budgets and needlessly bouncing between platforms.

The more opportunities to consolidate your tools, the better. Working with fewer tools means squeezing the most out of what you have. Also, you save a ton of time onboarding.

The less bouncing between tools, the better. This speaks to the value of an all-in-one social media management platform like Sprout.

With Sprout, brands access a comprehensive suite of social tools and analytics. For example, the platform makes it a cinch to map out your content calendar across platforms. This is a shining example of how to save time and avoid bouncing between tools.

Sprout’s analytics and dashboards encourage a goal-driven approach to social media for business. Advanced analytics means fewer question marks and a better understanding of your presence. This includes your top-performing content and social channels.

In short, you have a constant pulse on what’s working, what’s not and what you should do next.

As noted earlier, social media shouldn’t be treated as an island.

This applies to your own team as well. The sooner you’re able to get approval and buy-in from your C-Suite, the better. Brand-building through employee advocacy is another way to use social media for business.

Employee advocacy is the promotion of a brand by its employees on social media.  Instead of solely promoting products, advocates promote a company at large. This means:

• Sharing behind-the-scenes experiences about work life
• Celebrating team members and workplace accomplishments
• Amplify company messages and promotions

Chances are you’ve seen your fair share of employee advocacy in action on LinkedIn.

Again, the crowded nature of social media means anything you can do to stand out is a plus. Advocacy is an opportunity to boost your company’s profile and exposure via social.

One last pointer for anyone on the enterprise level.

The power of social media as a communication channel shouldn’t be taken lightly. Brands have the opportunity to reach massive audiences at a moment’s notice. This applies to customers, industry leaders and competitors alike.

The stakes are high for large companies with significant audiences and stakeholders. That’s why having a corporate communication plan is crucial. In short, you need to establish rules for:

• Internal communication , including employee engagement and internal marketing
• External communication , including PR and how you speak to the public
• Executive communication (ex: how the C-level discusses your company on social media)
• Crisis communication to deal with controversies and damage control situations

Having all of the above squared away empowers brands to have consistent messaging. Likewise, you can avoid miscommunication and countless public headaches in the process.

Going beyond the basics of social media for business

An active social presence is an expectation, not an exception for companies today.

The tips and best practices above serve as a solid foundation. With the right goals and mentality, social media can have a positive impact on your business.

Building a results-driven social media presence is so much easier with a platform like Sprout.  From content to trend analysis and beyond, Sprout empowers brands to build their presence with confidence. If you haven’t already, test-drive a free trial of Sprout Social to see the full suite in action for yourself!

• All Social Media
• Social Media Analytics

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• Social Media Engagement
• Social Media Strategy

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• Marketing Disciplines

Social media marketing: What it is and how to build your strategy

Post Performance Report: B2B brands taking a bold approach to social

• Now on slide

Build and grow stronger relationships on social

Sprout Social helps you understand and reach your audience, engage your community and measure performance with the only all-in-one social media management platform built for connection.

• Social Media Management
• Review Management

Social Media Management: Your Ultimate Guide From Planning to Performance

Learn about managing social media, its importance, and key activities to boost your brand’s online presence and engagement. This blog covers it all!

Social media isn’t just about connecting with friends and staying updated on current events—it’s a powerful tool businesses use to reach wider audiences, build stronger relationships, and achieve their goals.

But without a proper plan of action, the desire to reach the masses remains a dream.

This is where the management aspect comes into play!

It is the practice of creating, curating, and monitoring a brand’s presence on various social media platforms to help build brand awareness, increase engagement, generate leads, and amplify social media marketing efforts.

In this guide, we will explain how to manage your social media accounts, its perks, and how to do it properly to leave a lasting impression on your consumers.

What is Social Media Management?

Social media management is a process businesses, brands, and individuals use to maintain a strong online presence across multiple platforms to engage with their audience. It involves planning, creating, scheduling, analyzing, and interacting with content across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and more.

The process also streamlines tasks such as team management, execution of paid social media campaigns, crisis management, and more.

To effectively manage your social media, you require a deep understanding of different social media platforms, your target audience, business priorities, and what type of content resonates with them.

What are the Benefits of Social Media Management?

Social media is transforming at an unprecedented rate, revealing new opportunities and challenges for businesses. With a proper management process in place, you can navigate through all challenges and realize every opportunity social media presents for your businesses.

Let’s break down some of the key benefits that it offers:

Increased Brand Awareness and Visibility

Brand awareness refers to the level of familiarity your target audience has with you and how well they recognize your brand and products through a name, logo, or distinctive qualities.

It helps you build brand awareness and garner visibility. By regularly posting engaging content, you can reach a broader audience and ensure your brand remains top-of-mind.

Enhanced Brand Loyalty and Relationships

Social media isn’t a one-way road where you just post about your offerings. When you provide value to your audience, they reciprocate by engaging with your brand. This two-way interaction helps you build genuine relationships that last longer.

This also empowers you to connect more deeply with your audience by responding to comments and messages. This shows how much you care about your consumers, builds trust, fosters relationships, and creates a sense of belonging.

Lead Generation and Sales Growth

Social media plays a crucial role in lead generation and growing sales by creating content, targeting ads, and engaging with the community.

By consistently creating and sharing valuable content and special offers tailored to the needs of your target audience with captivating call-to-action, you can attract potential customers and nurture them into paying customers.

Improved Customer Service

Social media acts as a real-time communication channel between businesses and customers, making it easier and more convenient to resolve customer inquiries and issues, as well as provide support quickly.

The right management enables you to respond to messages and inquiries promptly within a few hours. This improved responsiveness enhances the overall customer experience, fosters loyalty, encourages positive word-of-mouth, and ultimately improves brand reputation and customer retention.

7 Steps to Manage Your Social Media

To thrive in social media, one must be adept in various areas. It’s like orchestrating a symphony, ensuring each section plays in harmony.

From choosing the right platform to analyzing feedback, every aspect is crucial. Here’s a deeper dive into seven essential strategies for effective social media management:

Step 1: Develop a Winning Social Media Strategy

First thing first, you must have a plan of action for social media.

Establishing clear business objectives and planning your social media strategy based on those removes uncertainty and sets a well-defined aim for your team. It allows you to strategically allocate resources for upcoming tasks, ensuring timely completion and maximizing the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

Here’s how you can get started with your social media strategy:

• Define your goals: What do you want to achieve with social media? Is it to improve awareness, lead generation, boost sales, or build a community? To create a robust strategy and set attainable social media goals , businesses use a S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely) goal Framework.
• Audience research: Who are you trying to reach? Understanding your target demographics, interests, and preferred networks is crucial to crafting a tailored content strategy. Business and creator profiles on every social media network provide comprehensive insights. You can use native analytics, Facebook Insights, or Google Analytics or run surveys to collect data about the target audience.
• Competitive analysis: It’s never a bad idea to analyze your competitors , understand what they’re doing, and use the learnings as a starting point. You can leverage tools like BuzzSumo or Semrush to see what content works for your competitors and how they engage with their followers. Apply these insights to differentiate your approach.

Step 2: Create Social Media Content

Now that you have created your strategy, the next step is to get started with the content strategy.

