Does your business have a social media account? You’re probably posting everything from team birthday pics to industry news and company messages on various national awareness days. But when you look back at your feed, you might ask yourself if you’re achieving anything.
The truth is, posting for the sake of posting doesn’t achieve much. You need a social media strategy.
Join us as we explore the difference between social media posting and planning. We’ll examine what a social media strategy is and why putting your audience first is the key to social media that works for you.
Why Just Posting Isn’t Enough
The key to social media success is regular posting, right? But here’s the thing: posting random content creates random results. Without a strategy, you’re shouting into the void, not speaking to a specific audience. Your social media feed will feel disjointed and forgettable. Your team will waste precious time guessing what to post next.
Worst of all, you might spend all that time on social media without getting anything useful out of it. Without a carefully executed social media strategy, you’re missing valuable opportunities to convert followers into loyal supporters and customers.
What Is a Social Media Strategy?
So, what exactly is a social media strategy? It’s a thoughtful plan for how your brand shows up on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and others. It’s not just about what you post. Rather, it’s about why you’re posting it, who it’s for, and how it helps your organization grow.
It includes:
- Clear goals (brand awareness, community engagement, lead generation, etc.)
- Audience targeting
- Content pillars (themes your content consistently speaks to)
- Platform-specific tactics on TikTok, Instagram, etc (for example, your TikTok strategy vs. Instagram strategy vs. Facebook
- strategy)
- A content calendar
- Guidelines for voice, visuals, and tone.
Wondering where paid social ads fit into this picture? Paid social ads can be a powerful social media marketing layer in addition to your content. They can boost your best-performing content, drive traffic to a landing page or event, retarget warm audiences, and grow brand awareness in specific regions. But it starts with a strong organic strategy.
A strategy gives you way better ROI on paid ads because your brand presence is already trusted.
Building a Social Media Strategy
Your audience spends a lot of time on social media: 143 minutes a day in 2024. Meet them where they are. But do it with purpose. That’s what strategy is all about.
1. Know Your Audience (and What They Want)
Before you post another thing, ask, “Who are we talking to, and what do they need from us?” Different audiences have different expectations on social media. A nonprofit donor wants to see impact. A B2B decision-maker may value insights and credibility. A consumer wants to be entertained, inspired, or educated.
Here’s how that breaks down on popular platforms:
Pro tip:
If you’re not sure what your audience wants, ask them. Polls, DMs, and conversations are underrated strategy tools.
2. Build a Foundation With Content Pillars
Your content pillars are the 3–5 core topics or themes you return to regularly. These align with your audience’s needs and your brand’s goals. Having pillars means you’re not starting from scratch every week. You’re rotating through relevant themes in new ways that always feel fresh.
Here are some examples of content pillars for different types of organizations:
Non-Profit
- Impact stories
- Upcoming events
- Volunteer spotlights
B2B
- Industry insights
- Client success stories
- Behind the scenes of your team
B2C
- Product education
- Customer reviews
- Local community features
3. Post With Purpose
Are most of your posts announcements, celebratory messages, and holiday messages? Here’s how to switch things up and post with purpose:
4. Leverage Engaging Formats
A good post should showcase your brand personality to a specific audience. It should deliver value (education, inspiration, information, or entertainment), which will boost engagement and lead to an action (click, comment, share, or sign up).
There are many ways to achieve this:
- Grid post: The traditional feed format. Great for evergreen content and branding.
- Story: Disappears in 24 hours. Ideal for casual updates, polls, and quick wins.
- Reels: Short-form video. Prioritized in many algorithms.
- Live: Real-time video. High engagement potential.
- Carousel: Multi-image posts are great for storytelling or tips.
- Meme: Highly shareable, humorous content.
Use platform analytics to track engagement (likes, comments, shares), reach and impressions, link taps, saves, and shares. But remember: Trends come and go, and the strategy that works today might need adjusting in a few months.
Pro tip:
A single idea can lead to a grid post, a Reel, a Story, and a carousel. Strategy is about repurposing, not reinventing.
5. Use a Content Calendar
Posting whenever you remember isn’t a strategy. It’s survival mode, and it isn’t doing your business any favors. Use a content calendar to stay consistent. It will save you time, make planning social media posts easier, and facilitate coordination across platforms.
You don’t need a fancy tool. You could use Google Sheets, for example. Just choose a tool that lets you plan by week or month with space for important notes.
This is what you should be making note of:
- Content pillar
- Format (Reel, post, Story, etc.)
- Platform
- Caption/copy
- Visual or video notes
- Call to action
Pro tip:
Strategy does not have to mean rigidity. Leave room for spontaneous content. Mix things up a bit with varied content types (text, images, and videos) and even themes.
Need Help Building a Social Media Strategy?
You can have fun with your business social media account. But have a strategy as your guideline, put your audience first, and post with purpose. When you post with purpose, your message resonates and you build relationships. And you stop wasting time on posts that don’t move the needle.
At Absolute Studios, we help all types of businesses create audience-first social media strategies. We’re here to help you post with purpose, too. Ready to build a social media strategy that works for you?