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Social media has become a powerful tool for small businesses to connect with their target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. According to a survey by Hubspot, 60% of small businesses reported that social media has helped them increase their website traffic, while the National Small Business Association found that 53% of small business owners reported an increase in sales from utilizing the platforms. But the benefits don’t come from just posting anything at any time. Crafting a strategic social media content calendar that keeps your audience and effective online practices in mind is essential for building a strong virtual presence and reaping the benefits of the internet.
When you have a small business to run, managing your social media accounts can undoubtedly be overwhelming and time-consuming. It may be the last thing you want to focus on, but it’s an important tool for any modern business. A content calendar can help streamline the process by providing a clear plan for what to post and when to post it.
A well-crafted social media content calendar should consider your business goals, target audience, and the different platforms you use. It should also consider the different types of content that perform well on each platform, such as text-based posts, images, and videos. Additionally, it is important to vary the content and include a mix of promotional and non-promotional content. By following a content calendar, you can ensure that your social media accounts are consistently active and engaging, while also staying true to your business objectives.
Creating and sticking to a social media content calendar can be a daunting task, but it is a necessary step in building a strong online presence for your small business. This article will explore the importance of having a social media content calendar and provide practical tips on how to create one that is tailored to your business. We will go over how to effectively use your calendar to create a successful social media strategy that connects with your target audience and elevates your business.
Before you dive into crafting and executing your social media content calendar, it is important to first set your goals and objectives. These goals will serve as a guide in your content creation and help you measure the success of your efforts.
Some common goals for a small business's social media presence could be to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and engage with your audience. To accomplish these goals, you need to set specific, measurable, and attainable objectives. For example, you can aim to reach a specific number of new followers each month, increase website clicks by a certain percentage, or receive a certain number of comments or likes on your posts.
It's important to align your objectives with your overall business goals, as well as your target audience. Knowing who your target audience is and what they are looking for will help you create content that resonates with them and drives results. Additionally, regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals will ensure that your social media strategy is effective and stays on track.
When setting objectives, it's also useful to choose relevant metrics to track and analyze. This could include engagement rates, website traffic, lead generation, or sales. These metrics will give you a clear picture of what's working and what needs to be improved.
Setting goals and objectives is a crucial first step in creating a successful social media strategy for your small business. By defining your objectives and choosing relevant metrics to track, you'll have a roadmap for success and be able to measure the impact of your efforts.
Though often overlooked, conducting audience research is a critical step in creating a strategic social media calendar for your small business. Understanding your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them, drives engagement, and, ultimately, elevates your business.
To start, you need to define your target audience. Who do you want to reach through your social media channels? Consider factors such as demographics, interests, and behaviors to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer. More than half of the world uses social media; it’s impossible to reach everyone. Therefore, it’s important to narrow down the type of audience you will aim to target so your efforts and resources are worthwhile.
Once you have defined your target audience, you can use a variety of methods to gather information about them, such as online research and surveys. Social media platforms themselves can also be a valuable source of information, as they provide insights into the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your followers.
It's important to regularly review and update your understanding of your target audience, as their needs and behaviors can change over time. For example, if you run a clothing store, you may notice that your target audience is becoming more interested in sustainable and eco-friendly products. In this case, you would want to adjust your content strategy to reflect this shift in interest.
Additionally, conducting audience research can help you identify opportunities for growth and reach new audiences. It can also help you determine which platforms are most worth putting your focus on. For example, you may discover that a significant portion of your target audience is active on Instagram, and therefore, you may want to prioritize this platform in your content strategy.
Don’t forget this vital step when planning a strategic social media calendar for your small business. By understanding your target audience and regularly gathering insights, you'll be able to create effective content that connects with your audience and drives engagement.
Now that you’ve determined your goals and target audience, it is time to plan what kind of content to post, where to post, and when to post. The content you share on social media should be aligned with your business goals and resonate with your target audience. To achieve this, there are several key considerations to keep in mind.
First, determine which social media platforms to focus on. While it’s beneficial to have a profile on all of the main platforms, prioritize just one or two. You can cross-post the same content across platforms, but keep in mind that it may need to be tweaked to suit each specific platform. Make sure to keep your voice and aesthetic consistent across all platforms to increase brand recognition.
As mentioned in the previous section, focus on the platform(s) where your target market is most active. For example, if your business targets young adults, focus on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. If you’re targeting older adults, focus on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. If your target market includes gamers, try Twitch and Reddit. If your business appeals to writers, utilize Twitter.
Now that you have an idea of your audience and where to post, determine the type of content to be shared. This could include industry news, promotions, educational content, cultural content, information about your business, and more. Consider what type of content will best engage your target audience and support your business goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness and build credibility, you may want to focus on sharing educational content or industry news to position your business as a thought leader.
