Social

Media
Planning
Chapter 4:

Social Media
Strategy
and
Planning
Strategic Planning
The process of strategic planning

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Corporate Business Functional
Level Areas of
Level the
Organization
The Structure of a Typical Marketing Plan
The Structure of a Typical Marketing Plan (cont.)
The Structure of a Typical Marketing Plan (cont.)
 “On second thought”

What’s wrong with jumping right into

Why should we
the game?
take the time to plan?
SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and identify key opportunities
1

• State objectives
2

• Gather insight into target audience

3

• Select social media zones and vehicles

4

• Create an experience strategy encompassing selected zones

5

• Establish an activation plan

6

• Manage and measure

7
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and A. Internal Environment
1 identify key opportunities 1. What activities exist in the overall marketing plan that can be leveraged
for social media marketing?
• State objectives 2. What is the corporate culture? Is it supportive of the transparent and
2 decentralized norms of social media?
• Gather insight into target 3. What resources exist that can be directed to social media activities?
3 audience 4. Is the organization already prepared internally for social media activities
(in terms of policies and procedures)?
• Select social media zones and B. External Environment
4 vehicles
1. Who are our customers? Are they users of social media?
• Create an experience strategy 2. Who are our competitors? What social media activities are they using
5 encompassing selected zones and how are social media incorporated in their marketing and
promotional plans?
• Establish an activation plan 3. What are the key trends in the environment (social, cultural, legal and
6 regulatory, political, economic, and technological) that may affect our
decisions regarding social media marketing?
• Manage and measure C. SWOT Analysis: Based on the analysis, what are the key strengths,
7
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)?
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and
1 identify key opportunities

• State objectives
2
What does the organization expect
• Gather insight into target
3 audience to accomplish through social media
4
• Select social media zones and
vehicles
marketing (promotional objectives,
• Create an experience strategy service objectives, retail objectives,
encompassing selected zones
5
research objectives)?
• Establish an activation plan
6

• Manage and measure

7
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and
1 identify key opportunities 1. Which segments should we select to target with
2
• State objectives social media activities?
• Gather insight into target
audience
2. What are the relevant demographic, psychographic,
3

• Select social media zones and and behavioral characteristics of the segments useful
4 vehicles

• Create an experience strategy

in planning a social media marketing strategy?
5 encompassing selected zones
3. What are the media habits, and especially the social
• Establish an activation plan
6 media habits of the segments?
• Manage and measure
7
STP
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and Which mix of the four zones of social media will be best to accomplish
1 identify key opportunities our objectives within the resources available?

• State objectives
2

• Gather insight into target

3 audience
Social Social
• Select social media zones and community publishing
zone zone
4 vehicles
strategies strategies
• Create an experience strategy
5 encompassing selected zones
Social Social
• Establish an activation plan commerce entertainment
6 zone zone
strategies strategies
• Manage and measure
7
• What approach to social •What content do we have to share with
networking and relationship audiences? Can we develop a sufficient
amount of fresh, valuable content to
building should we use? How will attract audiences to consume content
we represent the brand in social online?
networks (as a corporate entity, as •What form should our blog take?
a collection of corporate •Which media sharing sites should we use
leadership, as a brand character)? to publish content? How should we build
What content will we share in this links between our social media sites,
space? owned media sites, and affiliates to
optimize our sites for search engines?
Social community Social publishing
zone strategies zone strategies

Social
Social commerce
entertainment
zone strategies
zone strategies
•How can we develop opportunities for •What role should social
customer reviews and ratings that add entertainment play in our social
value to our prospective customers?
media plan? Are there opportunities
•Should we develop retail spaces within to develop a customized social game
social media sites? If we socially enhance
our own e-retailing spaces, what or to promote the brand as a product
applications should be used? placement in other social games? Is
•How can we utilize social commerce there an opportunity to utilize social
applications like group deals to increase entertainment sites such as
conversions? MySpace as an entertainment
venue?
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and
1 identify key opportunities 1. How can we develop social media activities that support and/or
extend our existing promotional strategies?
• State objectives
2
2. What message do we want to share using social media?
• Gather insight into target
3 audience 3. How can we encourage engagement with the brand in social spaces?
• Select social media zones and 4. How can we encourage those who engage with the brand socially to
4 vehicles
act as opinion leaders and share the experience with others?
• Create an experience strategy
5 encompassing selected zones 5. In what ways can we align the zones used as well as other
• Establish an activation plan promotional tools to support each other? Can we incorporate social
6
reminders in advertising messages, in store displays, and other
• Manage and measure
7
venues?
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and
1 identify key opportunities 1. How do we make the plan happen?
• State objectives 2. Who is responsible for each aspect of implementing the
2

• Gather insight into target plan?

