Nothing happens in business without a little bit of planning. Inventory, billing, payroll, filing taxes, and more all require planning. Planning your social media is no different.
Many social media pros use a simple tool called the social media calendar. A social media calendar can be as simple as a spreadsheet or part of a comprehensive social media software suite. What a social media calendar allows you to do is plan—a week, a month, or even a season at a time—ahead, so that you and your business not only will have a steady stream of meaningful marketing content but also content that is relevant to upcoming events.
What is a social media calendar? Do you need one?
Foreshadowing the future for customers
A lot of businesses have busy and slow periods. Other, more cyclical businesses depend on seasons or for cultivating sales. Take retailers for example. Retailers both big and small crater to customers needs throughout the year. At the same time, sales promotion efforts are often based seasonal needs as well as the next upcoming holiday. Each month provides an opportunity.
Moreover, it’s not just Christmas and the winter holidays that have retailers and their suppliers preparing. According to the National Retail Federation holidays like Halloween and the 4th of July are just as much worth planning as St. Patrick’s Day is for your local Irish pub. By using a social media calendar to plan what you want to say to your audience. The obvious question is: What exactly do you post—and when?
Curating a conversation
One thing you might have heard a little bit about in the press is “curating” or the “curation of content.” What does that mean?
The most famous brands post news pictures, articles, blogs, and other content relevant to what they do. Certainly, many megabrands like AT&T, Coke, and Tesla post only original content. But, chances are that a lot of what you click on and “like” on social media is something shared from one source to a newsfeed.
The best part about curating content is that in this day and age everything is sharable. By adding news stories and compelling photos and video to your company’s Facebook timeline you create reasons for your audience keep connected. But posting frequently has two benefits. First, you stay engaegd with your followers. Second, you become an expert in your respective market.
Hiring an expert, inexpensively
Whatever your scale, style, or the size of your customer audience, social media allows you to toot your own horn while talking directly with current and potential customers in a language they understand. The social media calendar, whether managed by a hired gun or by you yourself, is a powerful way to organize your marketing messages in a meaningful manner.
We know that business owners are busy. And, just like you hire an accountant to do bookkeeping or taxes, or use ADP to handle your payroll, rest assured there are professionals like us who can handle your social so that you can focus on what you do best.
Moreocial media marketing is probably much less expensive than you think. Tap our expertise. We’ll develop a valuable, cost-effective plan to make your social media work.
