5 steps to build your social media strategy from scratch

If you want to level up your game and build a social media strategy that works for you (not against you), you have come to the right place! In this episode, I'm going to give you the steps on how to get started, even if you're starting from scratch. So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's dive in!

Step 1: Define Your Goals

The first step in building your social media strategy is to clearly and comprehensively define your goals. This will help you understand what you want to achieve with your social media presence.

Do you want to establish brand awareness, expand your reach, enhance customer engagement, generate leads, or drive sales? These goals will help you prioritize your efforts and allocate your resources accordingly.

Once you have defined your goals, you can start to develop a plan that aligns with your business objectives and audience preferences. This plan should include a detailed description of your target audience, the content you want to create and share, the channels you want to use, the frequency and timing of your posts, and the metrics you will use to measure your success.

By taking the time to develop a comprehensive and well-articulated social media strategy, you can ensure that your efforts are focused, effective, and impactful.

It's also important to remember that your goals may shift as you begin implementing your social media strategy. You may find that certain types of content perform better than others, or that your target audience is different than you initially thought. This is okay! It's important to adapt your strategy and reevaluate your goals on a regular basis.

I recommend setting aside time every month or quarter to review your social media analytics and track your progress. Use this information to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about your strategy and goals.

For example, if you find that your engagement rates are lower than you'd like, you might consider adjusting the frequency or timing of your posts, or experimenting with new types of content. On the other hand, if you're seeing a lot of success in a particular area, you might want to allocate more resources to that channel or type of content.

You have to stay on top of your social media game, fam! By keeping an eye on your analytics and making changes as needed, you can make sure your social media presence is always in line with your business goals and what your audience wants. Social media is always changing, so you have to be flexible, creative, and willing to try new things.

Step 2: Know Your Audience

In today's rapidly changing digital landscape, just creating content and crossing your fingers won't cut it. To really succeed on social media, you have to know your audience inside and out. That means understanding who they are, what they're into, and how they move online. It's all about building a connection with your community and giving them the content they want. So don't be afraid to dive deep, do your research, and get to know your audience on a personal level. Trust me, it'll be worth it in the long run!

First, research your audience thoroughly. You can start by identifying their demographics, such as age, gender, and location. Once you have a clear picture of who they are, take the time to understand their interests, needs, and pain points. What are they passionate about? What kind of content do they engage with the most? What challenges do they face in their lives that your product or service can help with?

By answering these questions, you can create a detailed profile of your ideal customer, which will serve as a valuable resource for your social media strategy. Armed with this knowledge, you can tailor your content to their specific needs and preferences, making it more likely to resonate with them and drive engagement.

Also understanding your audience also means keeping up with the latest trends and changes in their behavior. As I mentioned before, social media platforms are constantly evolving, and what worked yesterday may not work today. By keeping a close eye on emerging trends and new features, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your strategy remains relevant and effective.

Knowing your audience is the key to developing a solid social media strategy. You have to invest time and resources into really getting to know your community - their interests, needs, and pain points. By doing that, you can create content that speaks to them and gets them engaged with your brand. And that's what it's all about, right? Building loyalty and community. So take the time to research and understand your audience, and you'll be well on your way to social media greatness!

Step 3: Choose Your Platforms

When it comes to social media, it can be tempting to try and be everywhere at once. But let's be real - if you're trying to do all the things, you might not be doing any of them well. That's why I'm all about quality over quantity.

If you're just starting out and looking to build a social media strategy, my top picks are Instagram and YouTube. Here's why:

First up, Instagram. This platform is all about the visuals, making it perfect for businesses or individuals looking to showcase their products, services, or personal brand. And with over one billion active users, you've got a massive audience at your fingertips. You can reach them through a variety of content formats, including photos, stories, and reels. Plus, Instagram is always adding new features to keep things fresh and exciting.

Now, let's talk about YouTube. With over two billion monthly active users, this platform is a powerhouse for anyone creating and sharing video content. Whether you're educating, entertaining, inspiring, or all of the above, YouTube's got you covered. And with features like playlists and recommended videos, you can keep your followers hooked for hours. Plus, YouTube's algorithm is pretty intelligent, so if you're putting out quality content consistently, you're more likely to be recommended to new viewers.

Of course, Instagram and YouTube aren't the only social media platforms out there. But if you're just starting out and trying to focus your efforts, these two are a great place to begin. They've got the audience and the formats to help you shine.