Creating high-quality content that informs, engages, and entertains your audience is essential to pique their interest and encourage interaction. This ultimately strengthens your brand presence. Here’s how you can create compelling content that resonates with your audience:

• Develop a Content Calendar: A content calendar can help you organize your posting schedule and maintain consistency, which is the key to keeping your audience engaged.
• Mix-up Formats: Experiment with various content types, such as text, images, videos, and podcasts, to see what resonates with them. Show your brand’s unique perspective. People connect with genuine voices, so don’t be afraid. You must also keep your brand voice consistent across platforms and content types. Whether it is professional, casual, creative, or friendly, it needs to be consistent across posts.
• User-Generated Content: UGC, or user-generated content , encourages followers to share their own content or stories about your brand. This not only gives you additional content to share but also helps build community and trust among your audience.
• Storytelling: A story is like the backbone of a movie; if it falls short, the movie flops. The same goes for marketing content. While creating content, use storytelling to make your posts more impactful and memorable than standard posts. You can share stories about your brand, customer testimonials, or BTS.
• Visual Appeal: Ensure your content is visually appealing. Use high-quality, royalty-free images and maintain a consistent aesthetic style that aligns with your brand. Tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, or Microsoft designer can help create professional-looking graphics without needing extensive design skills.

Step 3: Collaborate With Team

Whether you’re a small business or a large agency, managing social media is a team effort. The lack of alignment within the team impacts the outcome of a task or project.

From strategizing to analyzing outcomes, every step gains momentum with cohesive collaboration. But how do you ensure that every team member is in sync and the collaboration is seamless?

Here are some tips that you can follow:

Prepare a collaboration strategy

Fostering a culture of responsibility is key to successful social media collaboration. Allocating roles to individual team members while creating the strategy keeps everyone posted about their upcoming tasks.

Never assume your team knows their roles; relying on memory isn’t enough. Instead, draft a precise strategy that delineates each person’s responsibilities.

To reduce interdependencies, allocate tasks to team members based on their strengths and expertise. By limiting these dependencies, you boost each member’s efficiency, which naturally leads to heightened team productivity.

The major components of your collaboration plan will broadly include:

• Assigning roles and delegating task
• Preparing a crystal clear timeline for each task
• etting clear expectations
• Documenting the above three points

Assign roles

The section above leads us to one essential observation: You can’t establish a clear process for everyone unless you have precise roles for all your team members.

Usually, a marketing team that deals with social media has the following people:

• Social Media Manager: The social media manager ensures everyone collaborates successfully with their team. They also do general research and assign tasks.
• Content Creator: Content creators receive briefs and use their creative cogs to research and deliver the required content.
• Community Manager: Community managers take care of the relationships with the community. They’re involved in communications and PR, including events and some customer service. They’re also the ears of your marketing team, using their top-notch interpersonal skills for social listening.
• Analysts: Analysts will monitor the results of your marketing team’s activities, ensuring that their endeavors are effective. They will provide progress reports with practical insights to reorganize a faulty campaign and plan more successful ones in the future.

Leverage a social media calendar

Working in a team can increase the chances of overlaps and missed opportunities. A shared social media calendar is the glue that binds a team, ensuring everyone’s on the same page, working in harmony towards a unified goal.

Your social media management process requires a calendar that you can use to :

• Plan for key dates: Be it holidays, product launches, or industry-specific events, planning ensures you’re not missing out on key engagement opportunities.
• Review and adjust: A dynamic calendar allows for regular reviews. Analyze the performance of past posts and adjust future strategies accordingly.
• Centralized feedback: Use the calendar as a feedback platform. Team members can leave comments or suggestions on scheduled posts, ensuring content is refined before going live.

If you’re new to using a social media calendar, start with a basic spreadsheet. As you become more accustomed, consider investing in specialized software that offers more features. Also, hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings to review the calendar. Discuss upcoming posts, assign tasks, and gather feedback.

Most importantly, ensure every team member understands the importance of the calendar and how to use it. Regular training sessions can be beneficial.

Step 4: Run Paid Ads

Running social media ads can significantly influence your marketing efforts and business outcomes. If you’re thinking about driving quick results, advertisements can be a good way to go. Start by:

Segmenting your audience: To tailor your ads, create audience segments based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer detailed targeting options.

Allocate budget: Use a tiered approach for budgeting. Start small with ads to test and scale up spending where you are getting good ROI.

A/B testing: Regularly perform A/B tests on your ads, comparing images, headlines, and CTAs to determine which campaigns are performing the best and optimizing accordingly.

Tip Use tools like Google Transparency Center to identify what ads your competitors are running and implement those changes in your ads.

Step 5: Monitor Analytics and Report Your Findings

Tracking the right social media metrics is essential for the success of your social media campaigns and making informed decisions to increase the impact. Here’s how to start:

Set KPIs: Start by establishing KPIs such as follower growth, engagement rate, CTR, conversion rate, and more. You can use tools like SocialPilot and native analytics to help get access to these metrics.

Monitor Monthly reports: Create detailed monthly reports to analyze the effectiveness of your organic content and ads. You can use SocialPilot to track the performance of each of your social media accounts and generate monthly reports to stay updated.

Use these insights to identify what type of content gets the most engagement and the best times to post, and implement these to fine-tune your social media strategy.

Step 6: Use a Social Media Management Tool

Using a tool to manage social media is not just a smart way, it’s the best way to manage your social media. It empowers you to be creative with your content, saves you time, enables team collaboration, and simplifies social media performance analysis.

The right social media management tool can solve all your social media woes and streamline your entire workflow. There are plenty of options in the market. However, the tool you should look for depends greatly on your business’s requirements, team size, and budget.

SocialPilot is one such tool that helps you schedule content, plan campaigns, effortlessly collaborate with teams, and measure performance.

With SocialPilot you can respond to your customer messages from inside the tool. Also, create and schedule reports to regularly track how your content activities are doing.

Step 7: Plan Crisis Management

At last, you should always have a backup plan incase somethings go south.

Draft a crisis communication plan that includes steps for dealing with various types of crises, from product recalls to PR scandals. Identify which spokesperson will speak on behalf of the company and what channels will be used.

Also, track social mentions to see what’s being said about your brand in real-time. This can help you react quickly to mitigate any potential issues.

The Role of a Social Media Manager

Growing big on social media requires significant effort, diverse skill sets, and the ability to navigate complex challenges. A social media manager has all of these responsibilities.

A social media manager is an essential pillar for successfully managing social media tasks due to their expertise in shaping a brand’s image and presence across various platforms.

Their responsibilities involve strategic planning, execution, and monitoring of all activities with the aim of increasing brand awareness, promoting products or services, and engaging with customers and potential clients.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the responsibilities required for the role of a Social Media Manager:

Planning and Developing Campaigns

The task of a social media manager starts with conducting thorough market research to understand the target audience and competitors, spotting the latest trends. With the newly added Notes feature in SocialPilot Content calendar, managers can now document key findings, campaign strategies, or competitor insights directly into the calendar. This helps ensure that all research and objectives are clearly laid out for future reference.

Based on these, they define clear objectives using the SMART framework, develop a comprehensive campaign strategy , and determine what type of content needs to be published. They also need to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of campaigns.

