How to create a social media strategy that creates an impact, while also protecting your peace

 When it comes to social media, it seems easy at first…until you begin to see the inner workings of what's under the surface. Maybe you’re not at the point in your business of outsourcing a social media consultant or digital marketing specialist, or maybe you’re wanting to tweak and uplevel what you’re already doing with your marketing– when you begin to craft (or refine) your social media strategy there are three key elements you need to define clearly to not only create an efficient strategy, but one that is built with a strong foundation that can weather the seasons.

Step 1: Get clear on your marketing goals 

It's hard to make an efficient plan when you don't know where you're going or where you're aiming for. Start with getting a clear view of what you have going on this quarter (eventually you can plan this out more for a full year when you have some good data and insights into what works well for your life/business each quarter and what the season brings). 

Ask yourself these questions: 

• What events do I have going on (launches, masterclasses, product drops, etc) 
• Is there a specific vision/goal/ numbersI have in mind that are attached to these events (enrollments, monthly income, etc).

• What season is my business currently in? Understanding this will help you navigate your marketing with a bit more direction and grounding  (ex: how you structure your strategy and the type of content you post– and overall content strategy for the quarter really) 
• Visibility: focusing on capturing new leads, making more connections in the field, collaborations, etc. 
• Nurture: making deeper connections with your audience, helping bring them through the customer/client journey through specific strategic messaging 
• Sales: focused on launches, sales conversions, and generating higher and richer conversions 

Step 2: What social media platforms best fit your business? 

Before we go any further, the most important thing to remember is that you don't need to be on every platform to create both an impact and achieve your marketing goals. Even more simply put, just because someone is on/doing x,y,z campaign on said platform does NOT mean you need to as well– in fact it could have the exact opposite results you are wanting.

Remember you were given this vision for a reason– trust it, honor it, keep walking forward in alignment with it, including the platforms you choose to build and share it on. 

My recommendations for all clients and how I start building their social media strategy is to choose one longform content platform, and one short form content platform. Not only will you save your sanity but not needing to be everywhere on everything, but it allows you to make your messaging more potent, develop your vision even clearer, and generate faster and richer results by taking a more strategic approach to your marketing. Before you cast your net even wider, go deeper first.  

When choosing your platforms, ask yourself these questions with your audience in mind. This will come directly from your brand strategy. 

What app would my audience be seen using most? (sharing, consuming, chatting about?) 

How do they like to consume media? (video/face to camera? Audio? Reading?) 

What type of content do they connect with most? (storytelling? Emotionally evocative? Analytical? Inspirational? Guided demonstrations/how tos? 

When looking at your client/customer journey– what would be the best fitting platform to help your audience navigate the journey from one step to the next? 

If you’re totally lost at this point (or hitting overwhelming territory) you might need to develop your brand strategy even more. Don't have one? Time to develop one! So much clarity, guidance, and ease will come from knowing EXACTLY the inner workings of your brand, audience, and how it translates to the digital world. (Click here to chat more about receiving a custom brand strategy developed for your brand).

Now let's talk about the data:: 

Here are some numbers to keep in mind when choosing both a long form content platform, and short form content platform. 

Long Form: 

Youtube: 

• Demographics: has a wide range when it comes to age, most likely due to range in topics seen on the platform. Slightly male-skewed but highly balanced.
• Location: has a global presence but, popular in North America, Asia, and Latin America.
• Additional Notes: Ideal for long-form content, tutorials, vlogs, and brand storytelling. Works well for diverse content types across age groups and can be uniquely adapted based on brand strategy. 

Blogging: 

• Demographics: 
• Primarily attracts users in the 25-44 age range. This group tends to engage with content that provides value, insights, and depth.
• A deeper insight into age groups: 
• 18-24: Often access blogs for information on topics like lifestyle, self-help, entertainment, and career advice.
• 25-44: This is the largest group, engaging with blogs for professional insights, DIY tutorials, and educational content across industries.
• 45+: Smaller segment but highly engaged in niche areas like finance, health, and home improvement
• Gender: Blogging audiences tend to be balanced, but specific niches skew differently:
• Female-dominated niches: Lifestyle, wellness, parenting, and fashion.
• Male-dominated niches: Tech, finance, and sports.
• Location: North America and Europe have a high concentration of blog readers, especially for B2B and professional content. Asia is a rapidly growing audience, especially in areas like tech, finance, and lifestyle.
• Additional Notes: Blogs often rank in search engines, making them a go-to for people seeking educational or research-focused content. Ideal for in-depth guides, tutorials, thought leadership, and list-based content.Blogging enables brands to connect with audiences through comments, social sharing, and regular updates.

Email:

• Demographics: this will vary and be a direct reflection into the audience you bring in (aka leads) however the age group who engages in email marketing campaigns is between 24-54 years of age and balanced between male and female users.
• Location: Has a global reach, but is popular in North America and Europe and marketing campaigns used. 
• Additional Notes: These campaigns will be highly personalized with a goal of customer retention and brand loyalty. This platform will be helpful for generating effective regular engagement, sharing about exclusive offers, and adding additional touch points for content updates.

