What is a social media strategy?

A social media strategy for business is an intentional plan to help establish social media goals and support the company’s overall goals, such as increasing brand awareness. It details how to achieve and monitor progress.

Benefits of using social media for your business

Creating a social media strategy for your business can offer many benefits, such as:

Reach a wider audience

Social media can help you expand your audience to new demographics.

By understanding which age group gravitates toward one social media platform, you can target your social media presence.

Create a less-expensive alternative to traditional marketing

Social media platforms can provide a more cost-effective approach to marketing. For example, if your company doesn’t have the budget for traditional advertising, you can post about your product and services on social media. Consider using hashtags to increase engagement and links to drive website traffic.

Build customer relationships

Social media lets you engage with new, existing and potential customers in a casual setting. You can chat with users and gather feedback to improve your products, services and marketing strategies.

Some companies use social media for customer service. Responding quickly via social media can help build positive relationships with customers.

You can also encourage followers to engage with your brand and share their experiences. For example, if a customer purchases a blouse from your online boutique and tags you in a picture on social media, you can engage by commenting and liking their post.

Additionally, you might ask for their permission to post the picture on your profile. This can promote customer loyalty and encourage others to purchase and post pictures wearing your products.

Offer special promotions on social media

You might offer special promotions through your social media platforms, such as:

• Announcing a flash sale via synchronized posts across your social media platforms
• Holding a contest to win a gift card or free product
• Hosting a Facebook or Instagram live event to talk about your product or service
• Revealing new products first on social media

Communicate company news

Consider using social media platforms to share information about your company with followers and news outlets. You might post about a new staff member, an employee award or career milestone, product and service launches or job vacancies.

You can use social media to expand your candidate search for an open position. Announce the open position on various social media platforms and link to application details in the description. You can also use social media to promote the benefits of working at your company and get job seekers to apply.

10 steps to create a social media strategy for your business

The following steps can help you develop a social media strategy for small businesses.

1. Outline your goals

Create short- and long-term goals as a foundation for measuring success to guide your social media strategy.

When creating these goals, look at your current social media presence and practices to determine what to improve. Also, consider your company’s overall objectives to help create social media goals that support them.

To create achievable goals, you might use SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals.

For example, your SMART goal might involve setting up a Facebook account to engage with the 65+ audience and tracking a 10% increase in website sales within three months.

2. Develop your budget

Decide how much to invest in social media marketing. Social media platforms typically offer free business accounts that include simple analytics. However, you can pay for social media advertisements to quickly reach your target audience. Determine whether you want to invest in paid features.

3. Establish your target audience

Learn about your audience to customize your social media approach. Attributes to consider may include:

• Age
• Gender
• Income and occupation
• Location
• Interests

Establishing a target audience can help you identify the types of content to promote and the social media platforms to use. For example, say you own a restaurant near a hospital. You might use social media to promote a free drink night for healthcare workers.

You can also use your audience’s information to run ads. With a clear idea of who you’re targeting, you can set your ads to appear for people within that demographic.

4. Review competitor profiles

Look at your competitors’ social media presence. For example, if you own a hair salon, search for local hair salons on Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter) for an idea of what works well in your niche.

You can use their social media profiles for inspiration. Your company should stand out by creating unique content that reflects your values and goals.

5. Choose your platforms

Determine which platforms to use based on your target audience and the content you want to create. For example, for trendy videos that appeal to younger consumers, TikTok might work. For text-based content, consider X.

Consider mastering one or two platforms before expanding to others. Some popular platforms include:

• Instagram
• X
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• TikTok

6. Make your profiles consistent

By promoting uniformity across social media platforms, you help establish brand identity. Consider using the same username and profile picture for each account so customers can easily find them.

7. Get organized with a social media calendar

A social media calendar may establish organization within your strategy. Software companies offer various programs designed specifically for social media planning. You can also use the calendar feature on your computer or create a handwritten calendar. Set reminders for specific posts that align with a new product launch or holiday.

