You may have heard this before: “Content is king.” And that might sound cliché. But if you want your social media campaigns to be successful, it couldn’t be more true. According to Content Marketing Institute, 39% of companies with a documented marketing strategy outperform those with a verbal-only or nonexistent strategy in content marketing.

While many businesses recognize the value of social media, a common source of frustration is not knowing where to begin. Alternatively, many brands that are active find that despite their efforts, they do not achieve the results they expected, resulting in vexation and poor ROI.

Here are three key reasons why developing a strategy is the best way to get started with social media marketing for your business.

I. A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY DEFINES AND MAINTAINS YOUR GOALS.

Setting meaningful—and concrete—goals is essential for the success of your social media efforts. The SMART goal-setting framework is a great place to begin. 

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Relevant

• Time-bound

Putting these in place from the start ensures that your social media activity is focused and valuable at all times.

II. A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY ENSURES THAT YOUR TIME AND EFFORT ARE SPENT WISELY.

A social media strategy keeps you on track to meet your objectives while maximizing your time and effort. Businesses that do not have a well-thought-out plan or strategy risk posting aimlessly and not seeing the desired results.

Our team, Social Sherpa, develops comprehensive strategies for clients, outlining which platforms are best for your company, taking into account your current team's time, resources, and existing knowledge, as well as overall business goals.

III. A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY PROVIDES YOU WITH A DETAILED CONTENT PLAN

Your content plan is an important—but often overlooked—part of your strategy. Many businesses struggle with determining what to post and how frequently to post on social media. A good strategy includes content topics, ideas, and details planned at least several months ahead of time, allowing you to focus on running your business! A content plan not only ensures that every post contributes to your goals but also ensures that you never run out of content ideas.

According to Neil Patel, “If you post too infrequently, your audience will forget that you exist and you will quickly fade into the deep dark recesses of their minds. However, if you are posting too often, you will become a complete nuisance and they will dread seeing your posts overcrowding their feed.”

So, what is the optimal number? It depends on the platform(s) you're using and the nature of your business. This is why strategy development is so important. It provides you with a clear, measurable posting schedule that is tailored to your specific brand.

As part of the comprehensive social media strategies created by our team at Social Sherpa, clients receive an audit, competitor analysis, sample social media posts, and a detailed content calendar, complete with post themes and more!

Want to develop an effective social media strategy? Start with Social Sherpa!

Regardless of the stage your business is in, a solid social media strategy is critical to ensuring your social media marketing yields the best results both short and long term. Our experts will assist you in developing an effective social media strategy that is tailored to your business goals, including increased brand awareness, sales, website traffic, and thought leadership.