Social media has become an essential part of every marketing strategy. With millions of active users a day, social media platforms offer a great opportunity to reach a large audience and achieve your marketing goals. However, creating an effective social media marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution.

So we are here to give you the ultimate 8-step process to help you create a social media marketing strategy that will ultimately drive valuable results for your business.

Firstly, here’s your social media marketing checklist:

  • Define your goals
  • Know your target audience
  • Research your competition
  • Choose your platforms
  • Develop a content plan
  • Set up and optimise your profiles
  • Engage with your audience
  • Measure and adjust

Step 1. Define your goals

The first step in creating a social media marketing strategy is to define your goals. What do you want to achieve through your social media presence? Some common goals include brand awareness, lead generation, and sales. Clearly defining your goals will help you determine which platforms to use, what type of content to share, and how to measure your success.

Step 2. Define your target audience 

Understanding your target audience is key to creating a successful social media marketing strategy. Conduct market research to learn about your target audience's behaviour, interests, and preferences. This information will help you tailor your messaging and content to resonate with your audience. 

We recommend starting with building your ideal personas. A buyer persona is a semi fictional representation of your ideal audience based on real data and insights. When personas are developed in detail, they can inform your whole marketing strategy, telling you what content to deliver and where to deliver it. 

We've created a free buyer persona template to get you started here.

Step 3. Research your competition

Take a close look at what your competitors are doing on social media. Analyse their content, engagement, and overall strategy. This information will help you identify gaps in the market and differentiate your approach.

We recommend using a SWOT analysis for each competitor outlining their strengths, weaknesses, the opportunities and threats. 

Step 4. Choose your platforms 

Not all social media platforms are created equal. Choose the platforms where your target audience is most active and that align with your goals. For example, if your goal is to reach a younger demographic, you may want to focus on Instagram and TikTok.

To do this, use a channel strategy template that has a column for each persona you have identified, listing out the active channels and the non-active channels. This is so you know where you do and you don’t have to use your time, money and efforts in a particular channel.

Step 5. Develop a content plan

Once you've selected your platforms, it's time to plan your content. Determine the type of content you will share on each platform (e.g., blog posts, videos, infographics) and the frequency of your posts. This will help you stay organised and consistent with your content.

We recommend using a content plan spreadsheet and fill in the relevant columns for each persona.

Step 6. Set up and optimise your profiles

Make sure your profiles are complete, professional, and optimised for search! This includes using keywords in your bio, updating your profile picture and header image, and linking to your website.

Remember to include your values and key messages throughout your profiles so your customers can easily distinguish you from your competitors. You tone of voice needs to shine through too!

Step 7. Engage with your audience

Now you’re all set up and your research piece is done, encourage two-way communication by responding to comments and messages regularly at the start of your journey and throughout, and actively seek opportunities to engage with your audience. This will help build a strong community and increase engagement with your brand.

Try and encourage UGC (user-generated content) throughout your content, this will help you build some amazing brand advocates of your brand and help you spread the word on how great your brand is. 

Step 8. Measure and adjust!

The important part - regularly track your performance and make data-driven adjustments to your strategy to improve results. Use tools like social media analytics to start off with to measure metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions.

Once more established and ready to measure your efforts on a bigger scale, it’s time to invest in some marketing software to help you report. 

By following this step-by-step and using the templates we have provided, you'll be well on your way to creating a social media marketing strategy that drives results for your business. 

Remember, social media is an ongoing effort and requires consistent effort and attention. Be patient and stay committed, and you'll see the results of your efforts in no time.

Interested in building a complete marketing strategy that takes you through all of the above in much more detail? Join Fabric and gain instant access to 1-1 coaching sessions with a dedicated expert marketing practitioner, monthly masterclasses, a place on our award-winning 12-week Master Strategy Programme, and so much more. Download the brochure today.