There’s just something about a fresh start! An opportunity to start over, hit refresh and try something new. This time of year is a great opportunity to observe your marketing efforts from the year so far and see what could use a refresh. If your social media platforms are needing some TLC, check out our toolkit full of essential practices to help you get a fresh take on social media now and for the rest of 2021.
What’s in the toolkit for social media success?
Assessments
One of the main things I’ve learned about social media from working at DMA Solutions is that no two companies’ social media audiences are the same. Meaning, you can’t base a new social media strategy off of what seems trendy or relevant at the time. You really have to start from fully understanding your audience and how they react to your content. Conducting a social media assessment on each of your brand’s platforms is the best place to start. How many followers? What type of content resonates best with your audience? What type of content resonates the least? Demographics? All of this intel will help you understand what direction to take regarding your social media strategy for the duration of 2021 and perhaps beyond.
If you’re serious about a comprehensive social media assessment but don’t have the hours in the day to dedicate to it, we’ve got your back. We offer everything from quick and digestible social media assessments to more comprehensive assessments and recommendations. We’d be happy to jump in and get you started.
Goal Setting
Understanding your current state of social media will assist you in setting realistic and achievable goals for 2021. At DMA, we don’t believe in throwing out a number for the sake of throwing out a number. It’s important to base your goals off what is specific, attainable and relevant.
To stay on top of your goals, we recommend checking in on them regularly. If your goal is to hit a certain amount of Instagram engagements for the year and you notice halfway through that the needle isn’t moving, you still have time to hit the ground running and take time to engage with users on Instagram or post captions that call for engagement. Regularly checking in on goals is the best way to make sure they’re achieved!
Content Planning
Creating regular social media content is one of the most challenging aspects of managing social media – seriously, it’s a full-time job. One of the best ways to manage this is to stay ahead of the curve. We recommend planning content at least a few weeks in advance to make sure you have a regular stream of content. This means before you sit down at the Thanksgiving dinner table, you’ve got your Santa hat on drafting December content.
Hot tip: An easy way to plan ahead is by downloading our Social Media Calendar – we use it every day at DMA. The calendar will give you key dates, relevant hashtags and silly holidays to capitalize on to keep your content looking fresh and relevant. When you’re feeling stumped, the Social Media Calendar will be your new best friend.
Flexibility
If something unexpected comes up and you need to adjust your goals, that’s ok. If a global pandemic arises and you have to scrap every bit of content that talks about feeding a crowd or gathering with friends and family… be willing to adapt (sounds like we’re speaking from experience, huh?)!
Social media is all about capturing what is timely and trendy – so don’t get too comfortable planning ahead that you’re not able to swap in a timely post when necessary. Reaching people where they are is exactly what social media is for!
Assess your social media assets, set achievable goals, plan content ahead of time, stay flexible and you’ll be set up with a toolbox of success for 2021. If any of these “tools” hit home for you and you’d like to discuss further, schedule a call with our social media team for a free brainstorm. We’d love to chat!
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