Social Media Marketing Plan Guide in 2023

30% of millennial buyers report that they interact with brands on social media at least once per month. Moreover, 25% of those people are considering a purchase from those companies. Competing with industry leaders without social networks is impossible. So, how to develop a solid strategy? Start with concise goals that are within their abilities. These are the top tips for creating a winning social media marketing plan.

12-Step Social Media Marketing Plan Sample

This SMM plan sample covers the basics, and it is a terrific place to start. Remember to use SMART goals in the strategy. This stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. The sample below is a jumping off point for brands in all industries. Tailoring each step to the business’ specific requirements is important.

1. Set 2023 Goals for Social Media

A new year is a perfect chance to create something different. These goals fit well into a social media marketing business plan. They address common problems and successes related to loyalty, reputation, and sales.

Study the Competition. Rivals pay attention to each other posts because it teaches them a lot. For example, what their social target likes or responds well to on Twitter.

Strong Voice. The voice and personality of the company should be honest, unique, and exciting. It should let customers know what to expect. People should consider the company a friend.

Build Fan Loyalty. No one likes promos and copycats. Products should be popular because they’re attractive, helpful, and high quality. Great products solve a common problem.

Sell More In Person. There is a fine balance between online and in-store sales. Employees should pay attention to fans on social media and in retail locations.

Improve Audience Targeting. This means monitoring what hashtags and buzzwords fans’ posts. Looking at praises and complaints helps too. The more data on interaction and engagement, the better.

Make a Better Profit. This requires research and constant tracking of media accounts. Everyone has to have a budget, so the process stays affordable.

2. Know the Social Presence Right Now

Brands must know if their social profiles are popular or not. It’s important to look at each platform or post and identify any issues. Engagement may vary from one network to the next, and that’s normal.

Different Marketing Strategies Work on Different Platforms, so Pay Attention:

• Identify Where the Business is on Social Media. For example, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube.
• Measure Success on Each Platform. Maybe the company is popular on Instagram, but not on Twitter.
• Check Out Competitor Profiles. A rival could be doing something different with more success.
• Keep Things Updated and Optimized. This means proper account manager, current photos, bio, and so on.

3. Learn Everything About the Target Audience

The key word here is research. 79% of adults online use a Facebook account. If companies don’t know this, they can’t reach them. Brands must know what their target likes, wants, and needs in their life. Details include their education, gender, and income level. This info helps when creating a social media marketing strategy. A group may have different ideas for each network so they can reach the most people. Here are some tips for the most popular social media networks.

4. Picture the Ideal Client

Employees should have a clear idea of who their primary customer is. Teams want to know as much as possible about their client. It provides more about their lifestyle and what would improve their life. Plus, they know exactly how to reach them online through marketing and posts. The more specific the details, the better.

Some Strategy Questions to Help Make Steps Towards a Plan:

1. How old are they?
2. What is their gender?
3. Where do they live?
4. What’s their job and salary?
5. What is their favorite social media site?
6. What problems do they face?
7. What products or services do they want or need?

5. Decide Which Data to Focus on

It’s hard to measure everything, so a better is to focus on a few details. The team has to decide which metrics are essential. It’s easy to look at followers and think everything is great. Yet teams should step behind the scenes for more details.

This Is a List of Strategy Ideas That Might Help:

Clicks. Instead of looking at followers, pay attention to clicks. This number shows how many times people click on the logo or name. It also tracks how often people click on social media announcements. Teams can see which campaigns generated more clicking, too. The good thing is to see where fans are clicking to get to the company website.

Engagement. Teams can do some math to figure out their engagement. Take a simple ratio of total interactions to total impressions. This shows how many responses there are compared to the images and videos going out.

Hashtags. These days, hashtags can’t be ignored. It’s good to pay attention to which ones get the most clicks and reposts. Sneak a peek at which hashtags competitors use for even more insight. Hashtags are a great way to promote ideas and make sales.