But here's the thing - building a social media strategy isn't just about picking a couple of platforms and posting some pictures and videos, so if you need help building a strategy for YouTube or Instagram - my social media agency, Creatorly Media can help.

For Instagram, we offer a one-hour consultation to discuss your brand story, voice representation, and effective content creation. We will provide a month's worth of content ideas, including caption prompts, inspiration accounts, and imagery ideas. We will also give you a structured strategy framework and hashtag research library (and we even have a service where we can create the content for you, if you need even more help!)

For YouTube, we have a strategy service that provides a monthly strategy meeting, optimizing one video upload per week, analyzing your channel performance, and creating a detailed report card with recommendations for improving both the strategy and content creation aspects. Our YouTube Strategy Manager will make necessary changes to the strategy side, such as thumbnail designs, SEO changes, and revising the channel about me section. And, we can edit videos too!

Overall, our services help those starting from scratch by providing a comprehensive and well-articulated social media strategy that aligns with their business objectives and audience preferences. We tailor our services to each platform and provide valuable insights and recommendations to help you succeed on social media.

Step 4: Create Valuable Content

Okay, so once you've set your goals, scoped out your audience, and picked your platforms, it's time to start creating content that really speaks to them. This means that you need to understand their interests and preferences in order to create content that is valuable and engaging. One way to do this is by conducting surveys or polls to get a better idea of what your audience wants to see. Once you have this information, you can start creating a variety of content that caters to their needs. Obviously, if you’re starting from scratch, you might not have an audience to chat with yet, so you can do some research on leaders in your niche and see what content they’re creating and what their audience is asking in the comments.

But here's the tea - you can't just create one piece of content and call it a day. You need to keep it consistent and always be pushing yourself to improve. This means that you need to create a content calendar and plan out your content in advance.

A content calendar is a crucial element of any successful social media strategy. It allows you to plan out your content in advance, ensuring that you have a consistent stream of high-quality content that aligns with your goals and resonates with your audience. By having a content calendar, you can also avoid the stress and pressure of coming up with content on the fly, which can lead to lower-quality content and decreased engagement.

Your content calendar should include details such as what type of content you will be posting, when you will be posting it, and on which platforms. It can also include information on the tone and style of your content and any relevant hashtags or keywords. By planning out your content in advance, you can ensure that you are hitting all of the important topics that your audience wants to see, and that you are using the right format and platform to reach them.

In addition to helping you stay organized and on track, a content calendar can also help you identify gaps in your content strategy. For example, you may notice that you are posting a lot of video content but not enough written content, or that you are neglecting a particular platform that your audience is active on. By identifying these gaps, you can adjust your strategy to better meet the needs of your audience and achieve your goals.

Overall, a content calendar is an essential tool for any social media strategy. It allows you to plan your content in advance, stay organized and on track, and identify areas for improvement. So, if you're serious about building a successful social media presence, be sure to make a content calendar a top priority! And just to remind you, my social media agency can help you with that!

Step 5: Engage with Your Audience

Engaging with your audience is really important if you want your social media strategy to be on point. You have to respond to comments and messages as quickly as possible, especially in the beginning. Also, listen to your audience. By listening to what people are saying about your brand, you can find ways to connect with them and build long-lasting relationships.

And let's be real, you have to be authentic, personable, and responsive when you're talking to your audience. Whether it's through helpful tips, interesting content, or just being there to answer their questions, you have to provide value to your community. That's how you build trust, increase engagement, and drive more traffic to your website or social media pages.

Another way to get your audience engaged is to ask them questions and get them to share their thoughts and opinions about your content. Not only does this help you learn more about them, but it also shows that you care about their input and are willing to listen to their feedback.

And last but not least, don't forget to showcase the person behind your brand, which might be just you or a team. Share stories and behind-the-scenes content that gives your audience a glimpse into your brand and the people who make your brand possible. This can help you build a deeper connection with your audience and make them feel more invested in your brand.

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Remember to take the time to define your goals, know your audience, choose your platforms, create valuable content, and engage with your followers. By following these steps, you can create a social media presence that is focused, effective, and impactful.

And if you need more help with building your social media strategy, don't forget to check out Creatorly Media. Our team of experts can help you develop a comprehensive and well-articulated strategy that aligns with your business objectives and audience preferences.