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Crafting a Social Media Calendar That Works

Gone are the days when posting randomly about your business on social media was a sufficient marketing strategy. In today’s competitive market, having a well-crafted, targeted social media calendar is a must. Without a calendar, you run the risk of missing out on pre-planned events, holidays, and trends that could positively impact your brand. A social media calendar can help you stay organized, strategize effectively, and connect with your target audience in the most engaging way. In this article, you’ll find some great tips on creating a social media calendar that works for your business.

Identify Your Audience and Goals

Before you start making a social media calendar, you need to identify your target audience and business goals. Who are your ideal customers? What do they want from your brand? What do you want from them? By understanding your target audience and business goals, you can create a social media content plan that aligns with your business objectives. For example, if your goal is to increase lead generation, you’ll want all your content to appeal to your target audience and set up your social media posts to capture their interest.

Understand Your Key Platforms

Once you’ve identified your audience and objectives, you need to understand the key platforms your audience is using. Each platform has its unique user base, algorithms, and best practices. For example, Facebook is a great platform for connecting with older audiences while Instagram is mainly used by younger people. Twitter alone has its own 280-character limit and Pinterest is image-intensive. Understanding the platforms you want to use will help you create content that is better suited to each platform and will lead to greater engagement.

Decide on the Content Types

Once you know your audience, objectives, and key platforms, the next step is to decide on the types of content you want to post. Your content should relate to your objectives and target audience, but it should also be varied. Your social content calendar should include a mix of blog posts, videos, images, infographics, polls, and other content that aligns with your business objectives and is relevant to your target audience. It is important to remember not to post content that is too sales-y as this can be off-putting to your audience.

Choose a Posting Schedule

After deciding on content types, it’s time to choose a posting schedule. What days and times are your target audience most active? You can use a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer to test the best times to schedule your content for maximum engagement. Experiment with staggered posting times during the week to determine when your audience is most likely to see, like, and share your content. You can also research industry-specific data to help you find the best times for your business to post.

Monitor and Tweak Your Calendar

Once your social media calendar is in motion, it’s important to monitor and tweak it regularly. Use your social media analytics to track the results of your posts. What types of content are performing well and what types aren’t? What days and times are the best for posting and which aren’t? Use your findings to tweak your calendar and content plan to better reach your target audience and achieve your business objectives. Social media is an ever-changing and fast-paced medium so it’s important to monitor and update your strategy regularly.

An effective social media calendar is essential for a well-rounded social media marketing strategy. A great social media calendar is strategic, well-planned, and targeted to your audience and business goals. By taking the time to understand your target audience, goals, the key platforms, content types, and the best posting schedule, you will be able to create a social media calendar that works for your business. Start planning your social content calendar today and watch your social media engagement increase.