Summary of "Social media strategy, planning, and publishing | Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate"
Summary: Social Media Strategy, Planning, and Publishing
Source: Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate
1. Developing a Social Media Strategy
A social media strategy acts as a roadmap defining what you want to achieve, how to achieve it, and how to measure success.
Key Framework: SMART Goals
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve (e.g., increase Instagram followers by 15%).
- Measurable: Use quantifiable metrics (followers, engagement rates).
- Attainable: Set realistic goals considering constraints like budget and resources.
- Relevant: Align goals with broader business and marketing objectives (e.g., targeting younger demographics on TikTok if that aligns with business priorities).
- Time-bound: Set deadlines (e.g., achieve goal by end of quarter).
Common Social Media Goals
- Brand awareness
- Brand reputation management
- Sales and lead generation
- Community engagement
- Website traffic
- Customer and competitor insights
2. Identifying Target Audience
The target audience is the group most likely to purchase your products or engage with your brand.
Audience Profiling Dimensions
- Demographics (age, generation, life stage)
- Location and time zones (important for scheduling posts)
- Language preferences
- Interests and needs (problems your product/service solves)
Data Sources
- Customer databases, research departments, social listening tools
- Social media engagement analysis (what followers say, like, dislike)
- Competitor audience analysis (who they target, what works for them)
Actionable Tip: Use social listening tools to monitor brand mentions and conversations for deeper audience insights.
3. Choosing Social Media Platforms
Strategic Considerations
- Match platform demographics to your target audience (e.g., TikTok for under 25, LinkedIn for professionals).
- Align platform strengths with campaign goals (LinkedIn for brand authority, Instagram for visual branding).
- Analyze competitors’ platform performance to identify opportunities and challenges.
- Assess internal resources (team size, budget, time) to manage platforms effectively.
Platform Examples
- Twitter: Real-time, brief updates (280 characters), good for breaking news and direct interaction.
- Instagram: Visual content focus, younger demographics.
- LinkedIn: Professional networking and B2B marketing.
- YouTube: Video content, educational or entertainment focus.
4. Content Strategy: Content Buckets and Formats
Content Buckets (Themes)
- Entertaining: Viral videos, memes, contests
- Educational: How-tos, infographics, FAQs, case studies
- Inspirational: Testimonials, personal stories, brand values
- Conversational: Polls, questions, interactive posts
- Promotional: Discounts, coupons, product marketing
Content Formats
- Videos (high engagement, easy consumption)
- Images (quick brand impression, infographics, gifs)
- Written posts (blogs, articles, guides)
- Stories (temporary, creative updates)
- Live videos (Q&A, webinars, real-time interaction)
Recommendation: Match content format to the content bucket for maximum impact.
5. Planning and Publishing
Post Frequency and Timing
- Varies by platform and audience behavior.
- Twitter (chronological feed): multiple posts per day to reach different time zones.
- Algorithm-based platforms (Facebook, Instagram): fewer, higher-quality posts to avoid engagement drop.
- Test and analyze to find optimal cadence.
Optimal Posting Times
- Morning (people catching up)
- Lunch breaks
- After work hours
- Consider audience time zones, seasonal trends, holidays, and current events (pause or adjust posts during sensitive times).
6. Using a Social Media Calendar
Benefits
- Organizes and schedules posts in advance, ensuring consistent presence.
- Prevents content gaps and errors (typos, broken links).
- Centralizes content assets (images, videos, links).
- Facilitates collaboration and approval workflows with stakeholders.
- Enables planning around cultural events and holidays.
Calendar Elements
- Date/time of post
- Platform
- Post copy and topic
- Links to assets and related documents
Implementation Tips
- Use spreadsheets, templates, or social media management tools.
- Review past performance to inform scheduling.
- Establish workflows for content creation, review, and approval.
Key Takeaways & Actionable Recommendations
- Use SMART goals to set clear, measurable, and achievable social media objectives aligned with business goals.
- Deeply understand your target audience through data and social listening to tailor content and platform choice.
- Select social media platforms strategically based on audience demographics, campaign goals, competitor activity, and available resources.
- Develop a content plan using diverse content buckets and formats to engage your audience effectively.
- Optimize posting frequency and timing per platform using analytics and testing.
- Implement a social media calendar to streamline scheduling, collaboration, and quality control.
Presenters / Sources
- Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate course instructors (unnamed)
- Video from Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate program on Coursera
Category
Business