3 audience
3. What is the timing of the elements in the plan?
• Select social media zones and
4 vehicles 4. What budget do we need to accomplish the objectives?
• Create an experience strategy
5 encompassing selected zones 5. How do we ensure that the plan is consistent with the

• Establish an activation plan

organization's overall marketing plan and promotional plan?
6

• Manage and measure

7
 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN OUTLINE
• Conduct a situation analysis and
1 identify key opportunities

• State objectives
2

• Gather insight into target

How do we measure the actual
3 audience

• Select social media zones and performance of the plan?

4 vehicles

• Create an experience strategy

5 encompassing selected zones

• Establish an activation plan

6

• Manage and measure

7
 Think!

As organizations develop in their social media marketing

maturity, they plan systematically to ensure social media

marketing activities are consistent with their marketing

and marketing communications plans and are capable of

meeting specific marketing objectives

 Maturity in Social Media

1 Trial
03 2 Transition
PHASES
3 Strategic
 Maturity in Social Media

✓ Organizations in the trial phase test out social media

1 Trial platforms
✓ Most groups focus on learning to use a new form of

2 Transition communication and exploring the potential for social

media as a venue.
✓ Brainstorming is a best method

3 Strategic
 Maturity in Social Media
✓ Social media activities still occur somewhat randomly or
1 Trial haphazardly but a more systematic way of thinking
✓ Brands are on the right track but may not have fully

2 Transition formed a strategic approach

✓ A common one is the use of automation to schedule
social media posts and replies => Social Media Zombies

3 Strategic
 Maturity in Social Media
✓ A formal process to plan social media marketing activities
1 Trial with clear objectives and metrics
✓ A key component of the organization’s overall marketing

2 Transition plan
✓ Making a strategic commitment to social media marketing
takes time

3 Strategic ✓ Increased brand exposure, brand attitudes, and even

sales driven from social media marketing
Social Media Audit
Social Media Audit Template
Social Media Audit Template
Social Media Competitive Analysis Template
Social Media Competitive Analysis Template
FOLLOWERS PERFORMANCE HASHTAGS
NETWORKS TOTAL FOLLOWERS FOLLOWER GROWTH RATE TOP FOLLOWERS TOP FOLLOWING POST FREQUENCY ENGAGEMENT RATE SHARE OF VOICE MOST USED HASHTAGS AVERAGE # OF HASHTAGS
FACEBOOK
X (TWITTER)
INSTAGRAM
YOUR BRAND
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK
X (TWITTER)
INSTAGRAM
COMPETITOR 1
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK
X (TWITTER)
INSTAGRAM
COMPETITOR 2
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK
X (TWITTER)
INSTAGRAM
COMPETITOR 3
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
LINKEDIN
 Social Media SWOT Analysis Template
• Loyal customers • Difficulty standing out in a highly
• High brand equity competitive marketplace
• Affordability • Reputation issues due to recalls
• Quality products • Reputation issues related to being an
• High levels of coverage across all forms of old-school brand
media

S W
• Financial resources for marketing
communications.

•
•
Social media as a cost-efficient channel
Affiliations with causes and lifestyle
O T • Strong brand competition from competitors
like Toyota
passions • Economic concerns may slow spending on
• Growth in social entertainment and social high-price purchases
commerce options • Environmental concerns over gas
consumption and pollution.
 Some examples of the basic social media objectives

Amplify or Improve Reduce

Improve Improve
Increase Increase augment perceived customer Increase
brand or search Generate
brand website public customer acquisition sales/sales
product engine sales leads.
awareness. traffic. relations service and support revenue
reputation. rankings.
work. quality. costs.
Top Objectives Marketers Pursue Using Social Media
Top Objectives Marketers Pursue Using Social Media
 Develop a Social Experience
1. What are the campaign goals and/or communication tasks?
2. How is the brand positioned? What is unique and special about its positionin the

?
marketplace?
3. Who is the target audience?
4. Is there another group of people who can persuade the target audience to follow
them?
5. What are the existing creative assets? How can the brand’s creative assets foster a
social experience?
6. How can we integrate with other branded media being used by the organization, and
how long do we have to execute?
7. What experiences are possible given target market needs and motives, the available
channels, and the creative assets?
8. What content will be needed?
9. How will experience engagement be extended and shared throughout the social
channels?
 Some of the biggest mistake
• Committing staff time to posting, responding, and
Staffing developing content

• A related issue is the failure to introduce new, fresh, and

Content relevant content

• Patience before results are delivered

Time horizon

Focus of • Take a short-term tactical approach

objectives

Benefits to • Content must add value to the social community

users

• Organizations fail to properly measure results

Measurement
THANK FOR YOUR ATTENTION