What is a social media marketing strategy?
A social media marketing strategy is a game plan for using content to grow your brand and hit your goals. Write it down so you can refer to it when you create, share and track posts. If you work in a team, it keeps everyone aligned.
Posting at random, with no clear purpose or measures of success, gives little result.
Which brands do social media well?
- Nike promotes the athletes who use its products rather than pushing products on Instagram. This has attracted a dedicated fan base.
- Netflix builds community through behind-the-scenes content, interactive posts and active engagement with fans.
- Starbucks invests in a distinctive Instagram aesthetic. It uses colour-themed content that changes with the seasons and mixes single images with reels.
- GoPro focuses on high-quality video and user-generated content that showcases its products.
How do you build a social media marketing strategy?
1. Get to know your audience
Knowing your audience tells you which posts will work and which platforms to use. Note their age, gender, education, income, interests and location. Use this to build buyer personas.
The post suggests B2B companies tend to do best on LinkedIn and Facebook, while e-commerce brands tend to do well on Instagram and TikTok.
2. Set SMART goals
Goals shape your direction and your budget. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Typical goals include:
- Brand awareness
- Website traffic
- Customer engagement
- Lead generation
- Customer loyalty and advocacy
- Educational content
- Product or service promotion
- Thought leadership
3. Research your competitors
Look at how often competitors post, which platforms they use, what content they share, how they sound and how they engage. Use the findings to set benchmarks and goals.
4. Audit your current social media
Review which posts performed well and which did not, across all platforms. Align the audit criteria with your goals. If you want awareness, look at follower counts and impressions.
5. Choose your platforms
Choose platforms based on your audience. LinkedIn suits B2B professionals and decision-makers. Gen Z spends more time on video-heavy platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Unless you have a large team, stick to two or three platforms and focus on them.
6. Develop a content creation plan
Set aside time each month to create the next month's content, so you have a stock to draw on. Use content from followers and customers too. You can offer discounts in exchange for user-generated photos and videos.
7. Create a social media calendar
A content calendar shows the big picture of your plan. Use it to arrange ideas, repurpose content across channels and decide where to post. It also makes collaboration across a team easier.
8. Promote your content
Plan distribution and post when your audience is most active. Three tactics help:
- Encourage sharing. Respond to or repost people who share your content.
- Involve employees. Employee posts on LinkedIn can amplify brand content.
- Use platform features. Hashtags on X and Instagram widen reach. Groups on LinkedIn and Facebook can help.
9. Measure the effectiveness of your content
Review performance every month. Track:
- Awareness: impressions and reach
- Engagement: reactions, comments, clicks and shares
- ROI: conversions and leads from social channels
Why should you revisit the strategy?
Social media keeps changing. New platforms appear and audiences migrate. Document your strategy and check it regularly.
Related reading: what makes good social media. For support, see social media marketing.
Questions we get asked
What is a social media marketing strategy?
It is the planning, creation and execution of content on your chosen platforms. In practice it is a documented game plan for how you will use content to grow your brand and hit your goals, so that everyone on the team can refer to it when posting and tracking performance.
How many social media platforms should a business use?
Unless you have a large social media team, stick to two or three platforms where your target audience is most active and focus on those. Choose them based on who your audience is, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
What are SMART goals for social media?
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Examples include brand awareness, website traffic, customer engagement, lead generation and customer loyalty. Clear goals let you tailor content to hit specific targets and also help set your budget. Write each goal down with a number and a date so progress is easy to check.
Which social media metrics should I track?
Track awareness through impressions and reach, engagement through reactions, comments, clicks and shares, and ROI through conversions and leads from social channels. Review them monthly to see what contributed to success and how well content supported your goals. Match each metric to the goal it supports, such as impressions for awareness or conversions for leads.
