8 Steps to Social Media Success: Plan Your Content Now
In today's digital age, content planning plays a critical role in the success of any brand or business. Effective content planning can not only boost your digital marketing strategy but also drive tangible results. But where do you start? How do you create a content plan that stands out from the crowd and resonates with your target audience?
In this ultimate guide to content planning, we will take you step-by-step through the process of creating a strategy that delivers real impact. From planning to posting, we'll explore the key elements you need to consider to ensure your content resonates and engages.
Get ready to take your content planning to the next level.
What is social media content planning?
Social media content planning is the process of strategizing and scheduling your social media posts in advance. It's about thinking ahead, not scrambling at the last minute. A well-planned content calendar ensures a consistent flow of engaging content that resonates with your target audience and supports your overall marketing goals.
Benefits of Effective Content Planning
The benefits of social media content planning are numerous:
Organization: Having a plan keeps you organized and prevents the chaos of last-minute content creation.
Reduced Stress: No more writer's block! A content calendar helps you avoid the pressure of coming up with fresh ideas on the spot.
Goal Alignment: Planning allows you to connect your social media activity to your broader marketing goals. Are you trying to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads? Your content plan should reflect these goals.
Consistent Engagement: Posting consistently is key to building a loyal following. A content calendar helps you maintain a regular posting schedule and keep your audience engaged.
Data-Driven Decisions: Planning allows you to schedule content based on historical data and analytics. You can see what types of content resonate best with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
8 Steps to Plan Your Content
Step 1: Identify content themes
Before you can start writing captions or scheduling content, you should consider what themes will resonate with your audience and provide value. Here are some ideas to get you started, with specific examples:
Industry trends: Share insights, reports, or infographics related to your industry. (e.g., A fashion brand could discuss the latest sustainable clothing trends)
Helpful tips: Offer practical advice or tutorials related to your product or service. (e.g., A gardening store could share tips on planting vegetables for beginners)
Research and news: Share relevant news articles or research findings that interest your audience. (e.g., A fitness center could share an article on the benefits of HIIT workouts)
Educational content: Create informative posts that educate your audience about a particular topic. (e.g., A financial advisor could explain different types of investment accounts)
Customer stories: Showcase your customers using your product or service and share their positive experiences. (e.g., A restaurant could feature customer reviews or photos of people enjoying their meals)
Step 2: Create campaign and post ideas
Once you’ve identified the themes you want to incorporate into your social media content, it’s time to start brainstorming! I like to start by free-writing content ideas for 15 minutes. Don't worry about quality – just get those creative juices flowing!
If you need some inspiration to get started here are some tried and true methods to spark your content ideas:
Research your competitors: See what kind of content they're creating and what's resonating with their audience.
Review your past posts: Analyze which posts performed well and what topics your audience engaged with the most.
Follow trending topics: Stay up-to-date on current events and popular hashtags that align with your brand.
Use social media analytics: One of my favorite features on The Savvy Peach Social Media Management Platform is the analytics page. Here, you can find in-depth information on what type of content or subject matter resonates best with your audience based on engagement metrics.
Step 3: Determine optimal posting times
Timing is everything! To get the most eyes on your content, find the sweet spot when your audience is most active. Research industry benchmarks for general posting times, but don't stop there. Social media analytics tools, like The Savvy Peach Social Media Management Platform, can show you exactly when your followers are scrolling and engaging. Finally, experiment with different posting times and see what works best for you – track those results to become a social media scheduling pro!
Step 4: Choose your content mix
A healthy content mix keeps your audience engaged and prevents your feed from becoming monotonous. Here's a breakdown of the ideal content mix:
40% Original content: This is content you create yourself, such as blog posts, infographics, or videos. This allows you to showcase your brand voice and expertise.
60% Curated content: This is high-quality content from other sources that aligns with your brand and interests your audience. Sharing curated content saves you time and adds valuable information to your feed.
Step 5: Delegate responsibilities
If you have a team, assign clear roles for planning, writing, and designing content. This ensures everyone understands their responsibilities and keeps the content creation process streamlined.
Content Planner: This person is responsible for developing the content calendar, brainstorming ideas, and researching topics.
Content Writer: This person creates captions, blog posts, or other written content for your social media posts.
Graphic Designer: This person creates visuals such as images, infographics, or videos to accompany your content.
If you outsource social media management:
Clearly communicate your brand voice, target audience, and content goals to your provider.
Maintain open communication channels to ensure they understand your needs and can create content that aligns with your strategy.
Provide them with any necessary resources, such as brand guidelines or access to brand assets.
Step 6: Create Content
Writing captions before finalizing your post design offers several advantages. It gives context to your designer, allowing them to work more efficiently with a clear understanding of the campaign's structure and goals. This method can also spark new ideas, helping to fill any gaps in your campaign. Additionally, it saves time by enabling copyediting and approvals to occur alongside the design process, allowing you to publish content quickly.
If you struggle to write captions, The Savvy Peach Social Media Management Platform offers Caption AI. This AI can write platform-specific social media captions in specific tones based on prompts.
Once your captions are ready, it’s time to add some captivating visuals! Instead of relying solely on stock images, schedule regular sessions to shoot photos and videos of your products or services. This can help your graphic designers create original content that wows your audience.
Step 7: Schedule content in advance
No one has the time to post content manually. Scheduling tools, like The Savvy Peach Social Media Management Platform, let you plan and post your social media content in advance. This keeps your feed fresh and engaging, even when you're busy. Schedule your posts once and breathe easy – The Savvy Peach even offers automation options, so you can set recurring posts and free yourself from the burden of daily scheduling.
Step 8: Measure your performance
Track your results using social media analytics to see what's working and what's not. Here are some key metrics to focus on:
Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves.
Reach: The number of people who saw your content.
Clicks: How many times people clicked on your links.
Website traffic: How much traffic your social media posts are driving to your website.
By analyzing these metrics, you can identify what content resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Start Planning
Social media content planning is your secret weapon for conquering the online world. By following these steps, you'll create a winning strategy that boosts engagement, drives results, and keeps you ahead of the curve.
Learn more about our social media services here. To schedule your free strategy session and learn more, please click here or contact us at steph@thesavvypeach.com.