While social media is a great place to promote your business, you must be mindful about the amount of promotional content you post; keep in mind that people are on social media for entertainment, not to browse a slew of ads. A great guideline to follow is the 80/20 rule.
The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your content should focus on providing value and building relationships with your audience, while only 20% should be dedicated to promoting your products or services. This means that the majority of your content should focus on educating, entertaining, or otherwise engaging your target audience, rather than simply trying to sell them something. The 20% of promotional content should be carefully chosen and targeted, ensuring that it is relevant and appealing to your audience.
Decide on a content mix that will keep your audience engaged. This can include text, images, videos, live streams, and more, depending on the platform. Varying the type of content you share can keep your audience interested and engaged. For example, you could share an infographic on Monday, a video on Wednesday, and a live stream on Friday. Like many other sources, Hootsuite recommends posting between three to five times per week. Keep in mind the common saying that is especially relevant to social media: quality over quantity.
Finally, plan for seasonal and event-based content. This includes content related to holidays, special events, and seasonal promotions. Planning in advance will help ensure that you have a strong presence on social media during key moments. For example, if you're a retail store, you may want to create content promoting your holiday sales or Black Friday deals.
By determining the type of content to be shared, where to share it, and when to share it, you can ensure that your social media efforts support your business goals and resonate with your target audience.
Now that you’ve determined the type of content to post and where to post it, it’s time to create a calendar so you can stay on track with your content plan. A content calendar allows you to plan and organize your content in advance, ensuring that you have a consistent presence on social media.
The first step when creating a social media content calendar is choosing a scheduling tool that works best for your business, or deciding if you would like to manually post. There are several options available, both free and paid, including Google Calendar, Hootsuite, and Trello. Choose a tool that is user-friendly, allows you to easily schedule content, and provides insights into the performance of your content.
Once you have chosen a tool, you can schedule your content in advance. Start by mapping out your content themes for each week or month, ensuring that your content aligns with your business goals and resonates with your target audience. Don’t forget to use a mix of content types, such as text, images, and video, to keep your audience engaged.
Finally, allocate resources for creating and curating content. Depending on your business, this may mean hiring in-house staff or outsourcing to a marketing agency like KL West Marketing & Co. Having a dedicated team to create and curate content will ensure that your content is high-quality, consistent, and performs well. If you’re taking a DIY-approach, utilize applications like Canva, Adobe Express, and VistaCreate to create your content.
By using relevant tools, scheduling content in advance, and allocating resources for creating and curating content, you can ensure that your content is consistent and effective.
Now that you’ve set your goals, researched your audience, planned your content, and made a strategic calendar, it is finally time to execute your plan. In addition to publishing your content according to the schedule you’ve created, this process also includes tracking performance and making adjustments as needed. Here are a few key steps to help you execute your content calendar successfully for your small business.
Publishing content according to the schedule is the first step in executing your content calendar. This involves sharing your content on the relevant social media platforms at the designated times. It is important to stick to the schedule as closely as possible, as this helps to build a consistent presence on social media and maintain a strong relationship with your audience. You may do this manually or use the previously mentioned tools to post automatically at the scheduled times. The latter is recommended to stay as consistent as possible.
An important but often forgotten step, tracking performance and making adjustments as needed is necessary to maintain and grow your accounts. Depending on the platform, there are various tools and metrics you can utilize to keep track of your account’s performance. Use these tools to monitor the performance of your content and make adjustments as needed. For example, if a particular type of content is not performing well, consider adjusting the frequency or format.
The social media landscape is constantly changing, from new trends to finicky algorithms, so it is important to regularly review and update your calendar. Regularly reviewing and updating your content calendar helps to ensure that it remains relevant and supports your business goals. Consider updating your content calendar monthly or quarterly, depending on your business needs.
Finally, hiring people or marketing agencies to help execute your content calendar can be beneficial, especially if you do not have the time or resources to do it yourself. Hiring experts to help execute your content calendar can ensure that your content is high-quality, relevant, and consistent. While you may think certain content will work, marketing experts have the experience and expertise to plan high-performing content for your business.
Each step is important, but, ultimately, executing your content calendar is the most vital. It may take some trial and error to get consistent traffic and engagement, but it is impossible to know what content works best without pulling the trigger.
By publishing content according to the calendar, tracking its performance, reviewing and updating the calendar regularly, and hiring experts to help, you can ensure that your content is beneficial for your small business and worth your efforts.
Set goals, research your audience, make a plan, choose the right tools, hire help if needed, and execute your plan; viola! You now have a strategic social media calendar and are on track to reaping the benefits of having a thoughtful, consistent online presence.
If you need help crafting or executing your social media content calendar, don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert team at KL West Marketing & Co.
We believe in the power of new ideas, and we’re ready
to share yours with the world.