Why You Need A Social Media Plan

As a business owner, you should be focusing a good chunk of your time on marketing.  For most of us, that means social media. Whether you are a local brick and mortar or have a more global reach, social media marketing is becoming more and more essential to creating a robust, scalable business.

While most entrepreneurs recognize that social media plays an integral role in an effective inbound marketing strategy, for some reason, 63% of businesses don’t have a documented strategy. With so many social networks to manage and publish on, it's important to stay organized and have a plan for when and what you're going to share on these platforms.

Did you know that companies that publish more than 16 posts a month generate 3.5 times more traffic than those which publish less than 4. Yes, social media marketing takes a lot of time and it should! But if you plan it out, well in advance, it can actually save you time and money.

Check out these four reasons how having a social media plan can improve your overall marketing strategy.

Develop a Strategic / Long-Term Plan

A social media marketing plan weaves your marketing efforts together into a practical implementation program. It will keep your marketing on track and moving forward.

By having a plan, you will make it very clear who’s doing what, establish clear deadlines, stay on topic, and have expected results - helping you get the most out of your and your team’s efforts.

Maintain Consistency

Creating a plan will help keep your message clear, concise and on brand. Since you will be planning out your marketing ahead of time, it will allow you to make sure all prospective clients have the chance to take action if they want - bringing your name and images to the forefront of their brains.

Optimizes Your Strategy

Having a plan in place that takes the day-to-day busyness of your business out of the equation will help optimize your posts getting more eyes on your message. You will be able to stay updated on trends, post when your audience is the most active, and use updates in platforms to create a broader reach.

And, as I pointed out above, the more you post, the more traffic and people you will reach with your message. Isn’t that the point of marketing to begin with? To tell people what you are all about?

Build Reputation with Your Clients

With a well thought out plan, you can create a look and feel for your brand that will make prospective clients know what it’s like to do business with you.

Using consistent filters, posting a consistent time, even the language you use can attract clients to your brand over another. It also makes your clients feel like they can invest their money with you because they are in responsible, well equipped hands. 

I know we didn’t start our businesses to be focused on social media all day and night, but having a comprehensive plan on how to tackle it has long lasting benefits that can take your marketing from blah to bonkers-awesome in no time.