Podcast:

• Demographics: This will be a more personalized pool of data as it will draw in the ideal audience in mind based around the content shared. The average use of podcast listeners is between 18-44, balanced between gender with slight male skew in some niches, and has a strong growing trend globally.
• Additional Notes: Used best for long-form storytelling, creating a place for thought leadership and bold/unique perspectives, community building, and ideal for reaching highly engaged audiences and delivering educational or conversational content.

Short Form: 

Instagram: 

• Demographics: Dominantly 18-34 years old. Slightly female-skewed, but quite balanced.
• Location: Strong in the U.S., India, and Brazil.
• Additional Notes: Effective for brand awareness, lifestyle content, and visual-heavy campaigns. Great for eCommerce, fashion, and influencer partnerships. 

Facebook: 

• Demographics:
• Primarily 25-34 years old, but also has strong user bases among 35-44 and 45-54 age groups. Mostly balance between gender, slightly more female (54% female, 46% male).
• Location: has global reach, strong presence in North America, Asia, and Europe.
• Additional Notes:
• Can be used for either a long form or short form content platform depending on the content strategy used (however I would recommend using it as either/or versus using just this platform as both). 
• Highly recommended for local businesses 

Pinterest: 

• Demographics: Strong among 25-34, with notable presence in 35-44. Predominantly female, though male engagement is rising.
• Location: U.S. and Europe, growing in other regions.
• Additional Notes: Effective for lifestyle, DIY, eCommerce, and visually-driven brands. Popular in niches like fashion, home decor, and food. While this platform usually is seen as a long form content platform, when used with a longform content platform (Youtube, blogging, podcasting, etc), it can be a powerhouse to use in a short form content manner to drive even more engagement to long form and serving as a place to create both brand awareness and capturing leads. 

Linked In: 

• Demographics: Mostly 25-34, followed by 35-54 age groups. More male users but with a significant female presence.
• Location: Mostly U.S., Europe, and emerging in other regions.
• Additional Notes: Focused on B2B marketing, recruitment, and professional content. Useful for corporate and industry-specific brands.This is also a platform that works very well when uniquely used as a short form content platform in combination with long form content (email newsletters, blogging, Youtube, etc). 

Tik Tok:

• Demographics: Strongest among Gen Z compared to other platforms (16-24 years), growing among 25-34. More than 50% of users are female. 
• Location: Strong user base in the U.S., Japan, and India.
• Additional Notes:News, customer service, and real-time updates. Brands use Twitter for timely announcements, customer engagement, and trending discussions. When looking at this platform the 

Threads:

• Demographics: Early adopters are typically 18-34. Balanced but data still emerging.
• Location: Mostly in North America, expanding in other regions.
• Additional Notes: Emerging as a conversational platform tied to Instagram. Early adoption phases show interest in real-time text updates and news, and generating conversational topics that can lead to increased brand presence and strategic offer positioning. 

Step 3: Choose a posting frequency that fits both your business + your season of life 

Here’s the big disclaimer when it comes to how often to post– there is no magic number of posting frequency that guarantees you results. Instead, it comes down to a consistency in posting and creating a presence with your brand. This also means it will look different for everyone depending on outside factors. 

Choosing a posting frequency (aka how many times you post each week)  is a combination of getting clear with what your goals are for the quarter, knowing what season your business is in, and what your current season of life looks like (because it IS possible to create harmony between your personal life and business life). 

First we have to let go of the thought that you need to post every day– in fact, in some cases it can do more harm 

So let's find the magic number for YOU. 

Here’s a few questions you can ask yourself to find this number: 

What is the optimal recommended posting frequency specific to each app based on data? (I have a blog post on content strategy coming soon so I will link it here with these specific insights and my industry knowledge as well :) ) 

Looking at your daily non-negotiables for your business (and if you don't have any, it might be time to sit down and define those)-, what do you feel you have time for when it comes to mapping out, creating, and generating copywriting for content (ex: 4 posts a week)? 

Note: if you feel at capacity, outsourcing might be something to think about so you can take this off your plate and leave room for other things. This could look like a more guided content strategy mapped out for you to follow, outsourcing content creation tasks, or FULLY outsourcing strategy, creation, publishing based on what feels best for you. 

Above all, when you’re deciding this number, it’s important to find a number that feels GOOD to you to not only achieve your goals but also leaves enough breathing room to enjoy creating/sharing content so that the message translates across while also allowing for more magic to happen within your content and your business.

While social media strategy is there to drive results in your marketing campaign and within your business, a huge part of its success is actually enjoying the process. I'm a firm believer that there is no one size fits all, and while we can learn from each other on what works/doesn’t work, we have to remember that our business (and the vision behind it) is so unique in its own way and it needs a marketing and social media strategy to match.

If you’re looking for more guidance into developing an innovative brand strategy, experience driven social media strategy, or high converting content strategy to help your brand make a bigger impact in the digital world, lets create some magic!

Click here to see more ways we can work together and create some marketing magic!