Social media scheduling may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. The right social media calendar will help ensure you don’t lose track of what you are posting, while still providing enough flexibility that you can post regularly and stay top of mind with your followers. As you will learn in this guide on how to create a stellar social media calendar, there are many different ways to create the perfect solution for your business and its goals.
Step 1: Define your target audience
The first step is deciding who your target audience is. You want your social media calendar to appeal to your target demographic, which is typically people between 18 and 35 years old. However, you also want people outside of that age range (and beyond) to be able to relate, engage with and spread awareness about your Reelcraze content; so try not only to target teens in an effort for them to promote you amongst their peers.
The key here is finding a middle ground of understanding between both generations. If your brand caters to older adults, then it’s important to understand what appeals to younger adults as well. For example, if you’re marketing beauty products for older women, then it would make sense to post photos on Instagram that show how easy it is to use these products in order for younger girls (who might be too young or inexperienced with makeup) can learn from their elders.
Step 2: Choose your top 3 social media platforms
Pick your top 3 social media platforms and focus on those for now. For example, if you’re creating Reel Craze content for TV shows and movies, then Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are probably your best bets. However, if you’re selling products or services related to fashion or travel then your best choice would be Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter again. Focus on these three platforms in order to start building up your audience. Once you have some traction there it’s time to expand into other channels.
Step 3: Connect with bloggers and influencers in your niche
Develop relationships with bloggers and influencers by reading their blogs, providing value in comments, and offering up your expertise when appropriate. Many of these individuals are constantly looking for new content ideas from talented freelance writers. By showing them that you’re an expert in your field, you’ll get their attention and hopefully convince them to work with you! Here are some tips on how to connect with bloggers:
Include links back to their site whenever possible. This helps build traffic for them and gives you added exposure as well. It also helps if you can provide interesting commentary on what they’ve written about—this way, they know you actually read what they write!
Step 4: Schedule content on each platform, with different times and frequencies
Planning your social media calendar doesn’t just mean plotting out your tweets, pins, and posts on Twitter. It also means figuring out what you’re going to put up at each stage of your campaign — and then making sure that you’re hitting all those marks. What, exactly, are you going to tweet on Day 1? And how will that compare with Day 7?
Step 5: Encourage followers to engage
The days of one-way communication are over. Today’s consumer expects brands to be open, transparent, and share their stories. Encourage followers to participate by soliciting their questions and insights on your industry (see example below). This will allow you to connect with your audience at a deeper level while also allowing you to learn more about your readers. It will also make them feel as if they have an ownership stake in your brand. According to recent research from Sprout Social, 85% of consumers say they would switch brands if their friends recommended another product or service. Get your fans talking and sharing on social media channels and watch how quickly your following grows!
Step 6. A/B test content scheduling. Tweak as needed
A good way to test different social media schedules is to A/B test content. In other words, try using different scheduling tools on both accounts and measure engagement and growth results. You should also know that you shouldn’t be scheduling content for every account you have all of them at once, but instead, tailor your schedule based on each individual account’s needs. For example, if your objective is awareness and top-of-funnel conversions, then you should schedule according to that goal.
