There is an immediacy to social media that makes it intoxicating- it is also relentless.
For a business owner trying to sustain a stream of timely, relevant engagement with your audience, your social media pages are always calling. But there is a way to minimize unplanned descents into social media rabbit holes.
Let us introduce you to the magic of a social media calendar.
Maybe you can relate: It’s Friday afternoon and you look up to realize you’ve neglected your business’ social media channels since a Monday morning post. You have to get a post together!
What’s your topic? Which platform should you tailor your post to? Which of your buyer personas will you be addressing? Do you have a landing page and a content offer for people who click through from your social media page to your website?
These thoughts race through your mind as you finalize an impromptu post. Four days later, you do it all over again. Sound familiar?
Over time, this process will erode the quality of your posts and increase social media-induced stress and burnout.
A social media calendar can reduce the turbulence of your business’ social media activity and save you from the rollercoaster ride many business owners fall victim to.
Here are our four essentials of a winning social media calendar.
1) Posting Is Your Last Step
What you write and share is really the final element of a well-planned social media post. Your post should be backed by a sound, logical strategy.
Start with your website’s landing pages. Where will the links on your posts take people looking to learn more about your company or the topic you’re writing on?
Your landing pages should give visitors a way to register with you, collecting contact information that you can use to follow up with.
Landing pages should also add value for your visitors, offering something designed to educate someone interested in your type of service or product.
2) Knowing Your Audience
Your buyer personas should be considered before you create any social media post.
Know the type of potential customer you are addressing so you can best reach out with a relevant post. Odds are your business has a few different types of buyers. Knowing each well and tailoring your post to them- as well as the social media platform they prefer- is essential to boosting engagement and click-through rates.
3) Choosing Stellar Topics
Often, determining a specific topic for a post is the most challenging part of day-to-day social media management. If you refer to your landing page and the type of content you are offering there, then consider which type of customer you are trying to reach, your topic should become apparent.
If it’s a topic you have blogged about in the past, your blog can be the centerpiece of your post.
4) Put It In The Bank
Your social media strategy will really bloom when you produce several valuable content offers and landing pages; tap into all of your different buyer personas to produce a bank of relevant topics and have blogs on the topics.
Start with enough topics and related blogs for a month’s worth of social media posting. Schedule out your posts on a simple spreadsheet, and don’t forget to consider which time of day and platforms would be best to focus on.
Your work ahead of time will pay off with a stress-free, active and engaging social media presence that produces leads for your business.
Thanks for stopping by,
Laura
Editor’s note: This blog was originally published in 2017 and has been edited and updated in January 2022.