Trying to build your business on social media without a defined plan or strategy can make it completely counterproductive. You’ll just find yourself posting for the sake of it, and as a result, seeing little or no return from your efforts.

Here are my six reasons why it’s so important to have a social media marketing plan in place for your business, and how it can benefit your brand.

1. To build a strong presence organically

The first reason you need a social media plan is so you can build a strong presence online organically. You’ll be able to plan out what you post in advance, and get your posts scheduled and set all at once. All of this will help you stick to the biggest social media rule: posting consistently.

Not being consistent is one of the biggest reasons why social media accounts stop growing.

2. To save time

The second benefit to having a marketing plan is that it will help you save time. Who as a business owner doesn’t want more time on their hands?

Getting everything together to create a content calendar is a hefty task at first. But getting your posts sorted and scheduled for the next week, fortnight or month will greatly reduce the time you spend on actually posting each day.

No more staring at a blank screen trying to think of what to post – you’ll now be able to spend more time on other tasks!

3. To target your audience more effectively

Part of the plan can include audience engagement posts. Examples include open ended questions to create discussion, or polls. This gives you a better handle on your audience’s pain points, and how you can provide value to solve them.

Your plan will also help you know and target the right audience with the right services.

4. You’ll leave room for creating better content

A social media plan brings the elements, methods and networks to light which are working for your business – as well as the ones which aren’t. It facilitates being able to create content that resonates with your audience. You’ll have the opportunity to improve the quality of your material, and think about how you can get creative with your posts.

This can include branching out to the more dynamic tools on social media platforms, such as live videos on Facebook or Instagram stories. You could also participate in Twitter chats or create your own Facebook groups.

5. To make sure your goals are covered

Putting a plan together includes outlining your business goals, so you can work backwards to create posts which reinforce them. You’ll want to outline some social media goals and track them, so you have aims to work towards. It’ll also validate that the work you’re doing is paying off.

6. So you can stay ahead of the competition

Tying everything together from this article – with consistent posts planned, you can concentrate on those finer details which help you stand out from others in your industry. You’ll have more time to analyse what’s working, start developing your brand, and establish a feel for your accounts. All the while remaining consistent and giving value to your audience.

It really is so important to have a plan set in place for your social media marketing. I put together my own for each of my clients, with some including detailed monthly reports so I can see exactly what’s working. Find out more about my services here.

For a great start to your social media marketing plan, contact me for a social media strategy, completely bespoke to your business. It will cover the following:

• The platforms you should be utilising
• Making your social media pages/profiles enticing
• A full list of bespoke content ideas to generate engagement
• Tips to organically grow your likes/followers/connections
• Planning and scheduling posts in advance to save time
• Sourcing beautiful stock-free photos and creating graphics
• And more hints and tips I’ve picked up along the way!

All of this can be given to you for a one-off fee of just £195.