Author: Rob Pugh

Picture this: you’re a small business owner, and you’ve just opened a bakery. On the counter, you’ve got a tray of the most scrumptious, mouth-watering, perfectly-glazed donuts. You want to share this marvelous creation with the masses, but how?

Enter social media, the digital megaphone that can turn your delectable donut into the talk of the town. But your social media efforts might fall flat without a well-crafted plan. 

A social media strategy will help you connect with your audience, amplify your brand, and ultimately, boost your bottom line. The question is, how do you create a social media strategy that will help your business stand out from the competition?

In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to build a social media plan that will have your brand soaring to new heights.

What is a social media strategy?

A social media strategy is a comprehensive plan for how your business will leverage social media channels to achieve its objectives. Think of it as the master recipe for your digital “donut shop.” It outlines the ingredients (audience, platforms, content, etc.), the cooking method (execution), and the desired outcome (results).

What are the benefits of creating a social media strategy?

Creating a social media strategy offers a number of benefits for businesses, including:

1. Streamlined efforts. A well-crafted strategy will ensure that your social media efforts are targeted, organized, and efficient, saving you time and resources. 
2. Improved consistency. A strategy helps you maintain a consistent brand presence across all platforms, increasing brand recognition and trust. 
3. Clearer goals. Having specific objectives for your social media efforts ensures that your actions are aligned with your overall business goals, allowing you to better measure success and make data-driven decisions.
4. Increased engagement. By understanding your target audience and creating content that resonates with them, a social media strategy will help you build stronger relationships with your customers, turning them into loyal fans and advocates.
5. Better ROI. A well-executed social media strategy will ultimately improve your return on investment (ROI), making your marketing efforts more profitable.

How to create a social media strategy and put it into motion

Creating, planning, and executing a social media strategy for your business is like embarking on a voyage through the vast digital ocean. You need a sturdy ship, a skilled crew, and a charted course to reach your destination. Let’s dive into the key components of a successful social media strategy.

1. Define your social media objectives

First, it’s essential to know what you’re aiming for. Here are some areas you may choose to focus on:

• Brand awareness. If your goal is to make your brand famous, you’ll want to focus on creating content that showcases your unique brand identity and reaches a wider audience.
• Leads or sales. Do you want to increase leads or sales? In that case, your social media strategy should focus on enticing content that drives followers to take action.
• Customer engagement. Engaging with your customers requires regular, meaningful interactions that build long-lasting relationships. If your goal is to increase customer engagement, create content that encourages interaction, such as polls, quizzes, or open-ended questions.
• Customer support. Social media is not only about promotion; it’s also a powerful customer support tool. If your goal is to provide top-notch customer support, consider creating a dedicated social media channel for support and sharing helpful tips, tricks, and tutorials.

2. Identify your target audience

To create a successful social media strategy, you need to know who you’re talking to. Identifying your target audience involves understanding:

• Demographics. Dive deep into the age, gender, location, and income level of your ideal customers. This will help you craft content that resonates with them and ultimately increases engagement.
• Psychographics. Understanding your audience’s interests, values, and lifestyle is crucial. The more you know about what makes them tick, the more effective your social media strategy will be.
• Buyer personas. Create buyer personas — fictional characters that represent your ideal customers. This exercise helps you get inside their heads, understand their needs, and tailor your content accordingly.

3. Select the right social media platforms

It’s not about being everywhere; it’s about being where your audience is. To find success, be sure to: 

• Align platforms with audience preferences. Research which platforms your target audience uses most and focus your efforts there. For instance, if you’re targeting a younger audience, you might prioritize Instagram and TikTok over Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Assess platform-specific functionality. Different platforms offer unique features and functionalities. Evaluate which ones align with your objectives and can help you reach your goals more effectively.

Learn more: how to select the right social media platforms for your business. 

4. Establish a social media branding strategy

Align brand positioning and audience preferences

Your brand needs to align with your target audience’s preferences. Research your audience’s demographics, interests, and needs to ensure your brand’s positioning speaks to them. This means tailoring your messaging, visuals, and overall style to create a bond that will have them coming back for more.

Establish a clearly identifiable brand voice and tone

Define your brand’s personality — whether it’s witty, professional, or inspiring â€” and let that voice permeate all your social media content. This consistent tone will make your brand instantly recognizable.

Be consistent with your messaging and content themes

Consistency, though predictable, actually helps make your brand memorable. Stick to your core messaging and content themes to build a strong brand identity. Remember, social media is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and each piece of content should fit together seamlessly to create a coherent and captivating picture.

5. Build a social media content strategy

Define your core messaging and content themes

You wouldn’t bake a cake without a recipe, so why create content without a clear plan? Define your core messaging and content themes to ensure that every piece of content serves a purpose, whether it’s educating, entertaining, or inspiring your followers. This way, you’ll create content that resonates with your audience and helps build lasting connections.

Conduct a competitor analysis to see what’s working for them

Keeping tabs on the competition is essential for building a successful social media strategy. Analyze your competitors’ content to uncover what’s working, what’s not, and where you can fill in the gaps. 

6. Develop a social media content calendar

A content calendar brings structure and consistency to your social media efforts. 

Define content types

Like a master baker, you’ll want a variety of flavors in your content mix. Here are some of the types of content you should consider utilizing:

• Blog posts. Share your expertise and tell stories that resonate with your audience. If your site’s built on WordPress, you’re already set up for publishing great blog content.
• Images. Captivate followers with eye-catching visuals, whether it’s product shots or behind-the-scenes looks.
• Videos. Engage viewers with entertaining or educational content.
• Polls and surveys. Involve your audience and gather valuable insights.
• User-generated content (UGC). Feature content created by your customers or fans.
• Testimonials and reviews. Showcase social proof to build trust and credibility.

Frequency and scheduling

Consistency is key when it comes to social media. But it’s not about churning out content — it’s about finding the sweet spot between quality and quantity. Consider the following factors when determining your posting schedule:

• Platform. Each platform has its own optimal posting frequency. Research and follow best practices for each.
• Audience. Cater to your target audience’s preferences, adjusting your schedule to align with their online habits.
• Resources. Be realistic about your capacity to produce high-quality content on a consistent basis.

Seasonal and event-based planning

Stay ahead of the game by planning content around holidays, seasons, and special events. It’s like baking seasonal treats: everyone loves pumpkin spice in the fall, but they’ll probably pass on it in the summer.

Repurpose content across platforms

Don’t let your content go stale. Give it a new lease on life by repurposing it for different platforms. Turn a blog post into an infographic, or a video into bite-sized clips. 

Learn more: How to create a social media content calendar.

7. Leverage automation to scale your social media strategy

Automation is the secret sauce that helps you scale your social media efforts without losing your sanity. By leveraging automation, you can save time and improve efficiency. This is where a WordPress social media automation tool like Jetpack Social can really help.

Auto-share and schedule your posts with Jetpack Social.

Jetpack Social is the Alfred to your Batman, the R2-D2 to your Luke Skywalker. It’s an all-in-one social media sharing plugin for WordPress sites that helps you automate your social media tasks. With Jetpack Social, you can:

• Automatically share new blog posts on multiple platforms.
• Schedule social media posts in advance.
• Customize your post previews.
• Recycle content to get more fruit from your labor.

8. Build collaborations and partnerships

Influencer marketing

By partnering with influencers in your niche, you can reach new audiences, boost your credibility, and increase your brand visibility.

To find the right influencers:

• Research your target audience and identify relevant influencers
• Analyze their engagement rate, audience demographics, and content quality
• Reach out with a personalized collaboration proposal

Brand partnerships

When done right, brand partnerships are a harmonious, mutually beneficial relationship. Partner with brands that share your values and target audience, and together, you can create co-branded content, run giveaways, or host events.

Cross-promotions

With cross-promotions, both of you get to enjoy something new, but it doesn’t cost a dime. Reach out to businesses in your niche or complementary industries and propose a cross-promotion where you share each other’s content, offer discounts, or exchange shout outs.

Learn more about influencer marketing.

9. Integrate social media with other marketing channels

Your social media strategy shouldn’t be created in isolation. Integrating it with your other marketing channels creates powerful marketing synergy to cover more ground and reach more potential customers. Consider tools like:

• Email marketing. Include social media icons in your email newsletters and promote your social accounts in your email signature. Encourage subscribers to share your content on social media, and use social media to build your email list by promoting lead magnets, exclusive offers, and other newsletter signup calls to action.
• Content marketing. Use social media to amplify your content’s reach and visibility. Share your blog posts, infographics, videos, and other content assets across your social channels. Don’t forget to repurpose and reshare evergreen content to keep it top-of-mind.
• Search engine optimization (SEO). By optimizing your social media profiles and content for search engines, you’ll increase your visibility and attract more organic traffic. Incorporate relevant keywords in your social media bios, post captions, and hashtags to boost your search engine rankings.

10. Leverage paid social media advertising

Social media platforms offer a variety of advertising options that can help you reach a wider audience, target specific demographics, and boost your brand’s visibility. 

Understand advertising options and bidding strategies

Each platform has its unique set of rules, and understanding these rules is key to your success. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest all offer various ad formats and bidding strategies designed to meet your business objectives.

From carousel ads to sponsored posts and video ads, choose the format that best showcases your products or services. When it comes to bidding, you can opt for cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-impression (CPM), or cost-per-action (CPA), depending on your goals. 

Establish a clear budget and target ROAS

Establish a clear budget for your social media advertising campaigns. Determine your monthly or quarterly budget, and allocate it across your chosen platforms based on your goals and target audience.

When setting your budget, consider your ideal return on ad spend (ROAS). This metric helps you evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns and ensures you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Remember, it’s not just about spending money, it’s about investing in your business’s growth.

Design creatives and constantly A/B test

The world of social media is a visual smorgasbord, and standing out from the crowd requires an eye-catching creative that causes your audience to pause their scroll. Collaborate with your design team or freelance designers to create visually compelling ads that showcase your brand’s personality and value proposition.

To ensure your ads hit the mark, embrace the power of A/B testing. Experiment with different headlines, images, ad copy, and calls to action (CTAs) to determine which combinations drive the best results. 

11. Measure, analyze, and refine your strategy

The world of social media can be unpredictable. But by taking the following steps, you can stay on the right path and take advantage of valuable opportunities.

Clearly identify platform-specific key performance indicators (KPIs)

Just as the captain must know the characteristics of each ship in their fleet, you must understand the intricacies of each social media platform. Each one has its own unique features, and identifying platform-specific KPIs will help you chart your course effectively.

For example, Facebook might focus on reach, while LinkedIn might prioritize comments and engagement. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and make decisions accordingly.

Align these KPIs with your business objectives

It’s essential to align your KPIs with your broader business objectives. After all, what’s the point of sailing if you’re not heading in the right direction?

Whether you’re seeking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, or generate leads, your social media KPIs should support your overarching goals. By aligning your KPIs with your objectives, you’ll have a clearer understanding of your journey’s progress and can adjust your course if needed.

Automate reporting and dashboards

Captains rely on their navigational tools to stay on course. Today, you can harness the power of automation to create custom reporting and dashboards that monitor your social media strategy’s performance. With this digital compass in hand, you can ensure you’re sailing towards your goals with confidence.

Automated reporting saves you time, reduces human error, and provides you with real-time data, empowering you to make informed decisions and quickly respond to changes in the digital seascape.

Leverage data-driven decision-making to optimize your strategy

A skilled captain uses their knowledge and experience to adapt to ever-changing ocean conditions. Similarly, using data-driven decision-making allows you to optimize your social media strategy based on the insights gleaned from your analytics.

