Social media is a powerful tool for marketing your business, building your brand, and connecting with your audience. But to use it effectively, you need a social media content plan. 

A social media content plan is a document that outlines what, when, and how you will create and share content on different social media platforms. It helps you align your content with your marketing goals, target your ideal customers, and measure your results. 

But how do you create a social media content plan that works? In this ultimate guide, we will show you the 8 steps to follow to create a killer social media content plan for 2023. 

Step 1: Do a Social Media Audit 

The first step in creating a social media content plan is to do a social media audit of your existing channels. This will give you an idea of what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve your strategy. 

A social media audit involves: 

· Listing all the platforms you’re currently using and their purposes 

· Checking the number of followers, engagement, reach, and traffic for each platform 

· Evaluating whether your profiles are consistent, optimized, and up-to-date 

· Comparing your performance with your competitors and industry benchmarks 

· Identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats 

You can use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to help you with your social media audit. You can also use this template to record your findings. 

Step 2: Set SMART Goals 

The next step in creating a social media content plan is to set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These are the criteria that make your goals clear, realistic, and trackable. 

Some examples of SMART goals for social media are: 

· Increase Instagram followers by 20% in 6 months 

· Generate 100 leads from Facebook ads in 3 months 

· Boost website traffic from Pinterest by 50% in 12 months 

Your goals should be aligned with your overall marketing objectives and reflect the value you want to provide to your audience. You should also have a way to measure your progress and success using metrics and tools like Google Analytics or Sprout Social. 

Step 3: Know Your Audience 

The third step in creating a social media content plan is to know your audience. Knowing who you’re talking to and what they care about will help you create content that resonates with them and drives them to action. 

To know your audience, you need to: 

· Define your buyer persona: A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on data and research. It includes demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and motivational characteristics that influence their buying decisions. 

· Identify their pain points: A pain point is a problem or challenge that your audience faces and that your product or service can solve. It could be something like lack of time, money, knowledge, or confidence. 

· Understand their journey: A buyer’s journey is the process that your audience goes through from becoming aware of their problem to choosing a solution. It consists of three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. 

You can use tools like HubSpot or SurveyMonkey to help you create buyer personas and understand their pain points and journey. You can also use this template to record your findings. 

Step 4: Choose Your Platforms 

The fourth step in creating a social media content plan is to choose your platforms. You don’t have to be on every social media network out there. You should focus on the ones that suit your goals, audience, and content type. 

To choose your platforms, you need to: 

· Research where your audience hangs out online: You can use tools like Pew Research Center or Statista to find out which platforms are popular among different demographics and regions. 

· Analyze which platforms perform well for your business: You can use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to find out which platforms drive the most engagement, traffic, leads, or sales for your business. 

· Consider which platforms match your content format: You should choose platforms that allow you to showcase your content in the best way possible. For example, if you create videos, you should consider YouTube or TikTok. If you create infographics, you should consider Pinterest or Instagram. 

You can use this template to record your platform choices. 

Step 5: Create a Content Calendar 

The fifth step in creating a social media content plan is to create a content calendar. A content calendar is a schedule of what content you will post on each platform and when. It helps you organize your content creation process and ensure consistency and quality. 

To create a content calendar, you need to: 

· Decide on your posting frequency: You should post regularly enough to keep your audience engaged but not too often that you overwhelm them or compromise your quality. You can use tools like CoSchedule or Sprout Social to find out the best times and days to post on each platform. 

· Plan your content themes: You should have a variety of content themes that reflect your brand, goals, and audience. You can use tools like BuzzSumo or AnswerThePublic to find out what topics are trending or popular in your niche. 

· Assign roles and responsibilities: You should have a clear workflow for creating, approving, and publishing your content. You should also assign roles and responsibilities to your team members or collaborators, such as writers, designers, editors, or managers. 

You can use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to help you create and manage your content calendar. You can also use this template to record your content plan. 

Step 6: Create Compelling Content 

The sixth step in creating a social media content plan is to create compelling content. Compelling content is content that attracts, engages, and converts your audience. It should be relevant, valuable, and actionable. 

To create compelling content, you need to: 

· Use the 4-1-1 rule: The 4-1-1 rule is a guideline for balancing your content mix. It suggests that for every six pieces of content you share, four should be curated from other sources, one should be promotional, and one should be original. 

· Follow the AIDA formula: The AIDA formula is a framework for writing persuasive copy. It stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It suggests that you should grab your audience’s attention with a catchy headline or image, spark their interest with a compelling story or statistic, create their desire with a benefit or solution, and prompt their action with a clear call to action. 

· Optimize your content for each platform: You should tailor your content to fit the style, tone, and format of each platform. You should also use hashtags, keywords, tags, and mentions to increase your visibility and reach. 

You can use tools like OwlyWriter or Grammarly to help you create and edit your content. You can also use this template to record your content details. 

Step 7: Schedule Your Content 

The seventh step in creating a social media content plan is to schedule your content. Scheduling your content means uploading it to a tool or app that will automatically publish it at the right time and date. It helps you save time, avoid errors, and stay consistent. 

To schedule your content, you need to: 

· Choose a scheduling tool: There are many tools that can help you schedule your social media content, such as Hootsuite or Buffer. They allow you to upload your content in bulk, edit it as needed, and monitor its performance. 

· Upload your content: You should upload your content according to your content calendar and assign it to the right platform, date, and time. You should also add any relevant information, such as captions, links, images, or videos. 

· Review and approve your content: You should review and approve your content before it goes live. You should check for any errors, typos, or inconsistencies. You should also make sure that your content follows the best practices and guidelines of each platform. 

You can use this template to record your scheduling details. 

Step 8: Measure Your Results 

The eighth and final step in creating a social media content plan is to measure your results. Measuring your results means tracking and analyzing the performance of your content using metrics and tools. It helps you evaluate your success, identify areas of improvement, and optimize your strategy. 

To measure your results, you need to: 

· Choose the right metrics: You should choose metrics that align with your goals and reflect the value of your content. Some common metrics are impressions, reach, engagement, clicks, leads, conversions, and revenue. 

· Use the right tools: You should use tools that can help you collect and visualize your data, such as Google Analytics or Sprout Social. They allow you to see how your content performs across different platforms, channels, and campaigns. 

· Report and adjust: You should report on your results using charts, graphs, or dashboards. You should also adjust your strategy based on your findings. You should do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. 

You can use this template to record your results. 

Conclusion 

Creating a social media content plan is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process that requires constant research, planning, creation, scheduling, measurement, and optimization. But by following these 8 steps, you can create a social media content plan that works for you and helps you achieve your marketing goals in 2023. 

If you need more help with creating a social media content plan or any other aspect of social media marketing, feel free to contact us today. We’re here to help you grow your business online.