There’s one main rule here
Keep it simple!
Over-ambitious social media plans for a small business are doomed to fail. Make sure you can realistically fit in any actions into your day. Be honest about what you really can do. If you don’t like to write, don’t set up a blog on your website.
What should my plan look like?
It doesn’t really matter what the plan looks like, it just needs to include what you’re going to say or ‘post’ and when you’ll do it. It could just mean using the calendar you use for your business to schedule what you’re going to share on social media over a week, or month.
Ideally your own favourite social media will be part of a content plan. It’ll help you stick to your plan if you use a channel you already like
If you’re more comfortable speaking, then you could use video or podcasts as part of your marketing planning. Try one of Biteable‘s templates to create a free promotional video online for YouTube or Facebook.
Use a planning tool
You can schedule posts and tweets to your social media channels a few weeks ahead, great for promotions and busy periods. And, there are some really useful free tools to help you organise yourself to make it easy.
Two great options are market leaders HootSuite and it’s more recent competitor, Buffer. Both offer free plans of up to three social media channels – plenty for a small business.
Buffer can post to Instagram and starts at US15 a month for eight social media accounts and up to 100 posts.
Hootsuite’s starting package at US25 a month, gives you up to 10 social media accounts and unlimited posts. Like all of the tools you’ll find online, it’s a matter of personal preference and price for most people.
Planning ahead means you can think about the pictures you want to use. Use photos taken in your place of business as much as you can. Make sure you use the best resolution for the web.
Try the free web photo editor Pixlr. Online design apps like Canva help by giving you templates in the right size for social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
If your business is car rentals, take pictures of the cars you actually have, as well as using the manufacturer’s. Including yourself in a picture, or better still a happy customer, is a great idea. But do make sure your picture is a good quality image – and your customer is happy to be featured.
ThinkFirst offer a tailored service giving you control over content for blogs for your website. Contact us today to see how we can help.