How to create a Social Media Marketing Plan - #040

So you’re ready to start benefitting from social media marketing
but you’re uncertain about how and where to start. If you’re
struggling with questions, know you’re not alone.


It can be a confusing and complex world but that’s not a reason
to dismiss such a valuable marketing tool.


 


In this episode, Adam breaks down a 9-part social media marketing
plan to get you and your business set up for success right from
the start.
Episode Discussions:

Why your budget is an important part of your social media
marketing plan

Things to consider when tracking the results from your social
media

Why you should have goals when creating a social media
marketing plan

Why it's important to differentiate between leisure and
business

How to measure the performance of your plan

Social media beyond Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

What your competitors can reveal about a given social media
platform

Common social media strategies to implement into your plan



 
9-part social media marketing plan:

 


3:58
Step 1. The current analysis or "Where are you now?"

Identify what you've already been doing and what platforms
you're on.

Do you have existing accounts?

Do they have customized headers and branding?

Followers or likes?

This list will cut down on work later in initial setup and
potential decisions to abandon platforms.



4:35
Step 2. The competitor analysis "Where are they now?"

Make a list of competitors and their current social media
usage.

This information will reveal 1 of 2 things:

If they're doing well, it proves a customer's interest in that
social media platform If they're not, it will determine that it's
not an ideal market for your target market or show an opportunity
to provide a service not currently being offered.

5:26
Step 3. Goals or "Where would you like to be?"

Having goals prevents wasting time on marathon Facebook
sessions that provide little value.

Increase brand awareness Drive traffic to your website Build
social authority

Each goal has its own set of specific tactics and time
requirements.

Differentiate between leisure and business building time.



6:23
Step 4. Strategy or "How are we going to do this?"

A few common social media strategies:

Listening - use Google alerts, programs such as Mention
to highlight when your brand or name is used online

Engaging - respond to comments, encourage participation
on your channels, comment on other sites and other pages

Influencing - Does your brand have a position in the
marketplace? Do you have a particular view of your industry
that you can share?

Contributing - think of it as the means rather than the
ends.





8:18
Step 5. Target Market or "Who is going to listen?"

The single most important part of any social media marketing
plan.

Identifying your target market will save you time, money, and
other valuable resources.

Knowing details and statistics will help you determine what,
where, when and how to post.

Always make sure that you're aligning your social media
marketing usage with your target market.



9:14
Step 6. Implementation or "Go time"

Related tools available under the header of social media that
may or may not be suitable for your needs:

blogs

podcasts

webinars

video

photo sharing

discussion boards and forums

Q & A sites

mobile apps

location marketing



Choose 1 or 2 to start. Use your business, goals, and your
target market to determine which ones to focus on.



10:35
Step 7. Monitoring or "How are we doing?"

A key part of your plan is to measure your performance.

Use a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) identifies what's
important and then measures.

Focus on only the most important metrics

One's relevant to your goals and show improvement





11:19
Step 8. Budgeting or "How much are you going to spend?"

Social media in a business context isn't free.

There are several factors to consider when budgeting.

For small businesses, returns occur around the 7-14 hours per
week range.

Tools to help make this more attainable:

Scheduling tools: Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Edgar

Design tools: Canva, royalty-free online photo websites





13:01
Step 9. Return on investment (ROI) or "How much did you make?"

The results from social media are qualitative:

Improved brand perception

Increased brand awareness

Number of customers reached

Impressions gained



A good place to start tracking is pre-social media sales and
post social media sales.

Keep in mind: cost of customer acquisition and lifetime value
of your customer



 


 


Mentioned in this Episode:


Canva


Hootsuite


Sprout Social


Edgar


Mention


 


Contact Adam: Adam@AdamErhart.com


 


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