8. Create guidelines for engaging with customers

Create a social media policy to help your staff engage with customers in a helpful and professional manner. For example, you might acknowledge every commenter by name when responding to an inquiry.

When creating your guidelines, consider how you can incorporate your company’s values into your social media behavior.

These guidelines can also assist with drafting consistent, professional responses and maintaining a positive impression of your company.

9. Complete a social media audit

You can conduct a social media audit to determine what your social media strategy has accomplished and which areas need adjusting. Typically, you enter the number of followers, likes, usernames, comments and other metrics to determine the success of your social media strategy.

10. Let your social media strategy evolve

Your social media strategy may need adjustments over time to match customer needs or follow new trends. Using analytics and staying current on best practices can help you decide when to change your approach.

Tips on how to establish metrics and track performance

After establishing a social media strategy, you can monitor the progress by implementing metrics and tracking methods. Here are some tips to create your metric criteria:

• Base metrics on overall social media goals. Review your short- and long-term goals to determine key social media metrics for business tracking. For example, if one of your long-term goals is to increase traffic to your website by 15%, you could track how many users clicked the links on your Facebook posts.
• Start with a few metrics before expanding. You can establish a sound tracking system by starting with several key metrics. Develop a method for closely monitoring each.
• Make use of platform-specific analytical tools. Many social media platforms have built-in analytical tools to measure and track social media metrics for business use. You might have to pay a fee or register for a business status.
• Invest in a social media analytical tool. A variety of social media analytics tools can help you pull data and measure performance across multiple platforms.

What are examples of social media metrics?

Here are some examples of standard metrics businesses can use to measure their social media strategies:

• Impressions
• Engagements
• Likes
• Comments
• Shares or retweets
• Views
• Followers
• Account mentions
• Link clicks
• Bounce rate

Roles to fill as your business grows

A variety of roles within social media marketing, digital marketing and content creation can contribute to a successful social media strategy, including:

Brand ambassador

A brand ambassador works closely with a business or on the internal level to promote products or services, usually via social media. They might work with social media specialists and content creators to establish an acceptable picture and caption, vlog or post.

Content strategist

Content strategists learn about your brand identity, values and products or services. They typically work with social media professionals and content writers to develop compelling content.

Depending on your company’s size, they might also manage your social media profiles and oversee other content creators.

Content writer

If you need a large amount of high-quality content, consider hiring a content writer. These professionals write articles, blog posts, social media captions, X posts and press releases based on your established guidelines.

Digital marketing manager

A digital marketing manager oversees digital marketing campaigns. They decide on specific strategies that help achieve your goals. They often delegate tasks, such as content creation and graphic design.

Graphic designer

A graphic designer may offer extensive knowledge in computer software like Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver. They follow brand guidelines and company color schemes to create visually appealing images for social media.

Social media analyst

Social media analysts track and record the success of social media campaigns. They use social media analytical tools to monitor engagement and provide guidance on what works well.

Social media editor

Social media editors modify written content such as blog posts, tweets and captions. They check for tone, clarity, punctuation and grammar mistakes to ensure the final product represents your brand.

Social media manager

A social media manager oversees a team of social media professionals. However, in a small business setting, social media managers can act as the sole coordinator for all your social media. When interviewing social media managers, ask if they have experience creating a posting schedule, replying to customer comments and developing compelling social media campaigns.

Social media specialist

A social media specialist can run one or multiple social media platforms for your company. They perform in several areas, including post creation, post planning, social media analytics, graphic design and customer engagement. They usually work on campaigns under the guidance of a social media manager.

Frequently asked questions about social media strategy for business

Do all businesses need a social media strategy?

If you use social media for your business, having a plan in place can be beneficial. It helps you use your time effectively and maximize results. Creating a strategy can also help support a holistic approach.

Do you need social media to be successful?

While many businesses are successful without social media, it can help you grow faster, reach more people and build relationships. Some businesses prefer traditional promotional methods. Evaluate what works for your company and whether the benefits of social media are worth your business efforts.