For most marketing teams, social media is pivotal in their core initiatives. However, managing multiple social media platforms can lead to impromptu rather than strategic planning. It's essential to remain organized and plan to maximize the impact of your social media presence.
This is where a social media calendar comes in handy. This tool allows you to schedule posts for Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, plan content themes and messaging, and devise long-term strategies. By utilizing a social media calendar instead of scrambling daily to figure out what to post on each platform, you can tailor your posts to coincide with product launches or feature releases while customizing content that appeals to each audience.
Establishing metrics for success allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns and stay connected with your customers while expanding your reach through each platform.
Create your own Social Media Calendar
Creating your own Social Media Calendar is a simple process that can be easily accomplished. FigJam's whiteboard tool provides an ideal platform for designing and sharing calendars. To get started, choose the Social Media Calendar Template and follow these steps:
Step 1: Conduct a content audit to evaluate current assets, including web and social media content. This will provide a comprehensive overview of how you're currently using content on social media platforms, enabling you to develop a strategy that maximizes ROI.
Step 2: Determine which social channels are best suited for your brand. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram cater to different audiences. Some businesses may benefit from having a presence on all four platforms, while others may find their audience primarily on LinkedIn or other emerging platforms such as TikTok or Snapchat. Take time to analyze your target audience's preferences and behaviour patterns before deciding which channels to focus on for optimal engagement rates.
Step 3: Determine how you will utilize the social media calendar. Once you've established which platforms to post on, it's time to set objectives for the calendar. Some teams prefer comprehensive use of the calendar, including scheduling posts, saving social copy drafts, and storing links to photos, videos, infographics and GIFs while tracking metrics. Others opt for a more streamlined approach to maintain agility. Consult with your team to determine what works best for your organization.
Remember that your goals focus on streamlining workflows and increasing efficiency without creating additional workloads. Consider how the calendar can best serve those needs.
Step 4: Identify stakeholders. Decide who is responsible for managing specific social accounts and ensure they have access to necessary information such as passwords, login details, images and style guides required for success. Use the calendar as an organizational tool to ensure everyone is aligned and has access to vital information needed for social media management tasks.
Step 5: Begin writing your posts! It's time for the exciting part. Begin experimenting with social copy and adhere to your company's voice, brand or style guide if applicable. Including graphics such as photos in your posts is crucial to keeping audiences engaged and encouraging them to read your content.
Step 6: Collect feedback from team members by sharing your posts. Is the copy concise and memorable, resonating with target audiences? Does it align with established goals? Is it driving engagement back to content on your website?
Step 7: Schedule social media posts in alignment with significant company initiatives such as product launches, feature updates, content releases and other relevant events. Depending on objectives, scheduling social media posts around major holidays can also be beneficial in staying connected with audiences and expanding online presence. Discover our legend of pre-made sticky notes for guidance.
