If you are looking to improve the results your business gets on social media then the first step is to create a well-defined strategy and the second step is to define and commit to a clear plan on how to make it happen.
Without these two elements in place your social media is likely to be directionless, inconsistent, and lacking in accountability.
The Value Of A Social Media Plan
The social media plan defines when, where and what you are going to do to achieve the goals set out in your social media strategy.
The value of a social media plan is that by clearly defining these actions you are going to do when you are going to do it you have a starting point for making it happen.
You can define who is going to do the different aspects and any training or external resources you may need to implement the plan successfully. As well as the time it will take and when this will need to be performed.
Clear Plan Equals Accountability
Once you have defined who is going to do what you can hold people accountable for implementing the plan.
This is half the battle.
Once it is part of their assigned tasks, there is nowhere to shift the blame or use undefined responsibilities for why your business’s social media presence is inconsistent or not being managed properly.
When you review, the first step is to check the plan has been implemented as agreed and where required make changes in line with results and changes in the platforms.
How Long Should A Social Media Plan Be
The amount of detail in your social media plan will depend on the size of your business and the amount of activity you are going to be taken. We have worked on plans that run into several pages and contain a lot of research, details and content planning.
However, we recommend that the top-level plan is as simple as possible so that it can be easily digested and shared across your business.
Typically we create a one-page social media plan for our clients that can then be expanded with detailed content calendars and schedules.
The key is to make sure that the plan is clear and easy for those involved to understand.