How to Create a Social Media Strategy That Works

Successfully managing your social media presence requires more than just posting content whenever you have a spare moment. An effective social media strategy enables you to focus on clear objectives, measure your progress, and consistently refine your approach. Regardless of your industry or the size of your organisation, a well-structured plan ensures that your social media efforts align with your overall business goals.

Below, we’ll cover:

• ‍Defining Your Goals and Objectives
• Researching Your Target Audience
•  Choosing the Right Platforms 
• Developing Your Content Plan 
• Establishing a Posting Schedule 
• Measuring and Analysing Results 
• Adjusting and Optimising Over Time

Defining Your Goals and Objectives

Your strategy should begin by identifying the objectives you hope to achieve through social media. Not every brand needs to chase the same results - one business may focus on raising brand awareness, while another might prioritise generating sales or leads. To create a solid foundation, think about what social media success looks like for you.

• SMART Goals: Aim for targets that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, a SMART goal might be to “Increase our Instagram follower count by 25% over the next three months.”
• Alignment With Business Goals: Ensure each social media objective supports an overarching business goal. If your aim is to boost website traffic, for example, set a relevant social media target such as increasing click-through rates from Twitter or Facebook.
• Resource Considerations: Your goals should reflect the resources - time, budget, and talent - you can realistically devote. Large-scale advertising campaigns or daily video production may exceed the capacity of a one-person operation.

Researching Your Target Audience

Knowing who you want to reach on social media is vital. Without clear audience insights, your content might miss the mark and fail to engage the people who matter to your brand.

• Demographics: Age: location, interests, and purchasing power can all impact how your audience uses social media. If you’re targeting young adults, platforms like TikTok or Instagram might be more fruitful than LinkedIn.
• Pain Points: What challenges or questions do your potential customers face? Crafting content that directly addresses these pain points can draw the right people to your profiles and encourage them to stay engaged.
• Competitor Analysis: Look at your competitors’ social media activity. Which platforms do they use effectively? How frequently do they post, and what type of content sees the most interaction? Analyzing competitor performance can reveal opportunities to differentiate yourself or learn from their successes.
• Social Listening: Pay attention to the conversations happening in your industry. Tools like Google Alerts or platform-specific features can help you track trending topics and audience sentiment, shaping your content in a way that resonates.

Choosing the Right Platforms

Rather than spreading yourself thin across every available network, concentrate your efforts on the platforms that make sense for your business and audience. Doing so will help you invest your time and resources more effectively.

• Platform Strengths: Each platform has unique strengths. Instagram excels at visual storytelling, LinkedIn is ideal for B2B networking, and Facebook provides numerous options for community building, such as Groups and Events.
• Audience Alignment: If you cater to a niche demographic, you might find a smaller but more engaged audience on specific platforms. For instance, Pinterest can be a goldmine for lifestyle and DIY brands, whereas TikTok might better suit a youthful, entertainment-driven demographic.
• Manageability: Only commit to as many platforms as you can realistically manage. A dormant or poorly maintained profile can make a negative impression. It’s better to focus on one or two platforms and excel than to struggle to keep up with several.

Developing Your Content Plan

Content is the lifeblood of your social media strategy, determining how you present your brand and engage your audience. The more thoughtful your content plan, the easier it will be to maintain consistency and deliver genuine value to your followers.

• Content Types: Decide which formats you’ll use - images, videos, blog posts, live streams, infographics, or polls. Consider experimenting with multiple types to see what your audience prefers.
• Brand Voice and Style: Maintain a cohesive brand identity across all platforms. Whether your tone is friendly, professional, witty, or inspirational, consistency fosters trust and recognisability.
• Content Calendar: Develop a schedule outlining what you’ll post and when. This could be as simple as a spreadsheet or as sophisticated as a project management tool, such as Trello or ClickUp, or a social media management tool such as halio. Aim to plan at least a couple of weeks in advance, although you can remain flexible for timely news or trending topics.
• Evergreen vs. Timely Content: Evergreen content stays relevant over time, while timely content capitalises on current events or trends. A balanced mix ensures steady engagement, with bursts of extra attention when a trending topic aligns with your niche.

For more insights on understanding the basics before forming a strategy, have a look at our article “The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Beginners”.

Establishing a Posting Schedule

Posting consistency is key to retaining your audience’s interest and keeping your brand visible. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for every business or platform.

• Frequency: Start with a manageable pace. It might be four times per week on Instagram, once a day on Twitter, or twice a week on LinkedIn. Observe your analytics to determine whether you should increase or decrease your posting frequency.
• Timing: Different platforms have varying peak activity periods, and these can shift over time. Experiment to see what times yield the best engagement. Some studies suggest mid-morning or early evening, but results can vary based on audience location and habits.
• Automation Tools: Scheduling tools, such as halio can help you post consistently without having to be online at all hours. However, ensure you’re still actively monitoring comments and messages, as engagement should never feel automated.

Measuring and Analysing Results

Data-driven insights enable you to track the effectiveness of your strategy and pinpoint areas for improvement. All major social platforms offer analytics, and additional tools can provide deeper insights.

• Engagement Metrics: Likes, comments, shares, and saves (where applicable) indicate how well your content resonates. Track changes over time and analyse which types of posts generate the most interaction.
• Follower Growth: While growing your audience is a positive sign, focus on attracting the right followers - people who are genuinely interested in your offering and likely to convert into customers or advocates.
• Conversion Tracking: If driving traffic to your website is a major goal, use link tracking or Google Analytics to see how many visitors arrive via social media. From there, you can track sign-ups, purchases, or other conversions.
• Sentiment Analysis: Beyond quantitative metrics, pay attention to the nature of comments and mentions. Are your followers leaving positive, neutral, or negative feedback? This qualitative data reveals how your brand is perceived, guiding how you refine messaging and content.

Adjusting and Optimising Over Time

An effective social media strategy is never truly complete. The social landscape evolves quickly, and so do consumer behaviours. Regularly review your analytics, test new ideas, and be willing to adjust your approach based on what you learn.

• A/B Testing: Experiment with different headlines, image styles, or posting times. Track the results, then prioritise methods that yield the best engagement or conversions.
• Stay Informed: Follow industry blogs, credible news sites, and thought leaders to keep up with emerging platforms, trending content types, and social media marketing best practices.
• Community Feedback: Ask your followers for suggestions or topics they’d like to see covered. Polls, Q&A sessions, and direct questions in captions can provide inspiration for future content.
• Consistency and Patience: Social media success rarely happens overnight. Stay consistent, review your metrics regularly, and make incremental improvements. Over time, these small adjustments can lead to significant results.