Organic Likes. These are likes that don’t come from ads or paid services. How many people are coming to the social media page out of genuine interest? Tracking this number is crucial because it gives a sense of the company’s reputation.

Paid Likes. On the other hand, paid likes come from advertisements and things like bots. Specific sites are better for paid likes, while others do better with organic ones. The number of paid likes reflects the success of a social marketing plan.

Reach. Some folks find things on their own, or a friend posts them. Reach can indicate how many different clients see the content. It can vary depending on the platform, so look carefully.

Reactions. By taking a look at comments, reactions, and direct messages, companies can learn a lot. Businesses can see if fans enjoy their messages or take offense to them. This affects the company’s reputation, so listening to what fans say is crucial.

6. Do Rival Research

Professionals know who their competitors are so they can learn and grow. These other media profiles might not know everything, but others can learn from their posts. Marketing companies can learn a lot from their rivals’ missteps and save the embarrassment. Others can set an example for future decisions. Plus, it helps newer players see what’s missing in the industry. Perhaps there is a hole that a new player can fill.

7. Choose Measures of Success

There has to be a strategy that the brand uses to measure progress. Success metrics help to see what’s going well and not so well. Not all groups will have the same amount or type of metrics. The measures of success might be different for each media platform as well. The team must decide how often to check these marketing measures, too.

Here Are Some Examples:

• Mentions
• Click Rates
• Conversion Rates
• Follower Growth
• Number of Shares
• Reach
• Reputation
• Time Spent on Website

8. Content Creation and Organization

Before anyone posts stuff online, they must know who their target is. This is why picturing the ideal customer is essential. Know what that person wants and needs, as well as how to reach them. Their social media marketing plan is in place and ready to go. Now the exciting part is making and organizing content.

Here Are Some Common Types of Content to Consider:

• Blogs. Share links to blogs on any site and people will click them. Blogs are a great way to share exciting news or collaborate with others in the niche. A guest interview or written piece adds variety.
• Contests. Everyone loves a good giveaway. It can bring more people to a profile and encourage sharing. Giveaways work well with sponsorships and collaborations as well. This is a fun time to get the word out about a company name.
• Infographics. This is a wonderful way to share information in an attractive way. Quick stats tell visitors more about the brand and their mission.
• Images. A must-have for any profile, it’s worth a thousand words. Successful profiles curate images of related subjects or in similar colors.
• News. Keeping customers in the loop lets them know the company values them. Businesses should post news at different times to build a good reputation. It portrays them as informed and productive.
• Polls. Some participation is a good idea. It reveals what fans want and their feelings about the product.
• Videos. These can be from behind the scenes, interviews, or promos. The “stories” feature on some sites is often overlooked. It’s a ripe area for promoting something new.

9. Develop a Relationship With the Audience

People hate to be ignored. Part of being a company is giving good customer service and support. This means answering questions, responding to comments, and reaching out. A positive social media strategy involves a conversation with others. Talk to them, offer suggestions, ask questions. Another plan is to invite discussion around a topic or question. This often leads to sharing things with others.

Another way to build a relationship is by sharing anecdotes. Everyone loves a good story, and it makes a brand feel more like a friend. Friends look out for each other, and a business should take care of its clients. Customer service and support need to be a priority. It doesn’t matter if the team is big or small. A sign of poor relationship is an image or video with no comments or reactions. Or, questions sent to the company with no reply in return.

10. Post at the Right Moment

Timing is essential and can make or break a media strategy. Everyone wants their images and videos to be the first thing users see. The bad news is each network is different. The good news is once a schedule is set, the hard work is over. A helpful hint is there are tools that can publish automatically. Here is a list of popular networks and when to share on them.

11. Optimize Data and Metrics

46% of teams don’t know if their campaigns are working. Data doesn’t lie, and it will tell the team where to go next. Every social media strategy changes now and then, and there is a lot of trial and error. Consider resources such as an analytics manager to automate tasks. Remember, the more that is published, the more accurate the measurements. 80% of marketers measure engagement.