Whether it’s adjusting the type of content you share, the time of day you post, or even the platforms you focus on, data-driven decision-making can help you refine your strategy and find success.

Frequently asked questions about planning a social media strategy

Why is it important to create a social media strategy?

Imagine you’re driving on a road trip without a map or GPS. You know your final destination, but you have no idea how to get there. Your journey would be long, winding, and probably filled with dead ends. That’s what marketing on social media without a well-defined strategy is like.

A social media strategy is crucial for businesses of all sizes because it provides a roadmap to success. It outlines the goals you want to achieve, identifies the platforms and tactics that will help you reach those goals, and provides a plan to measure your success along the way.

Without a strategy, your social media efforts can be scattered, inconsistent, and ultimately ineffective. But with a solid strategy in place, you can make informed decisions, allocate resources efficiently, and maximize your return on investment.

What is a social media content strategy?

A social media content strategy is a carefully-crafted plan that outlines the types of content you’ll create and share on social media, as well as when and how you’ll share it.

Your content strategy should be informed by your overall social media strategy, which in turn should be driven by your broader marketing strategy and business goals. For example, if your primary goal is to increase brand awareness, your content strategy might focus on creating and sharing visually engaging and memorable content that reflects your brand’s personality and values.

A well-thought-out content strategy should also take into consideration your target audience, your brand’s unique selling points, and the platforms you’ll be using. It’s important to strike a balance between promoting your products and services, providing value to your audience, and fostering a sense of community and connection.

What is a social media branding strategy?

A social media branding strategy is the way your brand presents itself and communicates with your audience — it should be consistent across all platforms.

Your branding strategy encompasses everything from the tone of voice you use in your posts to the visual elements like colors, fonts, and graphics. It’s what sets you apart from the competition and helps you create a recognizable and memorable presence online.

A strong social media branding strategy starts with a clear understanding of your brand’s values, personality, and target audience. It’s about finding the right balance between showcasing your products or services and engaging with your audience in a way that feels authentic and genuine.

Remember, people don’t connect with companies — they connect with other people. So, your branding strategy should be designed to humanize your brand and make it relatable, approachable, and memorable.

What is a social media engagement strategy?

A social media engagement strategy is like a well-crafted dish at your favorite restaurant. It’s a delightful concoction of ingredients, prepared with skill and care, that aims to delight your customers and keep them coming back for more. In the world of social media, it’s the plan you put in place to interact with your audience, grow your reach, and ultimately boost your business’s bottom line.

To whip up a successful social media engagement strategy, you’ll need to carefully blend a few key ingredients like:

1. Clear objectives. Like a chef, you need to know what you’re cooking before you start. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive website traffic? Engage with existing customers? Identify your goals to give your strategy a clear direction.
2. Target audience. It’s important to know who you’re cooking for. Define your target audience by considering demographics, interests, and behaviors.
3. Content mix. Now that you know your goals and audience, it’s time to craft a menu that tantalizes their taste buds. Determine the types of content you’ll share (e.g., blog posts, videos, images), and ensure they align with your audience’s interests.
4. Channels. Choose the right platforms to serve your delectable creations. Consider where your target audience spends their time and focus your efforts there.
5. Metrics. Measure the success of your social media engagement strategy like a master sommelier evaluating a fine wine. Track your progress by analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates.

Jetpack Social: turbocharge your social media strategy and efficiency

By now, you’ve learned the ins and outs of creating, planning, and executing a social media strategy for your business. But now you need to pull it all together to find success.

And to do that, you’ll need the right tools. And the best place to start is with Jetpack Social. It’s the special ingredient that helps you get more done in less time and so you can leave everyone wondering how you possibly do it all. 

So, what can Jetpack Social do for you?

1. Automate social media sharing. With Jetpack Social, your content is automatically shared across all your connected social media platforms the moment you hit “Publish.” No more copy/pasting, no more manual posting — just pure efficiency.
2. Centralize social media management. With Jetpack Social’s user-friendly dashboard, you can manage all your social media accounts in one place, making it easier than ever to keep your strategy on course.
3. Schedule social media posts. Timing is everything, and Jetpack Social knows it. That’s why it offers a scheduling feature that allows you to plan and schedule your social media posts in advance, ensuring your content reaches your audience at the right time (even if you’re asleep). 

Jetpack Social takes the hard work out of sharing your content across multiple platforms, allowing you to focus on what really matters — creating and nurturing relationships with your audience.

Learn more about Jetpack Social or download Jetpack Social for free, right now, to start your journey to success.

The world we live in has a heartbeat, and it’s the rhythmic tapping of keys, the swiping of screens, and the posting of emojis. Yes, we’re talking about social media, the digital megaphone that amplifies our voices and connects us to the rest of the world.

For a business owner, social media offers a treasure trove of opportunities to grow, thrive, and outshine the competition.

In today’s post, we’ll unveil 27 benefits of embracing this digital revolution for your business. And, because we’re all about helping WordPress site owners find success, we’ll introduce you to Jetpack Social, the plugin that helps you ride the social media wave with ease and finesse.

Social media benefits for brand visibility and awareness

1. Expand your reach to a wider audience

Think of social media as your business’s virtual megaphone, shouting your message to the masses. It helps you tap into the vast pool of potential customers who are out there, just waiting to discover your brand. With a well-crafted social media strategy, your company will attract more attention, turning those casual scrollers into loyal followers.

2. Connect with your target audience on a personal level

On social media, people aren’t looking for cold, corporate messages. They’re seeking connections with real, authentic brands. Social media platforms offer the opportunity to create a genuine bond with your audience, allowing you to showcase your brand’s personality and tell your story in an engaging way. Make your audience feel like they’re a part of your journey, and they’ll become your biggest cheerleaders.

3. Boost brand perception

By fine-tuning your social media presence, you can create a cohesive and memorable brand image that makes your business stand out. Remember, consistency is key — from your profile picture to your bio, ensure that your brand message is clear and consistent across all platforms, including your website and any print materials you use.

4. Tie your brand to influential personalities

For their followers, the opinions and recommendations of influencers are incredibly powerful. By partnering with influencers who resonate with your brand, you can amplify your message and gain the trust of their audience. Moreover, don’t underestimate the value of your existing customers — anyone now has the potential to become a brand advocate and share their experiences.

5. Build brand partnerships and run cross-promotions

In the business world, collaboration is the secret sauce for success. Social media provides a unique opportunity to forge strategic partnerships with complementary brands and run cross promotions to expand your reach and share resources. 

Social media benefits for traffic, sales, and revenue

6. Easily create and share existing content

Thankfully, you don’t need a million dollar production budget to create and share valuable, engaging content. You can quickly try many different kinds of content and see what ideas are engaging enough to entice your audience to click, like, comment, and share. When ideas succeed, they can not only drive traffic to your website, but also help to establish your brand as a thought leader.

7. Auto-share content from your website

As much work as you’ve put into your website, you want to ensure as many people as possible see it. Often, the hardest part of sharing site content on social media is remembering to work it into your content calendar.   

But imagine a world where your site content is automatically posted on your social media channels, without any extra effort on your part. It sounds awesome, right?

With Jetpack Social, you can easily auto-share your blog posts and other website content to your social media platforms, saving you time and ensuring that your audience never misses an update.

8. Run more short-term promotions and offers

Social media provides an irresistible opportunity to run flash sales and marketing promotions that turn followers into customers. And you no longer need a big budget for signage and ad creative. You can quickly create deals for almost any holiday, special event, or temporary fad. 

By running exclusive deals and offers on your social media channels, you can not only drive sales, but also encourage your followers to share these promotions with their networks, extending your reach even further. 

9. Make the most of social commerce and shoppable posts

The age of social commerce is upon us, where customers can shop directly from their social media feeds. By integrating shoppable posts and social commerce features into your social media strategy, you can create a seamless shopping experience that drives sales and keeps customers coming back for more.

10. Benefit from affordable advertising

Organic reach is fantastic, but sometimes you need a little boost to get your message in front of the right people. Paid social media advertising offers the opportunity to target specific demographics and interests, ensuring that your ad budget is spent wisely and effectively. With the right targeting, your ads will reach your ideal customers, driving traffic and increasing sales. The best part is that, unlike traditional media advertising, you can start advertising for just a few dollars per day. 

11. Efficiently follow up with potential customers

Sometimes, customers need a gentle nudge to remind them of your brand and products. Retargeting ads on social media can help you re-engage potential customers who have shown interest in your brand but haven’t yet converted. By keeping your brand top-of-mind, you can increase the likelihood of turning those prospects into paying customers.

Social media benefits for gaining customer insights

12. Learn from detailed audience demographics and analytics

Social media platforms are treasure troves of data, providing valuable insights into your audience’s demographics, interests, and preferences. By analyzing this data, you can better understand your target customers and create content and campaigns that resonate with them, ultimately driving more engagement and conversions.

13. Track and measure customer engagement

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Regularly tracking and analyzing engagement metrics — such as likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates — will help you identify what’s working and what’s not. This valuable information enables you to fine-tune your social media strategy and focus on the content and tactics that generate the best results.

14. Take advantage of social listening and sentiment analysis

Social listening involves monitoring social media conversations and mentions to gain insights into what people are saying about your brand, products, and industry. Sentiment analysis takes it a step further by evaluating the tone and emotions behind these conversations. By leveraging these tools, you can stay ahead of the curve, identify potential issues before they escalate, and uncover valuable feedback to improve your offerings.

15. Send out fast, reliable surveys and polls

Want to know what your customers really think? Just ask them. In the past, you had to send out expensive paper surveys, ask for feedback at your physical locations, or hire an expensive firm to do market research. 

Now, social media surveys and polls offer an easy and engaging way to gather feedback, opinions, and preferences from your audience. Get quick feedback on which SKUs to stock next, what pricing format your audience prefers, or nearly anything else. Use this valuable data to inform your business decisions and demonstrate that you value your customers’ input. 

Social media benefits for strengthening customer relationships

16. Provide real-time customer support

More than ever, customers have an expectation of quick and efficient support. Social media allows you to offer real-time assistance, addressing concerns and inquiries promptly and publicly. You can solve issues before they turn into a bigger headache, and by demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction, you can strengthen relationships and build a loyal customer base.

17. Gather more customer-generated content and testimonials

There’s no better endorsement than a happy customer singing your praises. Through social media, you can easily encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brand through user-generated content and testimonials. By showcasing these authentic stories on your social media channels, you can build trust and credibility with your audience.

18. Host more frequent events and contests

Who doesn’t love a little friendly competition? Social media events and contests are a fantastic way to engage your audience, create buzz around your brand, and reward loyal customers. From photo contests to live Q&A sessions, get creative with your events and watch your customer relationships flourish.

Social media benefits for brand reputation and authority

19. Establish thought leadership through content curation

Content curation is the art of collecting, organizing, and sharing the best content from various sources to provide value to your audience. By consistently curating and sharing high-quality, relevant content, you can establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, earning the trust and respect of your audience.

20. Collaborate with industry experts and influencers

Aligning your brand with industry experts and influencers can significantly boost your credibility and authority. By collaborating on content, events, or campaigns, you can tap into their expertise and expand your reach to their audience, further solidifying your brand’s reputation.

21. Participate in relevant online conversations and communities

You no longer need to spend your days and nights driving to industry events and meet-and-greets that may or may not be worth your time. 

In just a few spare minutes each day, you can join online conversations and communities relevant to your industry to showcase your expertise, provide value, and build relationships with potential customers. By engaging in these discussions, you can position your brand as an authoritative and helpful resource, earning the trust and respect of your audience.

