Managing your social media shouldn’t have to be a headache, however, one of the biggest challenges many content creators face is staying organized. Between balancing regularly publishing content and engaging with your followers, without a proper social media strategy in place your message may get lost making your content ineffective. We understand that as a creator, your time is valuable and should be dedicated to crafting your next viral video, instead of your next Tweet which is why we’ve broken down the essential steps you can take to organize your social media strategy:

How To Organize Your Social Media Strategy

Step 1: Set Specific Goals

The first step in developing any kind social media strategy is to define the specific goal you would like to achieve. Whether it is to gain a certain amount of followers or to simply raise awareness about the next big video you are dropping on YouTube, your goals should align with your broader promotional strategy to ensure overall consistency. Keep in mind that every goal you set should follow the S.M.A.R.T principle meaning that must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Step 2: Conduct a Social Media Audit

Now that you have your goals to guide your social media strategy, the next step involves taking a step back and evaluating your current social media use to see what is already working and where the potential opportunities are. You must determine who your target audience is and what platforms they are using and engaging with the most. If you find a majority of your fans follow you on Instagram, you will want to adjust your social media strategy to place more time and effort into posts on the specific platform.

You will also want to scope out your competition to see how their presence compares to yours. If they have a larger following, examine the type of content they are posting and the language they are using to attract a large audience. Do they host a Q&A before on their Instagram Stories before they drop a new single? Are they using gifs? You can then leverage that information to create your unique twist.

Step 3: Create a Content Calendar

A successful social media strategy requires regularly publishing content and engaging with your followers, which can be overwhelming if you leave it to the last minute. To yourself a headache, planning out a content calendar will keep your posts organized as well as free up additional hours that can be dedicated to strategizing. It will also allow you to focus your efforts on engaging with your audience. The most important elements you will want to include in your content calendar are the social channel, posting date/time, and the post verbiage. If you are looking for inspiration, try and pick a theme you would like to incorporate throughout the month. You can also incorporate different social media trends and holidays to keep your content relevant. If you really want to take your social media strategy to the next level and save even more time, there are 3rd party applications (like Social Sprout, Buffer, & Hootsuite) available that will allow you to bulk schedule your posts.

Step 4: Measure Your Metrics

Keep an active pulse on how your content is performing by consistently monitoring your social media analytics. Not only will you be able to gauge your campaign’s success, but you will also be able to see what adjustments need to be made to your socials media strategy. For example, test out different posting times to see which resonate with your audience. Remember, your social media strategy should always be evolving to keep up with emerging trends and strategies. Don’t remain stagnant, once you meet a certain goal, establish new ones.

With time and practice, your social media strategy will become more seamless to implement and you will start to see long-term success. For more tips and helpful hacks, stay up to date with our weekly blogs.