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In the vast realm of social media, achieving success is not just about posting content randomly and hoping for the best. It requires a strategic approach that leverages powerful tools to steer actions and decisions in the right direction.

Social media expert Sarah Best walks us through how to plan social media content in a time-efficient and strategic manner. Learn how to apply the FEEL-THINK-DO framework to your content for maximizing engagement and speaking to customers at different points in their sales journey, and gain an understanding of how evergreen content, content buckets, and AI tools and techniques can help you save time and get the most out of content you’ve already written.

Create a Vision Statement

In the pursuit of social media success, there are valuable tools at our disposal to guide our actions and decisions. One such tool is the vision statement. A vision statement helps us prioritize and allocate resources effectively, including time and budget. Additionally, it facilitates buy-in from various team members, aligning their efforts toward common objectives. Without a clear vision, we risk wasting resources, experiencing low motivation, and becoming trapped in busyness rather than purposeful actions.

Let's consider an example from the Nature Conservancy, whose vision statement reads: "We transport our fans into the field to see and understand the impact of our work, invite them through clear and thoughtful calls to action to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives." This statement offers guidance on how the organization should invest its time and money, focusing on activities like nature photography and videography, which connect people with the organization's mission. It also explains the purpose behind their storytelling efforts.

A vision statement doesn’t need to be overly complex; it can be as straightforward as stating the purpose of using social media and why it matters to the organization. When crafting a vision statement, it may be helpful to gather input from team members on what they would ideally like to achieve with social media. This exercise can help to get everyone on the same page and create a more captivating vision.

The vision statement should be flexible and can evolve over time as goals are met or new aspirations emerge. It guides the stories we want to tell, aligning our efforts with the desired outcomes. Ultimately, by establishing a clear vision for social media, organizations can save time, money, and effort, progressing purposefully toward their goals.

Set SMART Goals

Setting clear and achievable goals is essential for making progress with your social media efforts. While goals can sometimes feel intimidating, we can reframe them to become more manageable and purposeful. By utilizing the SMART goal framework, we can ensure our objectives are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

For example, let's consider a goal of reaching new donors or customers. To make it specific, we can aim to collect email addresses for 25 individuals to send them follow-up emails before a giving campaign or product launch. This goal becomes measurable and achievable since we have the tools and templates in place for lead generation. It is also relevant to our vision, as it aligns with our desire to expand the pool of donors and customers. Additionally, setting a time frame for this goal, such as planning it ahead of a product launch, helps maintain progress.

On the other hand, goals can also be more exploratory and learning oriented. For instance, the goal could be to invest time in researching ways to grow the donor base. This goal becomes achievable by dedicating 30 minutes to find three YouTube videos or articles with valuable ideas and discussing them internally. While less tangible than the previous example, this goal remains relevant to our vision and can be completed within a defined timeframe.

In conclusion, breaking down goals into smaller, actionable steps, and aligning them with the resources and time available can make them less daunting and more likely to lead us towards our ultimate vision. By using the SMART goal framework, we can create well-defined objectives that propel our social media efforts forward in a purposeful and measurable manner.

Content Planning

Content planning is a crucial aspect of effective social media management. Having a well-structured plan not only helps to eliminate the daily scrambling but also ensures strategic and purposeful communication with the audience. The good news is that a content plan doesn't have to be complicated; it can be as simple as a calendar with topics outlined for each day or week.

Creating content buckets is an effective way to organize topics and themes for the plan. Content buckets (or categories) are topics that are classified according to different aspects or audiences of the business. These buckets can include a variety of areas such as events, promotions, calls to action, and more. Organizing content in this manner ensures that the message remains consistent across different platforms and types of communications.

One of the significant advantages of having a content plan is it facilitates prioritization. Our work hours are finite, so having a plan helps determine what to focus on and which content deserves greater attention. Additionally, content planning allows organizations to be proactive and timely, addressing events or issues that are relevant to their audience.

The process of content planning can vary depending on an organization's size and resources. Some may prefer to plan as a group, which can foster creativity and ensure buy-in from team members. Others may opt for individual planning sessions using tools like spreadsheets or online calendars.

When planning content, it's essential to consider what actions you’d like the audience to take after seeing the posts. These actions could include event sign-ups, form submissions, or purchases. By setting clear goals and metrics, organizations can track the effectiveness of their content and refine their strategies accordingly.

Identifying events or timely issues happening in the audience's lives during a particular month can help tailor content to better resonate with them. Leveraging social media holidays, awareness months, or relevant hashtags can also expand reach and engagement.

Lastly, identifying partners or influential individuals who can help amplify the message is crucial. Collaborations with others in the organization/industry or community can significantly increase the reach of social media content and create new opportunities for engagement.

Time-Saving Tools & Techniques

AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can seem mysterious and overwhelming to many people, but it can be beneficial if we use it to increase things that spark joy and decrease things that don't. This concept is inspired by John Maeda, the VP of Design for Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft. AI can be utilized for decision-making, gathering information, and providing topic ideas for content buckets, while leaving the actual decision-making to humans.

AI can be helpful in tasks that are less enjoyable, such as calendar management, email subject line writing, summarizing long pieces of writing for social media, applying writing style guides, and reviewing written pieces for adherence to brand voice. Additionally, AI can be used for finding information in large databases, finding images that are tied to a specific objective, or monitoring things like alerts.

Adapting Content

If you’re short on time, adapt your content for different platforms – just remember to adjust handles, tags, and hashtags, as they differ across platforms. The sound settings of a platform (sound on/off) should be also considered when creating video content, and captions should be added if needed. Hashtags may be used differently or not at all.

In the ever-changing world of social media, a cohesive strategy can empower a nonprofit organization or small business to navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Embracing the power of vision, SMART goals, and content planning can elevate an organization's social media presence from disorganized and inconsistent to enjoyable and successful.

View the full webinar here:

Additional Resources:

• Download the slide deck here: How to Plan Social Media in a Strategic, Time-Efficient Manner
• Pew Research Center's Social Media Fact Sheet
• Design in Tech Report 2023: Design and Artificial Intelligence with John Maeda at SXSW 2023