Social media management
Social media strategy development
A social media strategy is a short, practical document that answers a few questions: what social media should do for the business, who it is for, which platforms are worth the effort, what the business will talk about and how, who will do the work, and how you will know whether it is working. It does not need to be long or full of jargon. A two-page strategy that the team actually uses is worth more than a fifty-page one that sits in a folder.
Below: goals, audiences, platforms, themes and voice, resources, measures and reviewing the strategy.
Illustrative diagram
Strategy
- Goals
- One or two
- Business outcomes
- Audiences
- Who
- What they ask
- Platforms and themes
- Where
- What and how
- Resources and measures
- Who does what
- How we know
Start with business goals
Social media should serve something the business already wants: more enquiries, more bookings, easier customer service, more job applicants, a stronger reputation in a sector. Pick one or two goals, not five, and write them in plain terms. 'Get more followers' is not a business goal; 'get more enquiries from small manufacturers' is. Every later choice in the strategy, from platforms to themes to measures, should follow from these goals.
The parts of a practical strategy
| Part | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Goals | What should social media do for the business? |
| Audiences | Who are we trying to reach, and what do they need? |
| Platforms | Where are those people, and where can we keep up? |
| Themes and voice | What will we talk about, and how will we sound? |
| Resources | Who does what, and how much time does it take? |
| Measures | How will we know it is working? |
Audiences
Describe the people you want to reach in practical terms: who they are, what problems they have, what questions they ask before buying and where they look for answers. Many businesses have one or two main audiences. Talk to customers or front-line staff to find out what people actually ask, rather than guessing. Those questions become a rich source of content.
Choosing platforms
Focus on one or two
Suits you when
- Small team
- Audience concentrated on a platform
Watch out for
- Missing an audience elsewhere
Several platforms
Suits you when
- Distinct audiences on each
- Capacity to adapt content
Watch out for
- Thin, irregular activity everywhere
- Workload
Example: a strategy for a manufacturer
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A small manufacturer posts product photos on three platforms with no clear aim.
- Goal agreed: more enquiries from trade buyers; secondary goal: attract apprentices.
- LinkedIn is chosen for trade buyers and one visual platform for apprentices; the third is paused.
- Themes, a voice guide, a weekly routine and two measures are written on two pages.
What this shows: The team knew what to post, where and why. This example is illustrative.
Themes and voice
Choose four or five recurring themes that serve the goals and audiences, such as practical advice, how the work is done, the people behind it and answers to common questions. Write a short voice guide describing how posts and replies should sound. Together they make planning quicker and keep the accounts recognisable whoever posts.
Resources and routine
Be honest about time. Write down who plans, who creates photos, who posts, who replies to people and who reports, and roughly how many hours a week each takes. If the time is not there, scale the strategy down or decide to bring in help. A modest routine that happens every week beats an ambitious one that stops after a month. Name one owner for the whole strategy.
Measures and review
Choose one or two measures per goal, such as enquiries from social media or applications received, and track them monthly alongside platform analytics. Review the strategy every six months or after a significant change in the business, keeping what works and changing what does not. Record what was changed at each review and why.
Rules and risks
Include a short section on what the business will not do: topics to avoid, how to handle complaints in public, who approves posts about prices, offers or sensitive matters, and what to do if something goes wrong, such as a post that causes offence. Note any rules that apply to your sector's advertising and claims, and who to ask about them. A few lines agreed in advance save a lot of worry when something unexpected happens.
Questions about social media strategy development
What is a social media strategy?
A short plan covering goals, audiences, platforms, themes, resources and measures.
How long should a strategy be?
Short enough to be used, for example around two pages.
Is gaining followers a good goal?
Not on its own; tie goals to business outcomes such as enquiries.
How many platforms should a strategy cover?
As many as your audience needs and your team can sustain.
Who should be involved?
Owners, people who talk to customers and whoever will run the accounts.
How often should the strategy be reviewed?
Every six months or after a significant business change.
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