22. Showcase company culture and values

Your brand is more than just your products or services; it’s the people behind it and the values they uphold. Social media allows you to highlight your company culture, values, and the faces behind your brand. This helps humanize your business and allows your audience to connect with you on a deeper level.

Social media benefits for managing brand reputation

23. Address negative feedback and reviews before they spiral

Bad reviews can be a tough pill to swallow, but they’re also an opportunity to demonstrate your brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction. By addressing these concerns promptly and professionally on social media, you can turn a negative situation into a positive one and show your audience that you genuinely care about their experience.

24. Amplify positive customer experiences

When a customer has a fantastic experience with your brand, make sure the world knows about it. Share positive reviews, testimonials, and customer-generated content on your social media channels to highlight the best of what your brand has to offer.

25. Proactively engage with followers to maintain brand reputation

Your brand’s reputation is built on the relationships you nurture with your customers. By proactively engaging with your followers on social media — responding to comments, asking for feedback, and sharing user-generated content — you can maintain a positive brand reputation and foster long-lasting customer loyalty.

Social media benefits for competitive analysis

26. Quickly identify competitor strategies and weaknesses

Keeping an eye on your competition is crucial for staying ahead in the game. Social media platforms offer a wealth of information on your competitors’ strategies, successes, and weaknesses. By analyzing this data, you can identify opportunities for your brand to shine and stay one step ahead.

27. Gather industry trends and insights

Staying up-to-date on industry trends and insights is crucial for success. Social media platforms provide a real-time snapshot of what’s happening in your industry, allowing you to adapt your strategies efficiently.

Frequently asked questions

Below are some commonly asked questions about social media marketing, along with answers from industry experts:

Where can I learn more about social media marketing?

To expand your knowledge of social media marketing, consider exploring the following resources:

• Online courses. Websites like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning offer comprehensive social media marketing courses, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, to help you develop your skills.
• Blogs and websites. Follow industry-leading blogs and websites such as Social Media Examiner, Jetpack, WordPress, and WooCommerce for insights, tips, and case studies on social media marketing.
• Webinars and workshops. Regularly attend webinars and workshops hosted by social media experts and influencers. These events often provide valuable insights and actionable tips.
• eBooks and guides. Download free or paid eBooks and guides on social media marketing, which can offer in-depth information and step-by-step strategies for various platforms.
• Podcasts. Subscribe to social media marketing podcasts to stay updated on the latest trends and insights.
• Networking. Join online communities, forums, and social media groups where professionals discuss social media marketing strategies, challenges, and experiences.

How can I plan a social media strategy for my business?

Below is a step-by-step summary to help you plan a social media strategy for your business:

• Set clear goals. Identify your social media objectives, such as brand awareness, customer engagement, lead generation, or sales conversions.
• Define your target audience. Understand the demographics, interests, and online behavior of your ideal customers to create content that resonates with them.
• Choose the right platforms. Select social media platforms that align with your audience and objectives. Focus on a few platforms where your target audience is most active.
• Develop a content strategy. Create a mix of content types, such as promotional, educational, entertaining, and engaging posts, that will appeal to your audience.
• Establish a posting schedule. Determine the optimal posting frequency and timing for each platform, based on your audience’s preferences and your resources.
• Monitor and analyze performance. Regularly track your social media metrics to measure the effectiveness of your strategy and make data-driven adjustments as needed.

What should I post on my social media pages?

Post a mix of content that’s relevant, valuable, and engaging for your audience. This may include blog posts, industry news, behind-the-scenes looks, promotional offers, user-generated content, and more. Remember to maintain a balance between promotional and non-promotional content to keep your audience engaged.

To keep your social media pages engaging and relevant, consider posting the following types of content:

• Educational content. Share informative blog posts, how-to guides, infographics, and industry news to establish your brand as a valuable resource.
• Entertaining content. Create fun and entertaining content, such as memes, GIFs, or quizzes, that align with your brand’s tone and voice.
• Behind-the-scenes looks. Showcase your company culture and the people behind your brand with candid photos, videos, and stories.
• Promotional offers. Share exclusive deals, discounts, and product launches to drive sales and reward your followers.
• User-generated content. Encourage your customers to share their experiences and showcase their posts on your social media channels.
• Inspirational content. Post motivational quotes, stories, or images that inspire and uplift your audience.
• Interactive content. Engage your audience with polls, surveys, or Q&A sessions to encourage participation and gather feedback.

For more like these, see our guide 23 Social Media Post Ideas for Businesses Looking to Stand Out.

How can I build a social media content strategy?

To create a successful social media content strategy, follow these steps:

• Identify your goals and objectives. Determine what you want to achieve through your social media content, such as increased engagement, brand awareness, or lead generation.
• Understand your audience. Research your target audience’s demographics, interests, and preferences to create content that resonates with them.
• Choose content formats. Experiment with various content formats, such as images, videos, articles, and stories, to see what performs best on each platform
• Develop content themes and categories. Create a mix of content categories, such as educational, entertaining, promotional, and user-generated content, to maintain variety and keep your audience engaged.
• Plan a content distribution strategy. Determine the best times and days to post on each platform and establish a posting frequency that works for your audience and resources.
• Monitor and analyze performance. Regularly track your social media metrics to measure the effectiveness of your content strategy and make data-driven adjustments as needed.

For a detailed walkthrough on social media content strategies, see our guide How to Create a Social Media Content Strategy in 8 Steps.

How can I create a social media content calendar?

A social media content calendar is an essential tool for organizing, scheduling, and tracking your social media posts.

To create one, begin by outlining your content categories, themes, and posting frequency. Then, map out your content for the coming weeks or months, ensuring that you maintain a balanced mix of content types.

Here’s a summary of the steps to create a social media content calendar:

• Outline content categories. Define the content themes and categories that you’ll be posting, such as educational, entertaining, or promotional content.
• Determine posting frequency. Decide how often you’ll post on each platform, considering your audience’s preferences and your resources.
• Plan content in advance. Map out your content for the coming weeks or months, ensuring that you maintain a balanced mix of content types.
• Use a digital tool. Leverage tools like Google Calendar, Trello, or Asana to organize and schedule your content calendar, making it easily accessible to your team.
• Schedule and automate posts. Use social media management tools like Jetpack Social to schedule and publish your content across multiple platforms.
• Monitor and adjust. Regularly review your content calendar and make adjustments based on your performance metrics, audience feedback, or emerging trends.

For a detailed walkthrough, see our guide How to Create a Winning Social Media Content Calendar.

How can I grow my social media followers?

Growing your social media following takes time, effort, and consistency. To attract and retain followers, consistently post valuable and engaging content, interact with your audience, use relevant hashtags, and collaborate with influencers and complementary brands. Paid advertising and promotions can also help boost your follower count.

To grow your social media following, consider these strategies:

• Post valuable and engaging content. Consistently share content that’s relevant, valuable, and interesting to your target audience.
• Interact with your audience. Respond to comments, questions, and messages to build relationships with your followers and encourage new users to join the conversation.
• Use relevant hashtags. Incorporate popular and relevant hashtags in your posts to increase your content’s visibility and reach a larger audience.
• Collaborate with influencers and complementary brands. Partner with influencers and other businesses in your industry to tap into their audience and expand your reach.
• Run paid advertising and promotions. Utilize paid advertising campaigns, such as Facebook Ads or Instagram Sponsored Posts, to target and attract potential followers.
• Host giveaways and contests. Organize social media contests and giveaways to encourage engagement, increase your reach, and reward your followers.

For a detailed walkthrough, see our guide How to Grow Social Media Followers for Your Business.

How can I automate social media posts to save time?

Social media automation tools, like Jetpack Social, can help you schedule and publish posts across multiple platforms, saving you time and ensuring consistency. These tools also offer analytics to help you monitor your performance and optimize your social media strategy.

Jetpack Social: Bringing automation to your social media strategy

Now that you’re well-versed in the many benefits of social media for your business, it’s time to consider a game-changing tool that will help you effortlessly harness the power of social media: Jetpack Social.

Jetpack Social is a robust social media sharing plugin for WordPress that allows you to auto-share your content across multiple platforms, schedule posts, and track engagement — all from one convenient dashboard. With Jetpack Social, you can ensure that your social media strategy is firing on all cylinders without breaking a sweat.

By automating your social media efforts with Jetpack Social, you can focus on creating compelling content, engaging with your audience, and growing your business, while Jetpack Social takes care of the nitty-gritty.

Social media is an essential tool for businesses of all sizes, offering countless benefits for brand visibility, customer engagement, sales, and much more. By leveraging these benefits and incorporating a social media automation tool like Jetpack Social into your strategy, you can elevate your brand to new heights and ensure that your business thrives.

Social media is an integral part of our lives, and it’s impossible to ignore its impact on nonprofits. These organizations can leverage social media to build relationships, spread awareness about their cause, and increase donations.

Social media platforms provide an avenue for organizations to connect with their supporters and share their mission with the world. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of social media for nonprofits, the unique challenges these kinds of organizations face, and how they can create an effective strategy.

We’ll also cover best practices for nonprofit social media management and content creation. And, of course, we’ll share how Jetpack Social can help fuel success.

Is social media important for nonprofits?

Social media is a vital tool for nonprofits to reach a wider audience and cultivate support. With over four billion social media users worldwide, it’s hard to ignore.

Social media platforms can help nonprofits build their brand, share their mission, and engage with their audience. Nonprofits that leverage social media effectively can increase their reach, raise more funds, and drive more action towards their cause.

Benefits of social media for nonprofits

There are many benefits of social media for nonprofits. Some of the most significant benefits include:

• Increased visibility. Social media allows nonprofits to reach a wider audience and increase their visibility. With the right content and strategy, nonprofits can gain more followers, improve engagement, and build awareness.
• More donations. By sharing compelling stories, statistics, and campaigns, nonprofits can inspire followers to support their cause.
• Improved engagement. Social media allows nonprofits to engage with their audience in a more personalized way. By responding to comments, sharing user-generated content, and thanking donors, nonprofits can foster a sense of community around their cause.
• Greater volunteerism. Nonprofits can share job and volunteer opportunities, and highlight the work of existing team members to inspire others to get involved.

Challenges of social media for nonprofits

While social media offers many benefits for nonprofits, there are also challenges to using it successfully. Some of the most common ones include:

• Limited resources. Many nonprofits have limited resources, including staff and budget. Social media can be time-consuming and requires a lot of effort to manage effectively.
• Limited reach. While social media platforms have a large user base, it can be challenging for nonprofits to reach their target audience. To be successful, nonprofits need to continually create compelling content that resonates with their followers.
• Negative feedback. Nonprofits need to be prepared to handle negative feedback and criticism on social media. It’s essential to respond professionally and handle issues quickly to avoid damaging their reputation.

What can a nonprofit social media strategy be used for?

The reach that social media provides makes it an essential tool for nonprofits to communicate with their audience and mobilize support. By having a clear and effective social media strategy, nonprofits can maximize their impact, reach new audiences, and build long-lasting relationships with supporters. In this section, we’ll explore the ways in which a nonprofit social media strategy can help further the mission.

1. Support fundraising efforts

Social media is a great tool for nonprofits to raise funds and support their cause. Without spending a ton of money, they can share their fundraising campaigns, calls to action, and success stories with a wide audience. They can also promote crowdfunding campaigns or donation-matching challenges to inspire their followers to donate more.

By leveraging the right platform, nonprofits can reach potential donors where they spend most of their time. Social media can also be used to engage with donors and supporters, thank them for their contributions, and build better relationships.

2. Promote events and advocacy campaigns

Social media provides an opportunity for nonprofits to promote their events and advocacy campaigns. They can share information about events, create buzz around their campaigns, and invite their followers to participate. 

Nonprofits can also use social media to showcase past event highlights, share photos and videos from activities, and thank supporters for their attendance. By leveraging social media, nonprofits can increase event attendance and raise awareness about their advocacy campaigns.

3. Share milestones and success stories

Social media can be used to help keep supporters encouraged, engaged, and motivated. By sharing updates on the nonprofit’s impact or recent milestones surpassed, organizations can build long-lasting momentum. 

From creating graphics that summarize accomplishments to showcasing success through video interviews with beneficiaries, volunteers, and partners, there are plenty of ways nonprofits can demonstrate the impact of their work.

4. Engage and cultivate relationships with donors

It’s not all about finding new supporters — social media can be used to bolster relationships with existing donors and volunteers as well. Nonprofits can thank their donors for their contributions, and share updates and individual stories about the impact their donations have had in the real world. 

Organizations can use social media to provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of their work, showcase the people behind their organization, and offer exclusive opportunities for supporters. 

By leveraging social media, nonprofits can build lasting relationships with their donors and increase the likelihood of future donations.

5. Recruit board members, volunteers, and staff

Social media can be a powerful tool for nonprofits to recruit board members, volunteers, and staff. They can post new job openings and volunteer opportunities, as well as showcase the work of current team members. 

Nonprofits can also use social media to highlight the benefits of working for their organization, share testimonials from current and past staff, and provide a glimpse into the culture. By leveraging social media, nonprofits can attract the right talent and build a strong team to support their mission.

6. Drive website traffic

Driving more website traffic is often a top goal for nonprofits, and social media provides plenty of opportunities to help meet that objective. Organizations can share links to their website, blog posts, and other content to encourage followers to abandon scrolling and explore more about them. 

Many social media platforms also allow nonprofits to create targeted, paid ad campaigns to collect new email subscribers, find leads for potential donors or volunteers, or simply drive site traffic on a pay-per-click basis. 

7. Engage with media outlets and personalities

Social media can be used to engage with media outlets and build relationships with key reporters and contributors. Nonprofits can connect with journalists, bloggers, and other media influencers, share their story ideas and news releases, and establish themselves as an expert in their field. 

Organizations can also use social media to respond to media requests, share relevant content, and thank outlets for their coverage. 

The amplification of their message through the media relationships built on social media is an indirect benefit of using social platforms, but it’s one that can’t be ignored. 

8. Build relationships with key stakeholders

Nonprofits need the support of many different key stakeholders, such as policymakers, community leaders, and influencers. Through social media, organizations can engage with these stakeholders, share relevant information, and build rapport. 

Nonprofits can also use social media to demonstrate their impact and effectiveness, highlight accomplishments, and advocate for their cause.

9. Collaborate with other nonprofit organizations 

Social media can be used to collaborate with complementary organizations and form partnerships to increase each other’s reach and impact, share resources, and support each other’s missions. 

They can promote joint events, campaigns, and initiatives, and encourage their followers to get involved. 

10. Foster a sense of community

Nonprofits can use social media to foster a sense of community around their cause and mission. By sharing their stories, accomplishments, and impact on social media, nonprofits can inspire followers and create a sense of belonging.

Nonprofits can also use social media to engage with their followers, respond to comments and messages, and recognize their support. 

How to create a nonprofit social media strategy in ten steps

With so many social media opportunities available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to help you create a successful social media strategy for your nonprofit:

1. Define your organization’s social media goals

Before you start creating your nonprofit’s social media strategy, it’s crucial to define your goals. What do you hope to achieve through your efforts? Are you looking to raise awareness, build relationships, or promote your campaigns? Having clear goals in mind will help you stay focused and measure your success.

Once you’ve defined your goals, think about how social media fits into your overall strategy. Are there specific, existing campaigns or initiatives you want to promote through social media? Are there certain audiences you want to target? 

2. Identify your strengths and unique value proposition

Next, take a step back and think about what sets your nonprofit apart. What are your strengths and unique value proposition? How can you use your strengths to achieve your social media goals? This will help you identify the messaging and content that will resonate with your target audience and make your organization stand out.

Think about the values and mission that drive your nonprofit. Use this to inform the messaging and content that you share on social media and make sure your online presence accurately reflects your organization.

3. Research what other organizations are doing 

Once you clearly understand your strengths and unique value proposition, it’s time to research what other organizations in your sector are doing on social media. What strategies are they using? What seems to be working well for them? This research can provide valuable insights into best practices, as well as areas where you can differentiate yourself and stand out.

Take the time to review the social media profiles of other nonprofits in your sector, and make note of what you like and what you think could be improved. 

Here’s what your research process could look like:

• Review the social media profiles of 5-10 other nonprofits.
• Take note of what they’re posting, how often they do so, the days of the week and times they post, and what seems to be resonating with their followers.
• Write down what you like about their strategy and what you think could be improved.
• Analyze their engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, etc.) to see what kinds of content seems to work best. 
• Consider how you can incorporate elements of their successful strategies into your own plan.
• Look for areas where you can differentiate yourself from what they’re doing.

4. Choose the right social media platforms

Next, it’s time to choose the right social media platforms for your nonprofit. Consider your goals, target audience, and resources when making your decision. Each platform has its unique features and audience, so choose the ones that make the most sense for your organization.

Identify where your target audience is spending their time online, and make sure you have a presence on the platforms that are most relevant. It’s usually best to start small and focus on a few platforms at first. You can always expand later as you grow your following.

Here’s how to determine which social media platforms to use:

• Research your target audience to determine where they’re spending their time online.
• Consider platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
• Make sure you fully understand each platform’s unique features and audience.
• Choose the platforms that are most relevant to your goals and target audience.
• Determine what kind of content works best on each platform. For example, images are a great fit for Pinterest and Instagram.
• Keep in mind that your target audience and the platforms they use may change over time, so be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed.

WooCommerce has a great guide to help you choose the right social media platforms. While it focuses on ecommerce stores, there’s a lot of great information for nonprofits, too!

5. Develop brand guidelines for content creation and curation

With your social media platforms in place, it’s time to develop brand guidelines for content creation and curation. These guidelines should outline the tone, style, and messaging that should be used across all of your social media profiles. This will help ensure consistency and coherence in your messaging and make it easier for your team to create and curate content.

Focus on the image you want to project through your social media presence, and make sure your brand guidelines reflect this. Ensure that all content created for your social media channels aligns with your brand guidelines, and consider hiring a professional to help with content creation, if necessary.

Here are some tips related to developing social media brand guidelines for a nonprofit:

• Define the tone and voice you want to use on social media.
• Determine the style of content that will best represent your brand.
• Decide on the messaging you want to convey through your social media channels.
• Make sure your brand guidelines are clear, concise, and easily accessible to your team.
• Make sure all team members involved in social media management are trained on the brand guidelines and understand how to apply them in their work.
• Regularly review and update your brand guidelines as needed to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
• Create or highlight real-world examples of posts that you want to emulate. Do the same for posts whose content, tone, or imagery goes against what you want for your organization. Make notes on why these examples are good or bad. 

6. Choose the right automation tools to increase efficiency

There are a variety of automation tools available that can help increase efficiency and save time. Tools such as Jetpack Social can help you automate your social media posting and streamline your efforts by auto-sharing your website content on social media and scheduling posts in advance.

When choosing tools, consider taking the following steps:

• Research and compare different automation tools to determine which ones are the best fit for your organization.
• Consider factors such as ease of use, cost, and the specific features offered by each tool.
• Make sure your top choice integrates with your existing tools and systems.
• Take advantage of free trials or demos to test out the tool before making a decision.
• Consider how the automation tool will impact your team’s workflow and whether it will save enough time to warrant any expenses.
• Make sure the automation tool you choose offers analytics and reporting capabilities so you can track your social media performance.
• Take advantage of the support and resources offered by the tool to ensure you’re making the most of its features.

7. Create a content calendar

Once you have your brand guidelines and automation tools in place, it’s time to build a content calendar. This calendar should outline the content you plan to post on each of your social media platforms and when those posts should be distributed. This will help ensure that you’re consistently sharing engaging and relevant content. It will also make it easier to plan and schedule posts in advance.

Having a content calendar in place can help you stay organized and avoid last-minute scrambling to create posts.

To create a content calendar for your nonprofit:

• Start by mapping out important events, campaigns, and milestones for your organization.
• Plan content around these events in advance to make sure you are capitalizing on opportunities to engage with your audience and that your social media efforts are purposefully contributing to your goals.
• Consider the different types of content you want to create and when each type of content is best shared.
• Make sure you include a mix of promotional, educational, and engaging content in your calendar.
• Use your brand guidelines to inform the tone, style, and messaging of your content.
• Use analytics and insights from past posts to inform the content you include in your calendar.
• Make sure you’re scheduling posts at optimal times for each platform.
• Consider using a shared calendar or project management tool to keep your content calendar organized and accessible to your team.

8. Leverage social media influencers and advocates

Social media influencers and advocates can help spread your message and reach a wider audience. Partner with individuals who are passionate about your cause, have a large following on social media, and whose reputation will reflect positively on your organization. 

To successfully partner with influencers and advocates, consider the following:

• Research potential influencers and advocate partners by looking at their social media presence, following, and engagement levels. A smaller audience that’s heavily engaged is often better than a large group of followers who never pay attention. 
• Reach out to individuals who align with your mission and values and see if they would be interested in partnering with you.
• Create a clear agreement outlining the terms of the partnership, including the type of content you want them to create, the compensation you can offer, and the expected outcomes from the partnership.
• Provide influencers and advocate partners with the resources and information they need to create effective content.
• Make sure you’re tracking the impact of your influencer and advocate partnerships and adjusting your approach as needed.
• Consider offering incentives to your influencer and advocate partners, such as exclusive access to events or early access to new campaigns.
• Foster ongoing relationships with influencer and advocate partners to ensure that the partnership continues to be mutually beneficial.

9. Integrate social media into your broader strategy

Social media should be integrated into your broader communications and fundraising strategy. Make sure your efforts support your overall goals and objectives. For example, you can use social media to promote your fundraising campaigns, thank donors, and share updates on your progress.

Things to keep in mind when integrating social media into your broader strategy:

• Make sure your social media profiles are connected to your website, email, and other communication channels so that you can drive traffic and conversions from social media to other parts of your organization.
• Develop a cross-promotion strategy that takes advantage of the strengths of each channel. For example, you can promote your social media channels through email and vice versa.
• Use social media to build relationships with donors and supporters by responding to comments and messages, publicly recognizing their contributions, and sharing updates on the impact of their donations.
• Use social media to promote fundraising campaigns and events by creating compelling visuals and videos that highlight the impact of the campaign and the reasons why people should donate.
• Keep your supporters informed and engaged with regular updates on your progress by sharing success stories, impact updates, and other content that highlights the impact of their contributions.

10. Analyze and adjust your social media strategy

Finally, regularly analyze the success of your social media efforts and make adjustments. Continuously iterate and improve your strategy to ensure that you’re making the most of your social media presence. Use analytics tools to measure the reach and engagement of your posts and identify areas for improvement. This will help you make informed decisions about how to adjust your strategy and achieve your goals more effectively.

It’s important to remember that social media is constantly evolving, and your strategy should be flexible and adaptable. Be open to trying new tactics, experimenting with different types of content, and adjusting your approach as needed. By continuously refining your strategy, you can ensure that your social media efforts are making the biggest impact possible for your nonprofit.

Best practices for nonprofit social media management and content creation

Social media is a powerful tool for nonprofits to engage with their audience, build relationships, and increase their impact. Here are 12 best practices for nonprofit social media management and content creation:

1. Optimize your content for each platform

To maximize the impact of your social media efforts, you should optimize your content for each platform. Consider the unique features and audience of each one and adjust your content accordingly. For example, on Instagram, visual content like images and videos tend to perform well, while on others, short, concise updates are often the most effective.

Take the time to understand what generally works best for each platform, and experiment with different types of content to see what resonates with your specific audience.

2. Experiment with different types of content

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Experimenting with different types of content can help you find what works best for your audience and make the most of your social media presence. Try incorporating images, videos, live streams, and other types of content into your strategy to see what gets the most traction.

Think about the different ways you can tell your nonprofit’s story, and consider how each type of content can help you achieve your goals. For example, visual content like images and videos can help create emotional connections with your audience, while live streams can help you engage with your followers in real time.

3. Use storytelling to create emotional connections

Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating emotional connections with your audience. Share stories that demonstrate the impact of your work and inspire others to get involved. Think about the different ways you can bring your nonprofit’s stories to life, and how you can use storytelling to engage and inspire your audience.

Humanize your nonprofit and make a personal connection with your audience. Share stories about the people you serve, the impact of your work, and the challenges you face. Make sure your stories are relatable, inspiring, and memorable.

4. Incorporate user-generated content from supporters and advocates

Incorporating user-generated content from supporters and advocates can help build a sense of community and create a more authentic and engaging presence on social media. Encourage your followers to share their own stories and experiences related to your nonprofit’s cause, and feature this content on your social media channels.

Consider using contests, challenges, and campaigns to encourage your supporters to share their own stories and experiences.

5. Create social media content that’s accessible to all

It’s essential to ensure that your social media content is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. Use alternative text for images and closed captioning for videos to ensure that everyone can access and enjoy your content. 

Also, make sure your social media content is easily understandable, regardless of the language or culture of your audience. Use clear and concise language, and avoid jargon and technical terms whenever possible.

6. Use visual and video content to tell your nonprofit’s story

Visual and video content are a powerful way to tell your nonprofit’s story and create emotional connections with your audience. By incorporating images, videos, and other types of visual content into your social media strategy, you can bring your story to life and engage your followers in new and exciting ways.

Consider using a variety of types of visual content, including photos and videos of your staff and volunteers in action, graphics and infographics to explain complex concepts, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work. You can also showcase the impact of your work, share inspiring stories from your supporters, and connect with your audience on a deeper level.

When creating visual content, focus on high-quality images and videos that clearly communicate your message. Use compelling captions, hashtags, and other creative elements to make your visual content stand out on social media.

7. Leverage tools to automate social media posting

Automating your social media posting can save you time and increase efficiency, allowing you to focus on creating and curating the most engaging content. There are a variety of tools available, including Jetpack Social, that can streamline your efforts.

When choosing a tool for automating your social media posting, consider your goals, target audience, and resources. Make sure the tool you choose is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and processes.

Once you have a tool in place, consider how you can put it to work to automate your social media — including scheduling posts in advance, creating and publishing content at optimal times, and tracking your performance and engagement metrics.

By leveraging tools to automate your social media posting, you can increase your efficiency, save time, and make the most of your social media presence.

8. Develop a social media ambassador program

Developing a social media ambassador program is a great way to engage your supporters and encourage them to share your message with their own followers. People who are both passionate about your cause and have a large following on social media are incredibly valuable assets for your nonprofit.

To develop a social media ambassador program, consider how you can involve your supporters and advocates in your existing efforts, and think about what types of recognition and rewards you can offer. You can also provide ambassadors with training and resources to help them effectively share your message.

By working with the right people, you can make a bigger impact through your social media. And by recognizing and rewarding their contributions, you can create a sense of loyalty and teamwork that can further help your efforts thrive. 

9. Recognize and thank supporters, donors, and partners

Regularly recognizing and thanking your supporters, donors, and partners on social media is a powerful way to build a sense of community and strengthen your relationships with key stakeholders. Whether you’re thanking a donor for their contribution, recognizing a volunteer for their service, or acknowledging someone for their support, this is an important part of building a strong and engaged community.

When recognizing and thanking your supporters, focus on personalizing your messages and making them feel valued. Use images and other types of visual content to increase the impact of your messages, and consider offering exclusive opportunities or rewards to those who are recognized.

10. Highlight the work of your staff and volunteers

Your staff and volunteers are the backbone of your nonprofit, and highlighting their work on social media can help create a more personal and engaging presence. By showcasing their work, you can create a more human and relatable presence on social media and connect with your followers on a deeper level.

Plus, it can invigorate and encourage your team, so they remain productive and motivated in their day-to-day work. 

Here are some ways to highlight the work of your staff and volunteers:

• Share updates on what they’re doing. Whether it’s about specific projects or initiatives, or just a general overview of what they’re working on, talking about the work of your staff and volunteers can help followers get a better understanding of the impact of your nonprofit.
• Highlight the impact of their efforts. Consider how you can showcase the impact of the work of your staff and volunteers. This could be in the form of stories from people whose lives have been positively impacted by your nonprofit’s work, or data and statistics that demonstrate the progress made by their efforts.
• Share behind-the-scenes content. People love to get a behind-the-scenes look at organizations, and your staff and volunteers are a great way to give followers a sneak peek into your nonprofit. Consider sharing photos and videos of your team in action, or hosting a Q&A session with your staff or volunteers on social media.
• Recognize and reward their efforts. Donors aren’t the only ones who deserve recognition. Regularly recognizing and thanking your staff and volunteers on social media can help build morale and encourage them to continue their great work. Consider how you can reward their efforts, whether it’s through shoutouts on social media, special events, or other forms of recognition.

11. Respond to comments and messages promptly and professionally

Responding to comments and messages is an essential part of social media management. By focusing on quick, respectful responses, you can build stronger relationships with followers and create a more engaging presence on social media.

Here are tips to help you respond to comments and messages:

• Train your team. Make sure your team is trained to handle comments and messages in a professional and consistent manner. This could involve creating a set of guidelines or providing training on how to handle difficult or sensitive situations. Newer members of your team should defer tricky responses to senior staff until they’ve gained full confidence.
• Set a response time. Ensure that all comments are responded to in a timely fashion. Consider setting a target response time, such as within 24 hours, to ensure that you’re meeting the expectations of your followers.
• Be proactive. Don’t wait for comments and messages to come to you — be proactive and reach out to your followers on social media. This could be in the form of asking for feedback, hosting Q&A sessions, or simply checking in with your followers to see how they’re doing.
• Respond professionally. When responding to comments and messages, make sure you’re doing so in a professional and consistent manner. This could involve using a specific tone or style in your responses or making sure that your team is trained on how to handle difficult or sensitive situations.

12. Highlight the work of other nonprofits and organizations

Collaboration and community-building are key components of any successful nonprofit strategy, and social media is a powerful tool for achieving these goals. By highlighting the work of complementary nonprofits and organizations, you can demonstrate your commitment to the common good and help build relationships with other organizations. This can lead to increased opportunities for partnerships and joint initiatives, which can help you achieve shared goals and make a bigger impact.

To get started, consider the following tips:

• Identify other organizations that are making a difference. This can include nonprofits with similar missions, as well as organizations that are addressing related issues in your community.
• Follow these organizations on social media and engage with their content. Share their posts, comment on their updates, and participate in their initiatives.
• Collaborate on social media to achieve shared goals. Share each other’s campaigns, promote each other’s initiatives, and work together on joint projects.
• Highlight the work of other organizations in your posts and updates. This can include showcasing their initiatives, sharing their success stories, and recognizing their contributions to the community you’re serving.
• Consider hosting joint events or initiatives with other organizations. Work together on social media campaigns, live events, or fundraising initiatives. 

Frequently asked questions about social media for nonprofits

Do nonprofits need social media?

Yes, social media is essential for nonprofits. It provides a platform for organizations to reach a wider audience, engage with supporters, promote their cause, and raise awareness about their work. Social media also offers an opportunity for nonprofits to build relationships with their stakeholders, share their impact, and develop a greater sense of community.

What should a nonprofit post on social media?

A nonprofit should post content that aligns with its goals and objectives, and is relevant and engaging to its target audience. Some examples of the types of content that nonprofits can post on social media include:

• Updates on their work and impact
• Stories and testimonials from beneficiaries and supporters
• Behind-the-scenes videos that highlight the work of staff and volunteers
• Calls to action and fundraising campaigns
• Success stories and achievements
• Behind-the-scenes content that provides a glimpse into the day-to-day work of the nonprofit
• Inspiring quotes and messages
• Relevant news and articles related to their cause
• Images and videos that showcase their work

How often should a nonprofit post on social media?

The frequency of posting will depend on a variety of factors, including your goals, target audience, and resources. On average, it’s recommended that nonprofits post one to two times per day on each of their social media platforms. However, it’s essential to find the right balance between frequency and quality and not to compromise on the quality of your content for the sake of posting more frequently.

When are the best times for nonprofits to post on social media?

The best times to post on social media will vary depending on your target audience and the platform you’re using.

On Facebook, the morning usually works best. On platforms like Instagram, users tend to be more active throughout the daytime hours. 

Consider using a social media management tool, like Jetpack Social, to schedule your posts in advance and optimize for the best times.

Jetpack Social: Fueling your nonprofit’s social media success

With Jetpack Social, nonprofits can schedule and share their content across multiple social media platforms, auto-share their website content, and manage their social media presence from one convenient dashboard.

If your nonprofit has a website on WordPress, then Jetpack Social is the perfect solution to help you achieve your social media goals. By leveraging the power of Jetpack Social, you can focus on what you do best — making a difference — while leaving your social media management in the capable hands of Jetpack.

To learn more about Jetpack Social and start fueling your nonprofit’s social media success today, visit the following page: https://jetpack.com/social/

Do you feel like your social media posts are stuck in an endless loop? Have you run out of new things to say and grown bored? Does it seem like you’re not getting any traction? 

Don’t worry — these feelings are common among marketers and small business owners. Today we’re going to explore the world of social media content and provide you with 22 different types of content to help you engage your audience in new and exciting ways.

22 types of social media content that can help you grow your brand in 2023

1. Text-based posts

These kinds of posts are like plain white bread — they’re easy and have their place, but can get boring after a while. So, think of creative ways to spice them up and add some personality and humor to your text-based posts.

For instance, try incorporating jokes, puns, or funny anecdotes relevant to your brand or industry. You can also use emojis, and depending on the platform, play around with bold and italicized text, and various fonts to make your text-based posts more visually appealing.

2. Blog posts and articles

Sharing blog posts and articles from your own website is a great way to drive traffic and engagement. It allows you to showcase your expertise and establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. 

When sharing your own content, make sure it aligns with your brand’s messaging and provides value. You can also add commentary or insights to the shared content to provide additional value and spark conversations with your readers.

Jetpack Social is a powerful tool that can help automate the process of sharing blog posts and website content on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.

By connecting your WordPress site to Jetpack, you can easily set up automatic sharing of new blog posts and website content to your social media accounts. This can save you a significant amount of time and effort, allowing you to focus on creating new high-quality content and engaging with your audience.

You can also schedule posts in advance, so you can plan and execute an effective social media content calendar without being constantly tied to a phone or computer. 

Pro tip: You can share your blog posts and native content more than once. When you complete a new piece of blog content, use Jetpack Social to schedule social media posts to promote it every few months. When scheduling far into the future, just be sure to consider holidays and other things around future dates that might conflict with your messaging.

3. Images (and their captions)

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a clever caption can take your social media content to the next level. It’s akin to adding a dash of salt and pepper to your food — it can make a big difference. When creating captions for your images and photos, try to tell a story, convey a message, or ask a question that encourages engagement.

This is also an opportunity to get your followers involved. Post a picture and ask them to write a caption and leave it in the comments. This can quickly turn into a fun and highly-engaging activity for everyone. 

4. Stories and reels

Short-form video content is all the rage these days — and for good reason. They give you a quick burst of energy and excitement. Plus, they’re a great way to showcase your brand’s personality.

Try to keep your stories and reels short, sweet, and to the point. Use music, animations, and stickers to add some flavor to your content.

5. GIFs and memes

Humor is a powerful tool in the world of social media, and nothing gets a chuckle quite like a well-placed GIF or meme. Use GIFs and memes that are relevant to your brand, industry, and audience. You can also create your own custom designs to add a personal touch to your content and stand out in the social media landscape.

Pro-tip: Sometimes memes and GIFs have a short shelf life. You don’t want to use an image that’s six months too late! And being an early adopter can pay off. If you or your team sees an opportunity while watching TV or browsing online, act quickly and post right away. Unlike promoting blog posts, you may not want to schedule memes and GIFs to repost months and months into the future. 

6. Infographics

Infographics provide valuable information in a visually-appealing format. Creating infographics that are easy to read and understand is crucial. Use colors, icons, and illustrations to make the content more engaging. You can also use them to explain complex concepts or data in a simple and digestible way.

You may want to test formats to see what sizes work best to post on social media, or add the infographic to your website, then share previews on social media. This is another thing you can pre-schedule using Jetpack Social and promote several times a year. 

Pro-tip: Infographics are a great example of content you can update each year to keep content fresh with minimal effort. Once you have an initial design created, you can simply update the stats each year. 

7. User-generated content (UGC)

Encourage your audience to create and share content related to your brand. Be sure to give proper credit to the UGC creators and ask for their permission before sharing their content. You can also hold contests or challenges to incentivize your audience to create more!

Social listening tools can help you spot people who have already naturally posted about your brand. Pick the best ones and reach out to them about using what they’ve created. Most people will be honored that you’d share their content, but you can offer a discount code or similar incentive if you need to. 

Working with influencers who have a niche following in your industry is another great way to get creative, natural-looking content that’s likely to appeal to your audience. 

8. Testimonials

Sharing customer testimonials can help establish trust with potential customers and showcase the value of your products or services. Testimonials should be both authentic and highlight specific benefits or results. You can also include photos or videos of the customers to add a personal touch to the content. 

While these might be reviews left naturally, you can also contact happy customers to record a formal interview and take video or audio snippets to use on social media. 

You don’t need to have expensive production value when recording testimonials. Often, a genuine, Zoom-style recording is more trustworthy and authentic to followers. 

9. Interviews

Speaking of interviews — you don’t have to stick to customers as your subjects. Connect with industry experts or other thought leaders who can provide valuable insights. Their credibility will rub off on your brand, and they might benefit from reaching new people when you promote the end result. Though, sometimes, you may need to pay experts for their time. 

Be sure to use your interview in as many ways as possible. Publish video snippets, share the entire interview, create an audio version with a podcast, add quotes to social media graphics, write a blog post with a nicely-edited summary and quotes from the interview, and design an infographic with top takeaways. 

When conducting interviews, prepare thoughtful and relevant questions, and provide context for your audience. If interviews are well received, you can start an entire series or podcast to continue the momentum.

10. Demos and tutorials

You can create both live and pre-recorded demos of how your product works. These provide a less scripted way to showcase the benefits of what you have to offer than a highly-edited brand video or commercial. 

Doing live demos opens you up to mistakes, but can be much more engaging. They allow you to take viewer questions and immediately incorporate feedback into the demonstration. 

Make sure that the demos and tutorials are easy to follow and understand, and use visuals and step-by-step instructions to guide your audience through the process. 

Well-produced tutorials as part of a help section on your website can serve as marketing pieces for people seeking to better understand your offer before committing. They can also ensure a good experience for new customers, so you minimize returns or cancellations and maximize positive reviews and referrals. 

11. Webinars

Webinars offer an engaging way to educate your audience on a specific topic or product and provide a platform for real-time conversations. Make sure to promote your webinars in advance and provide clear instructions for joining. After the webinar, provide additional resources and information to keep your audience engaged.

Webinars are often thought of as a business-to-business tool. However, any company can put on a webinar if it offers an opportunity to provide value to your audience, position your brand more favorably, and demonstrate how your products or services can benefit viewers. 

Usually, only a fraction of those who sign up for a webinar will actually attend. For this reason, an automated email follow-up program can help you maximize the impact you receive from subscribers who opted in to the webinar.  

Pro-tip: Webinars can take a lot of work. Instead of putting them on yourself, look for opportunities to speak on other brands’ webinars to reach a new audience with less work. You might also consider partnering with a complementary brand or two, so you can pool resources for production, promotion, and speaker fees (bringing in a known guest can boost attendance, but is often costly).  

12. Live streams

Offering real-time updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or Q&A sessions with your audience through live streams is a powerful way to create engagement. Remember to announce the topic in advance, and interact with your audience throughout the stream. The live stream can also be saved for later viewing or repurposed into other formats.

Some platforms may boost the reach of live content to help grow this part of the platform. So, going live may help you get in front of more people than normal. 

13. Podcast episodes and audio snippets

Podcasts offer an opportunity to create long-form content and establish your brand’s voice. Ensure that your podcast format and topic align with your brand’s values and messaging. Using audio snippets from the podcast as teasers or promotional content for social media can also help you get the most from your efforts. 

One way to grow a podcast is to have well-known guest panelists join your episode or appear on someone else’s episode. This is where working with an influencer can lead to a multi-faceted campaign. Have them post about your brand, appear in some photos you can use on product pages and social media, and do an interview on your podcast to attract new listeners. 

People who take the time to listen to your podcasts are likely to have strong loyalty and a high lifetime value as a customer. 

14. Quotes

Providing inspiration and motivation to your audience using quotes is a simple yet effective strategy. You can create your own or feature famous words from important people throughout history. You can even quote your customers, reviews from your site, and employees! 

15. Contests and giveaways

Engage your audience and increase brand awareness by offering contests and giveaways. Ensure that your contests and giveaways have clear instructions and guidelines, so participants can avoid confusion. Partnering with other brands or influencers can also increase the reach of your contest or giveaway.

This is another place where sales and promotions can take a back seat. If you sell a B2B product to those working in a specific industry, you could post business advice and inspirational quotes throughout the week to stay top-of-mind and encourage your customers. This will help further your goals without constantly bombarding followers with sales pitches.

16. Discounts and promotions

Coupons — both digital and physical — still work to drive action. Providing exclusive offers to your social media followers can help them feel appreciated and like they’re part of an exclusive group. If you have a long sales process, giving coupon codes at the start might not yield results. 

However, providing discounts to social followers, who are further along in the sales process, may be enough to turn them from onlookers to customers. Limited-time offers can create a sense of urgency, encouraging action from your audience.

Learn more about using urgency in marketing your ecommerce store. 

17. Quizzes, polls, and surveys

Engage with your audience and gather valuable feedback by creating quizzes, polls, and surveys. They can be about something related to your business — â€which new design do you like best?” — or something in pop culture that’s loosely related but gets eyes on your profile. 

Some social media platforms allow you to run polls and quizzes directly on them. However, for more detailed insights, consider something like Crowdsignal. Crowdsignal integrates perfectly with WordPress sites — it’s built by the people behind WordPress.com — and makes it easy to create all kinds of surveys and understand the results. 

18. Teasers and announcements

Social media is great for building anticipation and excitement for upcoming products, events, or promotions. Teasers provide enough information to pique your audience’s interest but don’t reveal every detail. You could even release more clues each day for a period of time or have folks guess what the announcement will be about. 

Roll out special announcement graphics when the time is right, go live to break the news, or film a polished promo and release it to your social media followers before anyone else. 

Teasers and announcements can also be part of a larger marketing campaign to build momentum and create buzz. Give some clues, but require people to subscribe to your newsletter to hear the news early. This creates excitement and could help build your email subscriber base.

19. AMAs (ask me anything)

Connecting with your audience and providing a platform for open and honest communication can be achieved through AMAs. You could go live on video or host a live chat through text. Be prepared to be a little edgy, honest, and even controversial with opinions to get interaction going. However, make sure to stay within the bounds of your brand guidelines and editorial standards. 

20. Slide decks and presentations

Sales teams have long used slide decks to make convincing presentations for prospects. But an in-person meeting isn’t the only useful place for these. Create easy-to-follow decks that can be shared on social media platforms. Allow people to browse through them at their own pace and include strong calls to action and clear next steps so intrigued followers feel confident reaching out to further their journey. 

These don’t have to be all about sales, however. Release a five-slide deck featuring four new products and one great achievement from the past year. Put out a ten page presentation on improvements you made to sustainability efforts. Or share snippets about a new raw materials provider that brings new benefits for users. 

There are lots of ways to use these kinds of go-at-your-own-pace materials to educate followers and improve their perception of your products, services, or overall brand. 

21. Shoppable content

Turning social media into a sales channel and driving revenue for your brand can be achieved through shoppable content. Ensure that your message is clear and concise, highlighting the benefits of your product or service. You can also use them to showcase new products or promotions, adding value to your audience.

Use these kinds of posts with influencer content so that people can see something they love and act right away. 

Learn more about social commerce.

22. Ephemeral content

Ephemeral (short-term) content, such as Instagram or Facebook Stories, is a great way to create a sense of urgency and provide exclusive content to your audience. It’s like having a limited-time offer — it creates a fear of missing out and encourages engagement because followers know they can’t come back in a few days to view it again. 

To create impactful ephemeral content, ensure that it provides value to your audience and is visually attractive. Pair this with a limited-time discount code for a quick boost in sales. 

Best practices for creating social media content

Now that we’ve explored the different types of social media content, let’s take a look at some best practices for creating and sharing content on social media.

1. Leverage automation to create and post content

Tools like Jetpack Social offer a range of powerful features to help you streamline your social media work and save time.

One of the key features is the ability to auto-share your blog posts and website content on social media platforms. Once you connect your WordPress site to Jetpack Social, you can easily configure the settings to automatically share your new blog posts and website content on your social accounts. This means that every time you publish a new blog post or update your website, your followers will automatically be notified.

In addition to auto-sharing, Jetpack Social allows you to schedule your social media posts in advance. Plan out your content for the coming weeks or months, schedule it to be posted at the optimal times for your audience, and rest a bit easier.

You can also repost evergreen content, such as popular blog posts or articles, to keep your social media channels active and engaging.

To lean more about Jetpack Social and how you can leverage its features, visit the following page: https://jetpack.com/social/

2. Know your audience

Understand who your audience is, what they like, and what motivates them to interact with your brand. Use this information to create content that resonates with them and provides value.

The following tips will help you better know your audience:

• Use site and social media analytics. Website and social media analytics tools gather data on your audience’s demographics, behavior, and engagement that you can use to better understand what content resonates with your audience and what topics or formats you should focus on. Jetpack Stats is a great option for basic information on your WordPress site. As you advance, you can utilize tools like Google Analytics and built-in data on social profiles. 
• Monitor your competition. Keep an eye on your competitors’ social media accounts to see what content is resonating with their audience. Use this information to identify gaps in your own content strategy, and incorporate what you learn into future posts.
• Conduct surveys and polls. Ask your audience directly for feedback and insights on their preferences and behavior. Surveys and polls can help you gather valuable data on your audience’s interests, opinions, and pain points.
• Use buyer personas. Create buyer personas that represent your ideal customers based on demographic, behavioral, and psychographic data. This can help you create more targeted and effective content that resonates with your audience.
• Engage with your audience. Respond to comments and messages, and interact with your audience on social media. This not only helps build relationships with your customers, but also provides valuable feedback and insights for your content strategy.

3. Choose the right format

Consider the type of content and message you want to convey, and choose the format that best suits it. For example, use images and videos to showcase products, and use polls or quizzes to gather feedback from your audience.

Choose the right type of content and messaging by following these guidelines:

• Experiment with different formats. Don’t be afraid to try new formats and styles to see what resonates with your audience. Test out different types of content, such as live streams or Instagram Reels, to see what works best for your brand and audience. Once you’ve settled on what works, continue to experiment. What worked best last year may no longer be the right option for the months ahead.
• Keep it short and sweet. Social media users have short attention spans, so make sure your content is concise and to the point. Use visuals and headlines to grab attention and communicate your message quickly.
• Use storytelling. Use storytelling techniques to make your content more engaging and memorable. Create a narrative around your brand or products, or use user-generated content to tell authentic stories.
• Incorporate calls to action. Include clear calls to action in your social media content, such as encouraging visitors to sign up, comment feedback, or share their own content. This encourages engagement and helps drive traffic and sales.
• Use appropriate tone and voice. Consider your brand’s tone and voice when creating social media content. Use language and style that aligns with your brand’s personality and messaging, and avoid using jargon or technical terms that may confuse or turn off your audience.
• Use localization. Consider localizing your social media content to appeal to specific markets or regions. Use local language, cultural references, and images that resonate with your target audience.
• Use data and insights. Use social media analytics and insights to guide your content strategy and optimize your content for maximum engagement and reach.

4. Use compelling visuals

Visuals are key to creating engaging social media content. Use high-quality images, videos, or graphics that align with your brand’s visual identity and messaging.

Here are best practices to follow when creating visuals:

• Use consistent branding. Use consistent colors, fonts, and design elements across all your social media content. This helps reinforce your brand’s visual identity and creates a cohesive look and feel. You might consider creating brand guidelines and editorial standards, so others on your team can more easily contribute new content that fits in with your ongoing style.
• Optimize for different platforms. Optimize your visuals for various social media platforms, taking into account image and video size, aspect ratio, and resolution. This ensures that your visuals look their best on all platforms. A one-size-fits-all graphic might save a small amount of time, but will hurt your results and reduce your return on investment.
• Use user-generated content. Incorporate user-generated content, such as customer photos or videos, into your social media content. This not only helps showcase your products or services, but also adds authenticity and credibility to your brand.
• Use humor and creativity. Use humor and creativity to make your visuals stand out and grab attention. This can help make your brand more memorable and increase conversations with your audience.
• Use captions and text overlays. Use captions and text overlays to provide context and information about your visuals. This can help your audience understand your message and increase engagement.
• Use video. Use video to create dynamic and engaging content that showcases your products or services. This can include product demos, behind-the-scenes footage, or customer testimonials.

5. Write engaging captions

Captions provide context and additional information for your social media posts. Use them to provide value, tell a story, or ask a question that encourages interactions.

Expert tips:

• Keep it concise. Keep your captions short and to the point and make sure they’re easy to read and understand.
• Use storytelling. As opposed to alt text — which should briefly describe a visual for those who can’t see it — use captions to add to the “story” of the post, not just repeat what’s already available. 
• Use emojis and hashtags. Use emojis and hashtags to add personality and context to your captions. This can help your posts stand out and make them more discoverable on social media. This isn’t appropriate for every brand or for every post, so use some discretion with emojis.
• Provide value. Use captions to provide value to your audience, such as tips, insights, or information about your products or services. This helps build trust and credibility with your audience.
• Encourage engagement. Use captions to ask questions, encourage feedback, or invite your audience to take action, such as liking or sharing your post. This can increase engagement and reach on social media.
• Use a call to action. Use captions to include a call to action, such as visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. This can help drive traffic and conversions for your business.

6. Use appropriate hashtags

Hashtags can help increase the reach of your social media posts and make them more discoverable. Use relevant and specific hashtags that align with your content and brand.

Here are best practices to follow when using hashtags:

• Research and use popular hashtags. Research popular hashtags that are relevant to your content and industry, and use them in your posts. This can help increase the visibility of your posts and make them more discoverable to a wider audience. On platforms like Instagram, you can start by searching for a hashtag yourself and it will provide an estimated number of posts that have used that same one.
• Use niche hashtags. Use specific and niche hashtags that target your audience and increase the relevance of your posts. This can help attract more engaged and targeted followers.
• Create your own branded hashtag. Create your own branded hashtag that represents your brand and encourages user-generated content. They’re great for building brand awareness and engagement and creating a sense of community around your brand. Remember, though, branded hashtags are unlikely to increase your reach for new followers.
• Use a mix of hashtags. Use a mix of popular, niche, and branded hashtags in your posts to reach a wider and more targeted audience. This will contribute to increased visibility and interactions.
• Don’t overdo it. Use a moderate number of hashtags in your posts, and avoid overusing or spamming them. This can hurt the credibility of your brand and decrease engagement with your audience.
• Use hashtags on different platforms. Use hashtags on different social media platforms, but be aware of the varying hashtag trends and practices. For example, Twitter and Instagram have different character limits and hashtag usage, so make sure to adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Test and optimize. Test different hashtags and strategies to see what works best for your brand and audience. Use social media analytics to measure the performance of your hashtags and optimize your work over time.

7. Encourage engagement and UGC

Interact with your audience by responding to comments and messages, and encourage UGC by holding contests or challenges. This not only increases engagement but also helps build a sense of community around your brand.

To encourage engagement and user-generated content, consider these action items:

• Ask questions. Use your captions or posts to ask questions and encourage your audience to share their thoughts or opinions.
• Respond to comments. Respond promptly and respectfully to comments on your posts, and engage with your audience to build relationships and trust.
• Use polls and quizzes. Use polls and quizzes to gather feedback from your audience and encourage engagement. This can also provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and behavior.
• Hold contests or challenges. Hold contests or challenges that encourage UGC and engagement, such as photo contests or caption challenges. 
• Share user-generated content. Share user-generated content, such as customer photos or reviews, on your social media accounts. This not only helps showcase your products or services, but also adds authenticity and credibility to your brand.
• Use incentives. Use incentives, such as discounts or prizes, to encourage engagement and UGC. This can motivate people to participate and increase the success of your campaigns.

8. Post at the right time

Consider the time of day and day of the week when your audience is most active on social media, and schedule your posts accordingly. This helps increase the visibility of your content.

Here are tips to help you post at the right time:

• Use social media analytics. Use social media analytics tools to track your audience’s activity and engagement patterns on different platforms. This can help you identify the best times to post and optimize your posting schedule. In Facebook Insights, for example, you can go to the Posts tab and scroll down to When Your Fans are Online to learn when the majority of your followers are active — by both day of the week and time of day.  
• Test different posting times. Test different posting times and analyze metrics to determine the best times for your brand and audience. This can vary depending on your industry, audience demographics, and time zones.
• Consider different time zones. Consider the time zones of your audience and schedule your posts to reach them at the most appropriate times. Posting about breakfast when it’s already early afternoon for a large portion of your visitors can make you seem out of touch and scripted. Plus, it will reduce interactions and reach and limit the amount of return you get for your efforts. 
• Use scheduling tools. Use scheduling tools, such as Jetpack Social, to schedule your posts in advance and ensure that they’re published at the right time. This can save time and streamline your social media content creation process.
• Focus on peak hours. Focus on posting during peak hours, when your audience is most active on social media. This can help increase the visibility of your content and ensure you reach a larger audience.
• Post consistently. Post consistently and regularly to maintain engagement with your audience and keep your brand top of mind. Consistency works to build a loyal following on social media.

9. Post daily

Consistency is key when it comes to social media. Try to post daily to keep your audience engaged and your brand on the top of their minds.

Here are some tips to help you post more consistently:

• Use auto-posting and scheduling tools. Use automation tools, such as Jetpack Social, to schedule your social media posts in advance and auto-share all new articles and blog posts published on your website. This can help you save time and streamline your content creation process.
• Create a content calendar. Create a social media content calendar to plan your social media posts in advance and ensure you have a consistent stream of content to publish. This can help you stay organized and on track with your posting schedule.
• Repurpose content. Repurpose existing content, such as blog posts or videos, into social media posts to save time and keep your audience engaged. This can help you create a variety of content without constantly creating new content from scratch.
• Use a mix of content formats. Use a mix of different content formats, such as images, videos, or infographics, to keep your content fresh and engaging. This can also help attract different types of audiences and increase your reach.
• Monitor engagement. Monitor your metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares, to understand what types of content resonate best with your audience. Use this data to optimize your social media content strategy over time.
• Stay up-to-date. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and news in your industry, and share your thoughts about what’s going on. Sometimes, you can share posts or news from other sources that aren’t competitors.

10. Repurpose content

Repurpose existing content in different formats or on different platforms to increase its reach and engagement. For example, turn a blog post into a video or a podcast episode into a series of social media posts.

Here are convenient ways to fuel your content repurposing strategy:

• Identify evergreen content. Identify evergreen content, such as tutorials or how-to guides, that can be repurposed for social media. This type of content is relevant and valuable to your audience over time, and can be repackaged in different formats to keep it fresh.
• Use a social media content calendar. Some content, like a “2022 gift buying guide,” can be updated each year with just a bit of work. When you first create and share a post like this, go ahead and schedule the following year’s post in advance with notes to revise the existing post before you start promoting it again.
• Use different formats. Repurpose your content in different formats, such as images, videos, or infographics, to appeal to different types of audiences and increase engagement. This can also help you reach a wider audience on different social media platforms and lets you use content more than once without seeming redundant to your followers. 
• Experiment with different platforms. Experiment with repurposing your content on different social media platforms, such as Instagram or Twitter, to increase its reach and engagement. Each platform has its own strengths and audience, so it’s important to tailor your content to each one.
• Optimize for each platform. When repurposing content for different platforms, optimize it for each platform’s specific requirements and best practices. For example, on Instagram, you might need to create square images or use hashtags to increase discoverability.

11. Measure and analyze results

Track the performance of your social media content using analytics tools, and use the insights to optimize your strategy and create more effective content.

Here are best practices to follow when tracking and measuring performance:

• Set goals. Set specific goals for your social media content, such as increasing engagement or driving traffic to your website. This can help you measure your progress and determine what’s working and what’s not.
• A/B test. A/B test different versions of your social media content, such as different images or captions, to determine what performs best with your audience. This can help you optimize your content for maximum engagement and impact.
• Monitor your competition. Monitor your competitors’ social media activity and performance to identify opportunities and areas for improvement. This can also help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in your industry.
• Refine your strategy. Use your analytics data to refine your social media strategy over time. This might involve adjusting your posting schedule, trying new content formats, or targeting specific audiences.
• Stay flexible. Stay flexible and adaptable with your social media strategy. Social media is constantly evolving, so it’s important to be open to new ideas and approaches.
• Use data to inform content creation. Use your analytics data to inform your content creation process. This can help you create more effective content.

Frequently asked questions about social media content

What are some common mistakes to avoid when creating social media content?

Posting too often or too little. Finding the right posting frequency can be tricky, but it’s important to strike a balance. Posting too often can overwhelm your audience and lead to them unfollowing you, while posting too little can cause your account to lose momentum and relevance.

Instead, experiment with different posting frequencies and monitor your engagement metrics to find the sweet spot that works best for your audience.

Focusing too much on promotion. Social media is not just a platform for self-promotion. It’s important to create content that provides value to your audience and spend time engaging with followers and other accounts.

Consider creating a mix of promotional and non-promotional content. Share industry news, post behind-the-scenes photos, and ask questions that encourage discussion and engagement.

Ignoring negative comments. Negative comments and feedback can be tough to handle, but ignoring them can do more harm than good. Responding to negative comments can help show your audience that you care and are committed to providing great customer service.

Have a plan in place for responding to negative comments. Address the issue politely and professionally, and try to find a solution that satisfies the customer.

Ignoring data. Social media provides a wealth of data that can help you optimize your content and strategy. Ignoring this data can cause you to miss out on important insights and opportunities. Use social media analytics tools to monitor your engagement metrics, and then adjust your content and strategy based on that information.

How can I effectively leverage user-generated content in my social media strategy?

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to engage your audience and build a sense of community around your brand. Here are some actionable tips for effectively leveraging UGC in your social media strategy:

Encourage UGC. Make it easy for your audience to create and share UGC by running contests, challenges, or giveaways. Ask them to share photos or videos of themselves using your product or service or to share their thoughts and opinions on a particular topic.

Showcase UGC. Once you have UGC, showcase it on your social media accounts. Share the content and give credit to the creator. This not only helps increase engagement but also shows your audience that you value their input and participation.

Monitor and moderate. Be sure to monitor and moderate UGC to ensure it aligns with your brand values and messaging. Avoid reposting content that could be offensive.

Repurpose UGC. Repurpose UGC for other marketing initiatives, such as email marketing campaigns, website content, or ads. This can help you extend the life of the content and increase its reach.

What are practical ways to repurpose social media content across different platforms and channels?

Repurposing content is a great way to extend the life of your social media content and reach new audiences. Here are eight practical ways to repurpose social media content across different platforms and channels:

1. Turn blog posts into social media posts. Take key points from your blog posts and turn them into bite-sized social media posts. This can help you promote your blog content and drive traffic to your website or simply fill your social media content calendar with interesting content.

2. Repurpose videos into GIFs. Convert short video clips into GIFs, which can be used on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram.

3. Turn social media posts into blog posts. Compile a series of related social media posts into a longer-form blog post. This can help you repurpose content while providing additional context and value.

4. Use infographics on different platforms. Create infographics that can be used on multiple platforms like your website, social media, and email marketing campaigns. Or, host the “full” infographic on your website and create custom-sized teasers for each platform that can link back to the full thing.

Pro-tip: Pull individual stats or sections from infographics to use on their own for social media posts. For example, if you create an infographic with “26 ways to improve marketing efficiency,” you could drip out one way every other week for an entire year!

5. Repurpose testimonials into social media posts. Turn customer testimonials into social media posts using quotes or excerpts from the original testimonial. This can help build social proof and increase trust with your audience.

6. Create a video series. Repurpose a longer video into a series of shorter videos that can be shared on social media or on your website.

7. Turn podcasts into blog posts. Transcribe your podcast episodes and turn them into blog posts. This can help you reach a new audience and repurpose content.

8. Share behind-the-scenes content. Repurpose behind-the-scenes content, such as photos or videos, from your social media accounts to your website or email marketing campaigns.

What are the key benefits of creating a social media content calendar?

Creating a social media content calendar can help you stay organized and consistent with your social media strategy. Here are five key benefits of creating a social media content calendar:

1. Better organization. A content calendar allows you to plan and organize your social media content in advance, ensuring that you don’t miss any important dates or events.

2. Consistency. A content calendar can help you maintain a consistent posting schedule, which is important for building a loyal audience.

3. Better quality content. Planning your content in advance allows you to create higher-quality content that aligns with your brand messaging and goals.

4. Increased efficiency. A content calendar can help you streamline your content creation process, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.

5. Better tracking. A content calendar can help you track your content performance and adjust your strategy accordingly.

How can I automatically share website content and blog posts on social media?

Sharing your website content and blog posts on social media can help you reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website. 

Jetpack Social allows you to schedule and automate your social media posts in advance, including posts promoting your website content and blog posts. You can also use it to automatically promote new posts on social media as soon as you publish them.

Jetpack Social: Share smarter, not harder, with automated social media posts

Are you ready to take your social media game to the next level? Jetpack Social can help.

With over one million posts shared every day, Jetpack Social offers an easy-to-use solution for scheduling and automating your social media posts, freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of your business.

With Jetpack Social, you can:

• Auto-share your content: Automatically share your new content, articles, and blog posts without needing to do it manually.
• Schedule posts in advance: Plan your social media content in advance, and Jetpack Social will take care of the rest.
• Repost evergreen content: Keep your social media channels active with evergreen content that can be reposted at regular intervals.
• Integrate with WordPress: Jetpack Social seamlessly integrates with your WordPress site, making it easy to manage all aspects of your online presence in one place.

It’s more important than ever to have a strong social media presence. Jetpack Social can help you achieve that with less effort. So, what are you waiting for? Try Jetpack Social today and start sharing smarter, not harder.

To learn more, visit: https://jetpack.com/social/

Are you struggling to make your mark on social media? Do you feel like your brand is getting lost in the endless stream of cat videos and memes? Fear not because we’ve got your back. In this article, we’re going to give you eleven tips to help you nail your social media branding strategy and stand out from the crowd. But first, let’s explore what social media branding is because and why it’s important.

What is social media branding?

Social media branding is all about defining who you are. It’s not about reaching as many people as possible or furthering your sales goals, but instead, properly representing your brand in terms of imagery, language, and attitude or approach. If you’re just like everyone else, you’re never going to stand out. If you try to be all things to all people, you’re going to confuse everyone. 

It’s all about creating an image and identity on social media platforms that aligns with your brand’s values and objectives.

This involves creating and sharing content, visuals, and messages that resonate with your target audience. By having a clear and consistent branding strategy, businesses can establish trust and credibility with their customers, stand out from competitors, and ultimately, drive more sales.

Why is branding important on social media?

In short: it helps you stand out and get noticed. Your social media presence is a reflection of your brand, so it’s important to make sure that it’s consistent with your values, personality, and tone. By doing so, you can establish a strong online presence, connect with your target audience, and build trust and credibility with your customers.

Eleven tips to nail your social media branding strategy

1. Know your audience like the back of your hand

Before you start crafting your social media branding strategy, it’s important to know who you’re talking to. Do some research and figure out your target audience’s needs, interests, and behaviors.

What social media platforms do they use the most? What type of content do they engage with? What tone and voice do they respond to? This knowledge will help you create a social media content strategy that resonates with your audience and helps you stand out.

2. Align brand positioning and audience insights

Once you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to align your brand positioning with what you’ve learned. What makes your brand unique from other popular accounts your audience follows? How can you address your audience in ways that’s different from any competitors targeting the same audience? 

3. Choose colors, typography, and imagery that align with your brand

Consistency is key when it comes to social media branding. You should choose colors, typography, and imagery that align with your brand. If you have a brand guide already established, stick to the color palette and specifications found there. 

If you don’t, take some time to explore what colors and styles will resonate with the audience you already identified. Do they want something professional and trustworthy? Cool and innovative? Calming and comforting? 

Once you’ve established this, be consistent across all your channels. Your audience should be able to instantly recognize you on your website, Facebook profile, Instagram feed, and YouTube channel.

4. Make your social media visuals distinct

It’s okay to occasionally jump on the most recent trend or put your spin on a relatable meme. But if all you’re doing is copying competitors and other popular accounts, you’re not giving people a reason to follow you. 

Your visuals should be distinctive and stand out in a crowded social media landscape. It’s worth investing in high-quality visuals, including images, graphics, and videos. This might mean hiring a designer and supplementing with stock images. 

Consider free or paid stock image sites, and learn how to make basic edits in a tool like Canva.  

5. Choose and leverage the most appropriate social networks

You don’t need to be present on every social media platform. Instead, you should identify the ones that your target audience uses most and prioritize those. This helps you make much better use of your time and money.

Not sure how to choose? WooCommerce has a great guide to choosing social media platforms, and it’s helpful whether you run an ecommerce store or any other type of site.

6. Build and showcase a compelling brand story

Your brand story is a powerful tool that can help you differentiate your business from your competitors. Storytelling is a proven way to move beyond facts and features of what you’re selling and transition to building an emotional connection with your audience. This can not only move people further along the customer journey, but improve long-term loyalty with your existing base. 

To create an outline for your story, think about why your company was started. What problem were the founders trying to solve? What important goals did they have for improving the lives of their target audience? Then think about who has been involved along the way, the challenges they faced, where you are today, how you’re making a difference for your audience, and where you hope to be in the future. 

Learn more about creating a brand story. 

7. Establish a clearly identifiable brand voice and tone

The same way every person has a unique voice and tone, your brand should, too. Having a consistent voice and tone across all your social media profiles is crucial for building brand recognition and loyalty. Your voice should represent your company’s personality, values, and style of communication, and should align with your audience’s preferences.

When defining your voice and tone, consider your brand personality, the emotions you want to evoke, and the language and style you would like to use. For instance, if you’re a fun and playful brand, you may use a conversational and lighthearted tone, while a more professional brand may be more formal and informative.

Some companies create editorial guidelines to help them remember the kinds of phrases they want to use, words they’d prefer to avoid, and inspiration for new, creative ideas.

8. Be consistent with your messaging and content themes

Consistency is key when it comes to social media branding. Your messaging strategy should define the topics and themes you’ll cover and how you’ll present them to your audience.

To ensure consistency, you can create a social media content calendar and plan your posts in advance. This will help you stay organized and avoid any last-minute confusion. It can also help you identify topics you’ve failed to cover and if you’re over-using any one kind of media or message.

9. Leverage influencers and brand ambassadors

Influencer marketing has become a popular way for brands to increase their reach and credibility on social media. It’s like having a famous friend vouch for you. By collaborating with influencers and brand ambassadors, you can tap into their audience and leverage their recognition to promote your brand.

When choosing influencers, consider their relevance to your company and their audience’s demographics and interests. You can also use social media monitoring tools to find people who are already talking about your brand or related topics.

Influencers tend to be popular because they’re highly creative, super engaging, and incredibly relatable. And though there are a number of mega-influencers who can reach millions, there are plenty of influencers with smaller, niche audiences whose followers are just as, if not more, loyal. Plus, influencers with smaller audiences are more accessible for smaller or new brands with limited budgets. 

Aligning your brand with the right partner can provide an instant boost in credibility and — because influencers have such distinctive, creative voices — significantly help you in establishing your brand identity. Learn more about influencer marketing.

10. Engage and communicate as your brand

It’s not enough to simply post content and wait for the likes to roll in. You need to actively engage with your followers and communicate with them. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly and professionally.

Participate in relevant conversations and add value to your audience’s social media experience. By engaging with your audience, you can build stronger relationships and increase your brand’s visibility and credibility.

Brands’ comments on competitors’ posts have become incredibly funny and memorable in recent years and audiences tend to respond quite strongly. 

11. Find opportunities for humor and authenticity

Finally, to truly elevate your social media branding, look for opportunities to inject humor and authenticity into your content. People are more likely to engage with content that’s funny, relatable, and genuine.

Finding the right balance between professionalism and authenticity can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort. Look for ways to humanize your brand and connect with your audience on a more personal level. This could involve sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team, highlighting your company culture, or even sharing a funny meme or GIF.

How to measure and evaluate your social media branding strategy

After implementing your social media branding strategy, it’s important to measure its effectiveness and make necessary changes. Here are some steps you can take to measure and evaluate your social media branding strategy:

1. Set goals and KPIs

Before you start measuring, define what you want to achieve with your branding strategy. Do you want to increase brand awareness, engagement, or conversions? Set measurable, time-bound goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your progress.

2. Monitor your social media analytics

Social media platforms provide valuable insights into your performance. