Creating A Social Media Plan that Works!

Rachel Strella

Strella Social Media

www.strellasocialmedia.com

The #Strella Team

Rachel Strella & Amanda Harrison

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Today, we’ll discuss…

Creating A Social Media Plan… THAT WORKS!

Recognize Challenges Create Goals Determine Channels Build Your Audience Develop a Content Strategy Execute & Evaluate the Plan

Social Media Challenges

Social Media Challenges

Common Mistakes

→Wrong Mindset →Lack of Strategy/Goals →Lack of Consistency →Poor Content

Common Mistakes

→ Ignoring the Audience →“Silo” Efforts →Too Many Media →Complacency

A Social Media Plan That Works

A Plan That Works

Step 1: Determine Goals

A Plan That Works: Goals

Sample Goals Increase website traffic Establish credibility Build your audience/following Increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

A Plan That Works: Goals

Sample Goals Drive foot traffic to a location Generate awareness of a product/service Reach a specific new audience Increase customer engagement

A Plan That Works: Goals

Goal Checklist Select 2-3 goals for 90-days Play to your strengths Try to choose goals that are measurable in some way

A Plan That Works

Step 2: Determine Channels

A Plan That Works: Channels

“Big 3” Channels: Facebook Audience is consumer-based Largest age segment is 21-24 Great for sharing Integrates well with a lot of other sites and applications Oversaturated channel

A Plan That Works: Channels

“Big 3” Channels: LinkedIn Audience is business-based Largest age segment is 35-44 Two powerful gems: groups and advanced search Relationships a MUST

A Plan That Works: Channels

“Big 3” Channels: Twitter 140-character limit Largest age segment is 30-49 Channel is wide-open Strong customer-service outlet Language can be confusing (hashtags, re-tweets, etc)

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supplemental Channels: YouTube Top search site along with Google/great for SEO Largest age segment is 18-34 Opportunity for an audience to get to know you Hard to leverage if camera shy

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supplemental Channels: Google+ Interface similar to Facebook Largest age segment is 25-34 Higher usage among men (69%) than women (31%) Great for SEO Audience: engineers, web developers, students, marketers

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supplemental Channels: Pinterest

Photo sharing site; pinboards Largest age segment is 25-54 Higher usage among women (80%) than men (20%) Attraction: fashion, food, décor, fitness, animals, kids, travel

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supplemental Channels: Instagram

Photo sharing application Largest age segment is 18-34 Appeals to African Americans, Latino’s & Urban Americans Most useful for ‘telling a story’ with images

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supporting Channels: Blogs Online source of information from a 1st person POV Great for driving traffic to a website, gaining credibility, community building and SEO Best if you own the content (self-hosted site vs. free site)

A Plan That Works: Channels

Supporting Channels: Enews Electronic communication sent via email to a list of subscribers Generate TOMA Great for those who have email, but not social media Do not spam contacts; include an opt-out option

A Plan That Works: Channels

Channel Checklist Determine your target audience Find where they are on social media Select media that match your goals and target audience

Need More Info on Specific Channels?

bit.ly/jumpstartkit

A Plan That Works

Step 3: Build Your Audience

A Plan That Works: Audience

Use Built-In Social Media Tools Import email contacts to fan page Use Twitter’s “Discover Tab” Do not import lists into LinkedIn; make authentic connections

A Plan That Works: Audience

Audience: Build During Use Join LinkedIn Groups; make personal connections Use hashtags and mentions in tweets Beware of offers that ‘guarantee’ immediate fans or followers

A Plan That Works: Audience

Audience: Marketing Integration List social media channels on direct mail, newspaper ads, newsletter or business cards Add social sites to website and email signature Using Facebook? Claim unique URL (facebook.com/username)

A Plan That Works: Audience

Think Outside the Box Use contests, a call for “re-tweets” or other methods to generate interest Be mindful of what others are doing to build fans If you run a contest on Facebook, use a 3rd party app

A Plan That Works: Audience

Audience Checklist If you’re just starting out, this should be a primary goal If you’re already established, continue to think of ways to build Revisit audience-building regularly and brainstorm

A Plan That Works

Step 4: Develop a Content Strategy

A Plan That Works: Content

Themes Develop engaging content What value can I provide? What’s interesting about my business? Where are growth opportunities? How can I educate my audience?

A Plan That Works: Content

Theme Examples Accountant: Tax tips during the month of March Retailers: Christmas - December Salon: Prom preparation tips in the spring

A Plan That Works: Content

Theme/Idea Calendar Match goals with themes Develop a “theme of the month” to help create a cohesive message that resonates with your audience

A Plan That Works: Content

Theme Calendar Example Credit Union Short-Term Goals: #1: Establish credibility #2: Educate community on services #3: Increase customer engagement

A Plan That Works: Content

Content: Theme/Idea Calendar Example

Month #1: Why join a credit union? Month #2: Services to match the needs of the members Month #3: Share real-time news and encourage sharing

A Plan That Works: Content

Sample posts Goal: Establish credibility Theme: Why join a credit union?

A Plan That Works: Content

Sample posts Goal: Educate community Theme: Services to match needs

A Plan That Works: Content

Sample posts Goal: Increase customer engagement Theme: Share real-time news

A Plan That Works: Content

Sample posts Goal: Increase customer engagement Theme: Encourage feedback

A Plan That Works: Content

Content: Guidelines Shorter and punchier is better Knowledge is power Engage the audience Be authentic Reveal ‘human side’ of business

A Plan That Works: Content

Content Guidelines Use pictures when relevant Consider timeliness Highlight industry events/news Use sales pitches sparingly Proofread content

A Plan That Works: Content

Content Checklist Determine themes Develop theme calendar Consider how to integrate Develop an editorial calendar Write content with zest!

A Plan That Works

Step 5: Execute & Evaluate

A Plan That Works: Execute

Execute the Plan Assign responsibilities Monitor channels Engage/respond Put a plan in place for handling negative feedback

A Plan That Works: Evaluate

Evaluate the Plan What worked? What didn’t work? What should you shift? Are there new channels to embrace? What should the next 90 days look like?

A Plan That Works: Execute

Execution & Evaluation Checklist Assign work – including content development, branding monitoring/engagement, and handling negative feedback Evaluate plan Make necessary changes and determine plan for next 90 days

Need More Direction?

strellasocialmedia.com/smb-guide

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Website and Blog: StrellaSocialMedia.com

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Connections and Resources