Overseeing Content Creation

Creating content is the key pillar of the entire structure. You have to brainstorm and generate creative content ideas that highlight your product’s value proposition, align with the content strategy, and resonate with the audience. You also have to oversee the production process to develop high-quality content, including copies and graphics, videos, and creating captivating posts.

Delegate the Tasks

SMM plans campaigns and activities and the path to execute them in a timely manner. They create a content calendar based on the team’s bandwidth, available resources, capabilities, and business goals.

Coordinating with other departments, they align social media activities with overall marketing efforts. Social media managers typically use SocialPilot to synchronize their team and activities, automating scheduling and posting .

Engaging With Customers

Customers are at the center of every business. That’s why every social media manager’s responsibilities include tracking brand mentions and replying to comments, reviews, and messages. Managers improve their products, services, and overall customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) by gathering and analyzing customer feedback and promptly responding to the customers.

Collaborating With the Team

Social media managers regularly collaborate with team members across different departments, such as copywriters, designers, clients, and even influencers, to ensure alignment and on-time delivery of work. Collaboration also allows you to generate new ideas and execute them while on the go.

Sending out Proposals

Sending out proposals is a big part of a social media manager’s role, especially when you’re aiming to onboard new clients, partnerships, or internal project approvals.

You identify the needs and objectives, do market analysis, craft a customized strategy, and send out the proposal document with clear objectives and solutions.

Drive Your Social Media Presence

Now that you know what encompasses in managing social media, it’s time to embrace the process. Take the first step and start creating and reaching your social media goals.

We have mapped out the process for you, highlighting the nuts and bolts of creating a robust social media management strategy to build a strong online presence and drive your brand’s success.

Remember, the foundation of a strong social media management process lies in understanding your audience and defining clear goals. Get this right, and it will guide the other steps.

As you embark on this journey, keep up with the latest trends, refine your approach, and explore the free trial of  SocialPilot, to stay ahead of the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is social media management?

Social media management refers to overseeing and handling a brand's presence across social media platforms. It encompasses content creation and scheduling, engagement with the audience, monitoring trends, and analysis of the performance of social media campaigns.

What are the key components to manage social media effectively?

Effective management of social media involves strategic planning, consistent content creation, timely engagement with followers, trend monitoring, and regular analysis of campaign performance. Understanding the target audience and tailoring content and interactions to resonate with them is essential.

How is the cost of social media management determined?

The costs depend on various factors, including the scope of work, the size and nature of the business, and the platforms covered. Pricing can be based on hourly rates, monthly retainers, or package deals tailored to specific needs.

How much to charge for managing social media?

The charges for social media management can vary based on multiple factors like the scope of services, the client's business size, the number of platforms managed, and geographic location. The most used pricing models include:

• Hourly Rate: Ranges from $15 to $100+ depending on experience and location.
• Monthly Retainer: This typically ranges between $400 and $10,000, with most small—to medium-sized businesses paying $1,000 to $5,000.
• Per Project: The cost varies greatly depending on the project's complexity, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
• Package Deals: These can range from $500 to several thousand dollars per month and include a set number of posts and content types.

Your pricing model should reflect your experience, the value provided, and competitive rates in the market. Also, consider any additional costs, such as ad budgets or special software charges.

About the Author

Sparsh Sadhu

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Content Planning for Social Media in 8 Steps [2024 Guide]

Content planning is more than scheduling. Run your accounts like a well-oiled machine with a strategic social media content plan.

Table of Contents

Ahoy, social media sailors. To navigate the choppy seas of social media, you need to do some solid content planning before you set sail.

The most seasoned social sailors know that you must carefully chart your course before stepping on the ship. Without a content plan, you’re blindly casting yourself into an ocean of content, with competitor sharks nipping at your bow.

If you want the tides to turn in your favor, you need to map out your content plan. Follow the eight steps outlined below, and you’ll make it through your journey safe and sound.

OwlyWriter AI instantly generates captions and content ideas for every social media network. It’s seriously easy.

What is social media content planning?

In social media, content planning is the process of strategizing and scheduling content.

Content planning involves deciding what to post and when to post it. Social media content planning helps you to achieve goals like increased visibility, engagement, or brand awareness.

Well-planned social media content is:

• Created in batches to optimize efficiency.
• Part of a cross-platform campaign and repurposed across all your channels for maximum impact.
• Connected to one or more marketing goals.
• Balanced between your own original content and curated content .

Why content planning is important

We’ve answered, “What is a content plan?” Now we’ll answer, “Why have a content plan?” Lucky you—it’s because we care about the Future You. A little bit of planning upfront will make your life easier in the long run, we promise.

Here are a few benefits you can expect from creating your own content plan.

Social media content planning keeps you organized

Batching your content is way more efficient than trying to come up with a post on the fly every day or for a specific campaign. Batching means you’re taking the time to specifically write a bunch of social media content at once.

Besides being a more efficient way to write content, you’ll get more out of it. As you write each piece of content, extract pieces of it to repurpose. One post can quickly become five or more without much extra time.

For example:

• Write an Instagram Reels script.
• Create a text caption from that script to use on text-based platforms like X (Twitter).
• Create an image or infographic from the Reel content to use as an alternative way to communicate the information.
• And, of course, the most basic: Make a note to save your completed Reel video in different sizes to use on other platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook Pages, TikTok, and more. Check the current recommended post sizes for each platform before saving.
• There are many more options, including writing an article about the topic, to a series of short posts of the key takeaways, and everything in between.

Content planning saves time and gets you the most mileage out of your work. Create a content calendar (like the one below) to keep yourself on track and on time.

Source: Hootsuite’s FREE Content Calendar Template

A social content plan helps you avoid last-minute pressure (and writer’s block)

The best thing about a content plan is that it forces you to plan ahead. You’ll be prepared for any holidays relevant to your industry or audience (hello, posts for National Puppy Day ).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by charlie ✨ (@thispugslife)

More than the expected holiday observances, content planning ensures you do your best work. Planning ahead allows space for creative thinking and collaboration and avoids burnout. All are important for creating a positive workplace culture where employees become brand advocates .

Plus, when you’re prepared for the month ahead, you have more time to create posts on the fly for trending topics as they come up in the news cycle.

A content plan connects your social media activity to marketing goals

Planning social media content keeps your eyes on the prize. You’ve got a formal marketing strategy and, hopefully, a content strategy, too. (No? We’ve got a free social media strategy template for ya).

Source: Hootsuite’s FREE Social Media Strategy Template

Your content planning process is what connects those big-picture documents to the day-to-day marketing work your team does.

Despite what your content creator may tell you, individual social media posts aren’t that important on their own. But all of your posts, working toward the same goal together, will determine whether your social media strategy will sink or swim, fail or fly, crash out or cash in. You get it.

How to plan content for social media in 8 steps

We’ve covered the what and the why of social content planning. Welcome to the how to make a content plan.

The following will guide you through how to plan content for social media in 8 easy steps.

Step 1: Plan themes for your content

The first step in content planning is knowing what you’re going to be posting about.

How many topics you have and what they are depends on your unique business, but as an example, Hootsuite posts about:

• Social media marketing tips and industry trends
• Social network updates and best practices
• Marketing research and statistics, like the free Social Trends 2024 report
• Social media marketing experiments , especially on our Hootsuite Labs YouTube channel
• Product updates and features
• Company news
• Product education (tutorials, tips)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite)

These topics will be your content creation roadmap. If a post isn’t about one of the things on your list, you don’t post it. (Or, if it’s merited, you rethink your marketing strategy and add a new category for it.)

Step 2: Brainstorm campaign and post ideas

With your topic list in front of you, free-write a bunch of post ideas. Don’t think about whether they’re good or bad; set a timer for 15 minutes and jot down as many as you can.

Once you have a list of ideas, pare them down to meet the following criteria:

• It’s about one of the topics on your list.
• It’s connected to your marketing goals.

Need help with the above? We know it’s not that simple to just “think of ideas,” even for those of us who smash keyboards for a living. How you brainstorm is up to you, but here are a few ways I get inspired:

• Scope out your competition . What are they posting? Can you put your own spin on those ideas?
• Review the past . What campaigns have been most successful for you before? What elements of those campaigns were most effective? How can you replicate that for your new goal or campaign?
• Use AI to generate a list of ideas you can build on.
• Look around . What’s going on in the world right now? Anything related to your industry or audience interests?
• Steal some of these pre-thought-up social media post ideas !

Source: ChatGPT

To know what’s worked before, you need top-notch analytics reports . Hootsuite Analytics gives you a full 360-degree view of your performance across all networks. Custom reports will show you what you need to do more of and what you can leave out of your content plan.

Step 3: Decide when you will post

We’ve got our why and what. Now we need the when. This leads us to the daily best time to post on your social media platforms.

You’re also going to want to keep an eye on your overall posting frequency .

You’ll need to experiment with how often you’re posting every week and how many posts per day.

Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature analyzes your unique audience engagement patterns to determine the best times to post across all your accounts.

It also recommends different times for different goals. For example, when to post awareness or brand-building content and when to push hard for sales.

Source: Hootsuite

Need to get your social marketing started quickly and hit the ground running? Let Hootsuite pick the perfect time for you.

When you’re creating your post, just click Schedule for later and choose from one of the suggested times. That’s it!

Step 4: Decide on your content mix

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel daily. A successful social media and content marketing plan contains a mix of original and curated content . But what should you curate? Where from? How often?

Great curated content is:

• Relevant to your audience.
• Related to one of your content themes (from Step 1).
• Connected to a business goal.

How each piece and type of content fits in with your other social media content is more important than how much of it you share, but a standard content mix is 40% original and 60% curated .

With tools like Hootsuite Listening Basics, you can easily explore posts from around the web to build a library of quality content to share later. Try some of our robust social listening tools.

Plus, you can use Quick Search to analyze things like:

• Key metrics. Are more people talking about you this week? What’s the vibe of their posts? Hootsuite Listening doesn’t just track what people are saying — it uses enhanced sentiment analysis to tell you how they really feel.
• Top themes. How are people talking about you? What are the most popular positive and negative posts about? Which other conversations are you showing up in?
• Results. Ready to get into specifics? The results tab will show you a selection of popular posts related to your search terms — you can filter by sentiment, channel, and more.

Step 5: Assign responsibilities

Setting clear expectations around who’s doing what is essential for content planning (and, so I hear, life). Social marketing teams with writers, designers, customer support peeps, and so on need a clear delineation of responsibilities.

A social media workflow will define who does what and how the content process will move from content planning to creation to publication. A well-done social media approval workflow will have your content planning process zipping along like a well-oiled machine.

Bonus : Within Hootsuite’s Business and Enterprise plans, you can assign permissions to different accounts. This way, only those who are responsible for publishing can actually publish a post, and so on. This avoids confusion and mistakes when it comes to content publication.

Everything you need to make engaging content. AI support for captions, an AI hashtag generator, and access to Canva in Hootsuite.

Step 6: Write post captions

Whenever possible, it’s best to write your social media post content before the campaign goes off to the design team (the next step).

This has a few key benefits:

• It gives context to the designer so they can work efficiently.
• They will have a better understanding of the entire campaign’s structure and goals.
• While writing the posts, you may think of more ideas to add to the campaign to fill gaps.
• It saves time by allowing copyediting and approvals to happen simultaneously with design, so you can publish it sooner.

Hootsuite comes with OwlyWriter AI, a built-in creative AI tool that saves social media pros hours of work. You can use OwlyWriter to:

• Write a new social media caption in a specific tone, based on a prompt
• Write a post based on a link (e.g. a blog post or a product page)
• Generate post ideas based on a keyword or topic (and then write posts expanding on the idea you like best)
• Identify and repurpose your top-performing posts
• Create relevant captions for upcoming holidays

To get started with OwlyWriter, sign in to your Hootsuite account and head to the Inspiration section of the dashboard. Then, pick the type of AI magic you want to see in action.

For example, if you’re not sure what to post, click on Get inspired . Then, type in the general, high-level topic you want to address and click Get ideas .

OwlyWriter will generate a list of post ideas related to the topic: 

Click on the one you like best to move to the next step — captions and hashtags.

Pick the caption you like and click Create post . The caption will open in Hootsuite Composer, where you can make edits, add media files and links, check the copy against your compliance guidelines — and schedule your post to go live later.

And that’s it! OwlyWriter never runs out of ideas, so you can repeat this process until your social media calendar is full — and sit back to watch your engagement grow.

Step 7: Create (or source) design assets

This is often where content plans get bottlenecked. You can think up all these amazing campaigns, but without the creative assets that get them noticed, like graphics and videos, you can be stuck in your drafts forever.

This is why a social media workflow is important. Having a dedicated person and a specific timeline for each part of the content planning process keeps things moving along.

With Hootsuite Planner , you can collaborate with other team members on specific campaigns, view the overall calendar, and map out your content to identify opportunities and gaps to fill. Plus, approvals are a snap with the built-in approval process, so the only content that gets posted is the content that should be.

Source: Hootsuite Planner

Here’s how everyone can work together inside Hootsuite to bring a campaign from idea to finished:

Step 8: Schedule content in advance

Last but very not least, scheduling. Scheduling your content ahead of time is important for basic efficiency. Plus, it will help bring your social media marketing strategy to life.

Hootsuite, we’re not too humble to admit, can help save you tons of time with publication; you can schedule content to all of your favorite platforms in advance from the same dashboard. Plus, you’ll get:

• Easy team collaboration,
• detailed analytics,
• ads management,
• social listening, and more—all in one convenient place.

You can create single posts in Composer or dial up your efficiency to 11 with the much-loved bulk upload tool, where you and 350 of your best posts can be scheduled in under 2 minutes flat.

Bonus: Download our free, customizable social media calendar template to easily plan and schedule all your content in advance.

7 free content planning resources

This content calendar template.

This free content calendar skeleton will show you how to organize and schedule your content in advance. Just fill it out with your content plan and let the organizational endorphins roll in.

This campaign template

Use this free campaign template as a structured framework to plan your campaign. Answer each of the sections to create a strategy for your next social campaign.

An engagement rate calculator

Running the numbers is never super fun. Luckily, this free engagement rate calculator makes it easy to measure the effectiveness of your content or social media efforts. You’ll be able to quantify how well your audience interacts with your posts. In turn, these insights can help you to optimize your social strategy.

This ROI guide

Knowing what your return on investment (ROI) is can help you convince your superiors that your social plan is working! This free ROI guide can help you reallocate your social budget in a smart way.

The best free social media audit template

A full-scale social media audit is great for onboarding new clients or getting a lay of the land with existing social media accounts. This free audit template is a systematic checklist for evaluating your current social strategy.

Your cheat sheet for image sizes

This free image size guide is a quick reference guide for the optimal image dimensions across different social platforms. It’ll help your content look polished and professional.

The only social strategy guide you’ll ever need

Want comprehensive insights and best practices for developing effective marketing strategies? Then this guide’s for you. Take these nine steps to achieve long-term success in your marketing efforts.

Hootsuite is your content planning partner in success with robust scheduling, collaboration, analytics, and smart insights like the Best Time to Publish feature to make your job easier. Sign up for free today.

Save time and grow faster with OwlyWriter AI, the tool that instantly generates social media captions and content ideas .

Become a better social marketer.

Get expert social media advice delivered straight to your inbox.

As an ex-agency strategist turned freelance WFH fashion icon, Michelle is passionate about putting the sass in SaaS content. She's known for quickly understanding and distilling complicated technical topics into conversational copy that gets results. She has written for Fortune 500 companies and startups, and her clients have earned features in Forbes, Strategy Magazine and Entrepreneur.

Colleen Christison is a freelance copywriter, copy editor, and brand communications specialist. She spent the first six years of her career in award-winning agencies like Major Tom, writing for social media and websites and developing branding campaigns. Following her agency career, Colleen built her own writing practice, working with brands like Mission Hill Winery, The Prevail Project, and AntiSocial Media.

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• Best Social Media Management Tools

5 Best Social Media Management Tools (2024)

Updated: Aug 4, 2024, 7:39pm

Today, a social media marketing campaign is a crucial component of any content marketing strategy. Posting to several accounts multiple times a day, however, can be time-consuming. Smart social media marketing managers use social media management software to schedule content and automate posting. Social media management tools can allow users to publish, monitor and manage all their social media networks from one dashboard.

Save time and improve the effectiveness of your social campaigns with the best social media management software in our comprehensive guide. Forbes Advisor has reviewed more than a dozen companies and ranked them by value, features and customer ratings to bring you the best options on the market.

• Best Marketing Software
• Best Email Marketing Software
• Best SEO Software For Small Business
• Best SEO Services For Small Business
• Best Mass Texting Services

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Sprout Social

Standard $199/seat/month; Professional $299/seat/month; Advanced $399/seat/month * annual subscriptions

30 days (all plans)

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, Yelp!, Glassdoor, Trip Advisor, and more

On Sprout Social’s Website

Professional $99/month; Team $249/month *pricing based on annual subscriptions

30 day free trial (all plans)

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads (beta), Google Business Profile and more

On Hootsuite’s Website

TikTok for Business

Customizable – Auction Format; specify your bid and daily spend

1B+ users across 140+ countries

Range of ad formats to delight your target audience, achieve your ad objective and grow your business

On Tiktok’s Website

Top Social Media Management Software (2024)

Zoho social, socialpilot, forbes advisor ratings, what is social media management software, how to choose the best social media management tools, what does social media management software cost, methodology, frequently asked questions (faqs).

• Zoho Social: Best for individual creators
• Buffer: Best on a budget
• Hootsuite: Best for many platforms
• SocialPilot: Best for TikTok
• Sprout Social: Best for analytics

Best for Individual Creators

per month, billed annually

Free Option

Supported Platforms

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile

Zoho Social is a complete social media management tool that helps businesses and agencies schedule posts, monitor mentions on social media, create customizable social media performance analytics reports and communicate with teammates about pending posts.

One feature that helps Zoho Social stand out among the rest is its pause post feature. During a local or national emergency or during a brand crisis when it might be inappropriate to post a brand’s marketing campaign, the feature allows the social media manager to pause all pending posts. After the unforeseen emergency is resolved, the resume button allows the social media campaign to continue with one click of a button.

In addition to social media management, Zoho offers a CRM tool  that allows you to manage emails, track accounting, generate leads from social media and engage with prospects. It also allows you to set parameters for lead generation, engage with anyone who interacts with your brand on social media, add them to a list of contacts and track them as potential customers for targeted marketing campaigns. This is a separate product in the Zoho line of software but is built so they naturally integrate together.

Zoho Social is one of the most affordable management tools. The platform offers a free plan that allows one brand to post on seven outlets. The higher-tiered plans that offer analytics, engagement and organization are very reasonably priced at $10 to $40 per month.

Who should use it:

Zoho Social’s ease of use, affordable plans and analytical data reports make it best for individual content creators and small businesses.

• Robust CRM product that allows for using social media as a lead generator
• Offers a basic plan for free
• User-friendly interface
• Plans only include one to three team members, and requires an Agency plan for more users
• Can’t post to Instagram or Facebook Stories

Best on a Budget

per month per channel

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn

Buffer offers a free plan for those just getting started that allows users to schedule 10 posts on up to three social media channels. The free plan also offers a calendar view, buff.ly link shortener and Twitter hashtag suggestions. Plans start at just $6 per month per channel for those who want all that plus analytics reports, data storage, audience demographics and campaign analysis. You can try either plan for free for 14 days.

Buffer is perfect for those individuals or small businesses that want to schedule posts to multiple social media channels from one simple dashboard. It is an affordable way to keep engaged with your audience but is limited in its analytics and engagement features when compared to software tools, such as Zoho Social and Hootsuite.

Buffer is perfect for individual entrepreneurs or small businesses that want an affordable way to keep low-key engagement with their audience.

• Free plan with additional affordable plans
• User-friendly
• Easy-to-use schedule calendar
• Limited features
• Limited number of allowable scheduled posts

Best for Many Platforms

$99 to $249

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn

Hootsuite stands out as one of the most comprehensive social media management tools on the list. Along with its competitors, Hootsuite lets users schedule social media content in advance, select times when their audience is most likely to be engaged and use an interactive planner to review scheduled content. The higher-tiered plans offer robust analytics data, a number of integrations for productivity and efficiency applications and live Hootsuite training for the entire team.

Hootsuite has four price plans: Professional, Team, Business and Enterprise. As you move up in the tiers, Hootsuite features more comprehensive analytics and social media tracking reports. The Professional tier is great for individuals and small businesses as it allows one user to manage 10 social media accounts. The Team tier is built for small teams, allowing three users to post to 20 social media accounts. The Team, Business and Enterprise plans come with advanced customizable analytics reports.

While the upper-tiered plans are not cheap, the additional analytics tools are imperative for businesses that use social media as a bulk of their marketing efforts.

One of Hootsuite’s defining features is its ability to easily integrate with so many applications. All of Hootsuite’s application programming interfaces (APIs) are available as open source, meaning the platform can work in tandem with software solutions. Hootsuite boosts its compatibility with more than 250 apps including Microsoft business apps, Canva, Adobe, Spotify and more. This is invaluable to social media managers and content creators who work across numerous platforms and want to move across those platforms quickly and easily.

Learn more: Read our full Hootsuite review .

Small- to medium-sized businesses that use social media marketing as a driving force for sales.

• Multiple integrations
• 30-day free trial
• Advanced analytics reports are only offered on more expensive plans

Best for TikTok

$25.50 to $170

14-day trial

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, TikTok

SocialPilot is one of the most cost-effective social media marketing tools of the bunch. For social media managers who oversee a large number of social media accounts from one interface, SocialPilot is an affordable option. Its Small Team tier allows three users to post on 20 social media accounts for $42.50 per month (billed annually) as opposed to Hootsuite’s Team plan that allows three users to post to 20 accounts for $249 a month or Sprout Social’s Professional plan that allows a user to post to unlimited accounts for $399 per month.

In addition to integrating with all the classic social networks, SocialPilot is one of the few that integrates with TikTok. The popular video-sharing platform has more than 800 million active users. Tapping into that audience is a great way to market your brand to a new audience.

Other notable features of this platform include a drag-and-drop social media calendar that simplifies the process of reordering posts and a feature that curates a list of previous posts to repost.

SocialPilot was the first social media management software to enable users to link their TikTok accounts.

• Great value for money
• Integrates with TikTok
• Very intuitive to use
• No live chat or phone support
• No plans offer unlimited storage

Best for Analytics

$249 to $499

30-day trial

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn

Sprout Social is one of the pricier plans on this list with its lowest tier starting at $249 per month. With the steeper price point comes unlimited posts and powerful data analytics tools, however, the Standard plan restricts the user to five social media sites.

Sprout Social’s most popular plan is the Professional at $399 a month (billed annually). The plan allows users to post to unlimited social media sites. It includes an all-in-one social box, analysis tools for Twitter hashtags and response rate analysis reports. With the Advanced plan at $499 a month (billed annually), users gain access to automated social chatbots, digital content libraries and link tracking capabilities.

Not only does Sprout Social have great scheduling abilities, but it is also a powerful tool for analyzing data. Users can set demographic and geographic measurements to measure how the content is working with their followers. Sprout can also monitor keywords across all social media to alert users when their business or brand is mentioned.

Learn more: Read our full Sprout Social review .

Businesses with a higher marketing budget to spend on software should consider Sprout Social because of its top-notch scheduling and analytics capabilities.

• Intuitive user dashboard allows you to manage all social networks from one place
• Has powerful analytics tools
• Basic plan limits social media accounts to five
• Expensive standard plan
• You have to keep up with WordPress and plugin updates

Social media management software enables users to connect multiple social media accounts and post social media content in advance to those accounts from a single interface. For example, it allows a restaurant marketing manager to schedule posts to the restaurant’s Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram accounts a week, a month or a year in advance. Social media management software typically also includes features, such as analytics tools, brand awareness campaign tools and communication tools, to help marketing departments use social media marketing campaigns to their fullest potential.

It can be overwhelming determining which social media management tool is right for you because of the large number of software options available. The best way to choose the right tool for you is to start with clarifying your priorities and goals when it comes to social media. How many social media outlets can you realistically create content for on a consistent basis? How many hours per week do you want to devote to social media? How much of your budget do you want to devote to social media? Once you answer these questions, it will be easier to search through the software features that will coincide with your priorities.

Essential Features

Your social media management tools should help you capture the eye of new followers and drive engagement with your current followers. To do this, you need to post often and know when to post at the best time. There are a few features that will help you do this:

• Platform integration: Keeping up with your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and other social media sites is too much. When looking for a social media management software, make sure it enables you to manage all your social media platforms from one single dashboard.
• Content calendar: A visual content calendar helps you plan all your social media posts and social media campaigns and for a specific period of time. This helps save time, organize your social media marketing plan, track how your social media content is performing and helps create consistency in posting. This will help you plan a week’s, month’s or even a year’s worth of social media content all at once.
• Scheduling tools: Scheduling tools are one of the most important features of a good social media management software. Once you have mapped out what you will post in a certain time period, it is helpful to schedule those posts all at once. Automatically scheduling posts ahead of time frees up your time to concentrate on creating engaging content.
• Post optimization tool: Scheduling great content won’t move the needle unless you are posting it when your ideal audience is online to see it. Because social media audiences vary, so do optimal posting times for your specific social media audience. Finding a social media management tool that is able to share your content at a time that fits best for your unique audience will ensure your content gets in front of as many people as possible.
• Analytics and reporting tools: Analytics is critical in determining what social media strategies are working and what social media strategies are not working.
• Keyword monitoring: No one can be on social media all the time, which is where keyword monitoring tools come into play. Keyword monitoring allows you to find all the conversations where your brand is mentioned so that you can join the dialogue if you choose.

Managed Account Types and Amounts

These days, most social media management software companies integrate with the top social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. SocialPilot was one of the first to integrate with the popular video-sharing platform TikTok. However, slowly but surely, most of the other software platforms have as well.

Not all social media management software platforms integrate with the multiplatform messaging app WhatsApp. While some platforms, such as Buffer and SproutSocial, allow users to schedule and push text, images, audio, video and PDF automatically to their customers on WhatsApp, other platforms, such as Zoho Social do not.

Company Size/Team Size

Company size will help determine what features you need in your social media management software. For example, if you are a solopreneur in charge of managing your own Instagram and TikTok accounts, you will have much different software needs than a social media manager managing all eight separate social media platforms for 10 different brands.

Solopreneurs or time-strapped marketing managers in charge of their company’s social media channels will look for a software platform that has several automation features. Automation tools help save time by scheduling posts in advance, automatically sharing new blog posts to your preferred social media platforms and customizing posts per social media platform. Along with the set-it-and-forget-it social media scheduler, an affordable price is also important for small businesses. Some social media management software, such as Buffer have a robust free plan that might be more than suitable for solopreneurs or small businesses to manage their social media accounts.

Social media managers who run large accounts or those who manage accounts for several companies or brands tend to work with teams. If this is the case for you, it is important to find a social media management software that will allow team members to work together without stepping on anyone’s toes or doubling efforts. Some team collaborating features to look for when comparing social media management software are:

• Assign roles to different team members
• Assign tasks to different team members
• Account permissions to give team members different levels of authority over the account
• Collision detection tools to avoid a situation where multiple team members send duplicate or conflicting responses when replying to the same message

Reporting and Analytics

If you are going to put time and energy into creating social media content, it is important to know if that social media content is working for you. Most social media management software include reporting and analytic tools. These tools can help you decipher your social media strategy’s return on investment. It can answer questions, such as whether it is advantageous to continue to post on Twitter, what social media post garnered the most engagement, how many followers you gain every month on Facebook and which network drove the most brand awareness for a particular product launch.

Hootsuite’s reporting capabilities are some of the best on the market. The platform gives users a 360-degree view of all social networks from one dashboard where you can set performance benchmarks and monitor improvements over time. Hootsuite users can also create customizable reports, get updates on the best times to post to optimize the best results and easy-to-read graphs on how your social media channels and campaigns drive leads, conversions and sales.

Sprout Social is another platform with power analytics and reporting tools. The software enables users to set certain demographic and geographic measurements to measure how their audience is engaging with their content. Sprout can monitor keywords across all social media alerting users when their name is mentioned, analyze audience growth, demographics, engagement and impressions across all social media platforms. Sprout Social even allows users to compare their social media performance to their competitor’s social media performance.

Free vs. Paid Software

Several top social media management software platforms, including the ones we outlined here, have a forever-free plan. Generally, these plans have limited features and functions. They may limit the number of social media accounts you can post to, limit the number of users allowed on your plan or restrict access to analytics. For example, Buffer’s forever-free plan allows users to schedule content on up to three social media channels. Zoho Social’s free plan is more robust, allowing users to post to seven social media channels as well as access Zoho Social’s browser extension, zShare, and the ability to add one team member to their Zoho Social Portal.

While these limitations may not be an issue when you are first getting started, they can limit your ability to scale unless you upgrade to a paid plan. When signing up for a free plan, it is important to research the software’s paid plans. Do they contain the features you think you will need as you grow your business? How affordable is its basic plan versus its most expensive plan? When making a business plan for the next five years, when do you think you will need to upgrade to a paid social media management software and what software features do you think will be most important for your business? Try to find software that has a free plan for the time being, but also has paid plans that will help you meet your company’s future goals.

On Sprout Social's Website

On Hootsuite's Website

Customizable - Auction Format; specify your bid and daily spend

On Tiktok's Website

The cost of social media management software varies depending on several factors including number of users, number of social media channels, analytic features, automation features and more. Buffer is one of the more affordable software platforms. Buffer’s paid plans start at $5 per month per channel and include planning and publishing tools, analytics tools, engagement tools and a landing page builder. Its most expensive plan, the Agency plan, is $100 per month for 10 channels and includes unlimited team members and clients along with draft collaboration tools.

Sprout Social’s paid plans start at $249 per month for five social media channels and include an all-in-one social inbox to monitor comments across the social media channels, a social content calendar and profiles, keywords and locations monitoring. For $399 a month, its Professional plan includes unlimited social media channels, competitive reports for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, scheduling for optimal send times, response rate and time analysis reports and more.

How much you spend on your social media management software depends on how much revenue you generate from social media. If your business only posts a few times a week to a few social media channels, it might not be a smart idea to buy the most expensive plan with all the automation and analytical bells and whistles. However, if you are an e-commerce store that posts multiple times a day to multiple channels, purchasing an all-inclusive plan that will help you post at the ideal time, respond to multiple customers throughout the day and track your social media ROI is probably worth the extra money.

Posting great content is just part of a cohesive social media marketing plan. Marketers must also be able to interpret the results of marketing campaigns. More advanced software plans should include features that analyze results of individual posts, suggest Twitter hashtags, track relevant social conversations and gain real-time insights from social media to make business decisions.

To choose the best social media management software for this article’s ranking, Forbes Advisor compared each company based on important factors that include ease of use, cost and fees, customer support and features and functionality. We ranked each company on these factors based on a rating system, with the highest score being five out of five stars.

Here’s what we looked at to compile the rankings in each category:

• Ease of use: First and foremost, we looked for social media management software that are easy to use and navigate.
• Cost and fees: Social media management software with free versions were given preference in our ranking, although free trials also influenced our views. Plans with high ongoing costs were included if the features and functions provided a good value in return.
• Customer support: We looked at companies and compared them based on their customer support options, including whether clients have access to live customer support.
• Features and functionality: Finally, we compared social media management software companies based on their functions and features, giving preference to programs with the best features and tools for their ideal client base.

What are the best social media management tools?

Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Buffer are three of the top social media management tools on the market today. Hootsuite is ideal for all companies that use all social media channels while Sprout Social has great analytics features. Buffer is a great option for companies looking for an affordable social media management software.

What is the purpose of social media management software tools?

Social media management software allows users to post content in advance to various social media accounts from a single user interface (UI). Additional features, such as analytics tools, brand awareness campaign tools and communication tools, are also available, depending on the software company and plan.

Why are social media management tools important?

Social media management tools allow marketing managers, small business owners and content creators to save time by scheduling social media posts in advance to multiple accounts, view top-level metrics and generate viable leads from social media.

What types of social media tools are there?

Social media is always evolving as are the social media tools companies can use to streamline their social media workflow. New social media tools include content curation tools, social media scheduling apps, content creation tools and social media analytics tools.

How do I manage multiple social media accounts?

Managing multiple social media accounts does not have to be overwhelming. Social media management software, such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social, make managing multiple accounts easy with content creation calendars, features that help automate postings and chatbots to respond to messages.

How do I manage a business social media account?

To manage a business social media account properly, you must understand the company’s brand, its target audience and its business goals for the social media account. Then, create a monthly and yearly content calendar to help achieve those business goals, post engaging content and analyze the social media metrics to determine if your content is helping you meet your business goals.

What is community management in social media?

Community management is using social media to build an active online community to foster brand loyalists. Managing an online community requires constant monitoring of social media channels, engagement with customers, prospects and influencers and measuring feedback.

Jennifer Simonson draws on two decades as a journalist covering everything from local economic developement to small business marketing. Beyond writing, she tested entrepreneurial waters by launching a mobile massage service, a content marketing firm and an e-commerce venture. These experiences enriched her understanding of small business management and marketing strategies. Today, she channels this first-hand knowledge into her articles for Forbes Advisor.

Your Guide to Effective Community Management on Social Media

Master the art of community management with this complete guide to managing communities on social media.

What is Community Management on Social Media?

• Why Community Management Is Important 

What’s The Difference Between Community Management and Social Media Management?

How to build a community management strategy, schedule your community content with plann, share this story.

People naturally seek connection and community, whether it’s dissecting Taylor Swift lyrics and trading friendship bracelets at her concerts, joining Facebook Groups to fangirl over niche topics like Anne Rice’s books, or seeking advice on Pinterest growth strategies.

It’s all about finding that acknowledgement and acceptance in others.

In digital marketing, community management goes beyond selling products or services; it’s creating a network of engaged individuals who feel valued and connected to your brand. You show your followers you genuinely care by consistently delivering value and generating positive brand awareness.

That connection creates life-long fans who feel a deeper connection to your business.

In this guide, we’ll share how to build an effective community management strategy from the ground up with actionable tips and real-world examples.

Start your day with Home - a beautiful overview of your brands day ahead with a to-do-list manager, post ideas AND content inspiration!

Community management on social media is the strategic process of building, growing, and nurturing your brand’s community. It aims to create a loyal and active group of true fans through meaningful interactions and encouraging user participation.

Your community management strategy outlines how your brand will engage with its audience, build relationships, and create a sense of belonging. It’ll include your goals, engagement tactics, content planning, and methods for measuring and analysing success.

In tangible terms, community management on social media involves:

• Responding to user engagements, like DMs and comments
• Actively reaching out to new, relevant users and potential customers on social media
• Managing tagged posts and engaging with user-generated content
• Having a plan in place to deal with criticisms or negative reviews on social meida

Why Community Management Is Important 

Community management is about making people utterly, totally, head of heels obsessed with your brand. It’s unleashing your inner Serena Van Der Woodsen and turning those social media lurkers into raving brand advocates.

It enables your business to:

• Generate and improve brand awareness
• Provide valuable customer satisfaction and inspire loyalty
• Quickly respond to positive and negative feedback from your community
• Gather customer insights to fuel your product development and marketing strategies
• Build a network of brand advocates who will promote your brand with zero marketing budget

While social media management and a social media community manager seem the same on paper, distinct differences set them apart.

Social Media Management

Social media management focuses on increasing reach, growing a follower base, and converting followers into customers. The main activities social media managers perform are creating and scheduling posts, analysing metrics , and optimising the strategy to drive key metrics.

Community Management

Community management focuses on building relationships and creating deeper, more meaningful interactions on and off social media. The main activities of a community manager involve facilitating discussions in comments and DMs, providing value to community members, running social media groups and cultivating brand advocates.

Managing a community isn’t always easy, but with the right strategy , you can tackle any obstacle.

Step 1: Set Your Goals and Success Metrics

Setting clear goals is the first step in building a successful community management strategy. Start by defining what you want to achieve with your community efforts.

Not sure where to start? Here are some common goals to guide you in the right direction:

• Increase community engagement through comments, likes and shares.
• Boost brand awareness within your target audience .
• Improve customer support with timely and helpful community support.
• Build loyal brand ambassadors who will promote your business.
• Gather feedback from community insights to improve your products or services.

Once your goals are set, identify the success metrics that will help you track progress. These metrics should align with your overall objectives and provide clear indicators of your community’s health.

Here are some community management metrics you can track:

• Total number of followers joining your community every week, month, quarter and year.
• Likes, shares, mentions, and saves on your posts.
• Number of attendees for Instagram Lives or webinars.
• Total number of followers and interactions inside your Instagram Channel.
• Number of sign-ups, sales and conversions from your community engagement channels.

Step 2: Plan Your Content

Planning your content is the not-so-secret ingredient for keeping your community happy and well-fed. Without a consistent posting schedule and content your audience wants to see, achieving your community management goals will stay a pipe dream.

Here are some actionable strategies to help you plan and create content that will resonate with your online communities:

Understand Your Audience

Start by getting to know your community. Understand their interests, pain points, and what motivates them. Use surveys, polls, and direct interactions to gather insights.

Once you have a crystal-clear idea of WHO you’re creating content for, it will guide your content creation and make meeting their needs and expectations much easier.

Create a Content Calendar and Stick to Your Posting Schedule

Still posting when you feel like it?

If you’re not seeing the growth you want, it’s time to ditch that strategy and start using a content calendar.

Sticking to a posting schedule, whether that’s every day or three times per week, keeps your community engaged and creates strong brand recall.

Sign up for a free account with Plann, and you’ll gain access to a free  social media content calendar. However, it does way more than help you visually organise your content. It comes with an AI caption writer, strategy planner, and cross-posting between your other social media platforms.

Create Value-Driven Content

Your community content is not a hard sell.

It’s not an advertisement for the features and benefits of your products and services.

It’s for your community. It’s to build relationships.

So ditch the five-minute elevator pitch and focus on creating content that adds value to your community. Offer solutions to their problems, share industry insights, and provide tips that can help them in their personal or professional lives.

For example, create how-to guides, tutorials and educational content that addresses the needs of your online communities.

The Productivity Method , a planner that aims to stop procrastination, regularly creates helpful content around time management and other problems busy professionals experience (cue: back pain from sitting hunched over at your desk job 8 hours every day).

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Productivity Method (TPM) 🪐 (@theproductivitymethod)

Encourage User-Generated Content

Invite your community members to share their experiences, stories, and content related to your brand. Recognize and reward their contributions by featuring them on your social media channels and create a space where your followers can connect with others who share their values and passions.

GoPro is a brand that knows a thing or two about using user-generated content (UGC) to its full advantage. The brand encourages its followers to share their live-action footage using the hashtag #GoPro and incentivizes participation with $100,000 up for grabs.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by GoPro (@gopro)

Step 3: Engage With Your Community

Engaging with your community is vital to maintaining an active and loyal following. While there are tried-and-true engagement techniques, like responding to all your comments and messages to keep the conversations rolling, there are some more actionable strategies you can add to your community-building repertoire.

Use Interactive Content

Interactive content like polls, quizzes, and live Q&A sessions can boost engagement by encouraging participation. Ask for opinions on new products, seek feedback, and create fun, engaging content that involves your audience.

For example, Shreddy (a fitness app) hosts Instagram Q&A sessions when a new plan is launched and then saves it as a Highlight.

Create interactive content to boost your online community engagement

Q&A sessions are a powerful engagement strategy for social media communities

Host Community Events

Organize virtual events such as webinars, live streams, or community meet-ups to bring your audience together. These events offer a platform for real-time interaction and strengthen the sense of community.

Tala, an activewear brand in the UK, recently held its first run club event as part of its running-wear launch. It was a way for the community to meet some of the people behind the brand and for customers to meet other people who share their passion for running.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by TALA® (@wearetala)

Personalize Your Interactions and Follow Back

Personalize your interactions to make community members feel special and appreciated. Use their first names, reference past interactions, and tailor your responses to their queries.

Next, identify your brand advocates and follow them back. Like and comment on their posts to show appreciation for their support.

Always remember to maintain professional boundaries and make sure your interactions align with your brand values.

Lastly, Use a Community Management Tool

Growing communities across different social media platforms?

Getting back to every comment and message can feel daunting, and it’s possible you might miss some – unless you have the right tools.

Plann helps you manage all your comments and mentions from one handy dashboard. All you need to do is log into your account, navigate to “Reply,” and “you can quickly manage all replies (and even delete comments).

Reply to all your comments from one dashboard with a social media community tool

Step 4: Measure, Analyze, and Implement

The final step in your social media community management strategy is data-driven. If you want to understand how well your engagement tactics are working, it’s essential to track progress towards your community goals and correct course if you’re heading off in the wrong direction.

Here’s how to do it:

Analyze the Data

Review your metrics regularly to identify trends and patterns. Look for spikes in engagement, popular content types, and areas needing improvement. Use this data to understand what’s working and what isn’t.

Another thing you’ll want to keep an eye out for is community suggestions.

Is your audience asking for a particular product? Is there a problem that keeps coming up in the comments? That’s your sign to see if you can solve it!

Implement Improvements

Based on your analysis, adjust your social media community management strategy as needed. Experiment with different types of content, posting times, and engagement techniques.

The same goes for complaints. Is your audience asking for more diversity? If inclusivity is part of your brand, make a conscious decision to address that in your campaign.

Continuously iterate and refine your approach to better meet your community goals.

Community management is how you build a brand with a loyal following that looks forward to your posts and product drops.

But to get there, it starts with implementing a strategy (like we have outlined above) and jumping onto the posting consistently bandwagon.

Sign up for a free 7-day trial of Plann today and get access to a treasure trove of tools that will make managing and growing your online communities easy peasy.

Learn how to manage multiple accounts without going crazy!

Author:  Lauren Melnick

Lauren Melnick is a freelance digital marketing writer. She is obsessed with cats, Henry Cavill from The Witcher and avo on toast.

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