Which Includes Things Like:

• Audience Growth Rate. It’s wise to measure this before and after making big changes to a social media marketing plan. Of course, this number should always go up. If it doesn’t, some more changes need to be made.
• Comments per Post. The more comments on a company’s profile, the more of an audience they have. It shows brand loyalty and engagement, two very good things.
• New Follower Rate. This provides a bigger picture for growth rate. How many visitors are new and how many are returning? Did an influx of new people appear after a certain campaign?
• Number of Clicks. This reflects engagement in addition to how well the tactics are working. Clicks can also lead to an online store or the company website or Facebook page.
• Shares. These include repins, retweets, and just plain sharing. People send things to their friends if it is something that provides value. Knowing the distribution of content sheds light on the prime stars on a profile.

12. Automate Like a Champ

Experts know that automation is critical. It keeps everyone updated and helps to inform the next decision. All of the automated tasks should focus on the target. Trying and failing is part of the process, but giving up is not. It’s about testing something out, getting the stats, then trying again. Automation makes this process go much smoother. It makes it easy to share something every day, see all comments, and track engagement. That way, they stay in constant communication.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do You Plan Content on Social Media?

It starts with understanding some key details. Groups must know who their target is and which networks they use. Then, it’s easier to post their content online. Objectives should be clear, attainable, and measured often. Here are some of the first things to consider when dealing with online publishing.

Audience Channels. Depending on the target demographic, there may be a few platforms they use frequently. Teams need to determine which sites to focus on so to create the most engaging content.

Best Times to Post. Each network has prime slots for putting content online. It’s important to know these, so all brands publish at the right moment. It should be one of the first things the target sees. Ways to Engage. Some sites do well with video, while others prefer images. Learn where the target customers are, then it’s easy to choose how to interact with them.

What Are the 4 P’s of Social Marketing?

1. Place. This is where customers interact with the product. Maybe they receive it online or in a store. It could also be delivered to their front door.
2. Price. This refers to what clients need to pay to receive the product or service. It is usually monetary, but can also be time or effort. Most importantly, the benefit of the product or service must outweigh the price.
3. Product. The crown jewel of the company. It’s a service or item of value to provide to clients. For example, a delivery service, a nutrition chart, a workout video, or a food item.
4. Promotion. This includes all the ads, outreach, and customer support. These elements work together to sell the product to the target customers.

How Can Social Media Help my Business?

It can reach more crowds via social media than any other method. All age groups, income brackets, and education levels are online. Millions of individuals all around the world use various channels to interact and search. Plus, selling online is often cheaper than using a traditional store. Clients can shop when and where they want, and there is no need to travel. Consumers can also have a deeper relationship with the company through direct messages, comments, and likes. These networks let them share images, videos, news, and more. It’s a way to invite others into an immersive and interactive experience.

Which Social Media is Best for Marketing?

The answer depends on the target demographic, but there is an option for everyone. Each channel has its benefits, such as paid advertising and quick results. Some common efforts include video ads, sharing live feeds, and microblogging. In addition, there are automation tools that can help add content to these channels. Below are some of the most popular and successful networks. Each one has different ways to advertise and promote. Sometimes a mixture of two or more sites will get the desired result.

The Final Word

This social media marketing plan should inspire action in all businesses. Yes, there is a lot of information, but everyone has to start somewhere. Without solid goals, a company can’t create online or move forward. Fortunately, anyone can follow these social media marketing plan templates to get started.

It’s a way for teams to get to know themselves and their offerings. Then they can determine who their fans are and how to reach them. By following the steps, companies can help build a relationship with fans online, share more, and learn a ton. Do you already have a social promotion strategy for your team? Or, are you looking to revamp your tactics? Let us know your goals and plan in the comments below.

Megan Green

Megan is a writer who works at the junctures of science and stories. Previously, she has been the editor of a fashion magazine, an educator, mom, and a baker. She is keen on working with brands and lifestyle products, and outdoor tasks. Megan is outgoing, optimistic and has a great personality. She delivers top-notch content with a unique view on usual things.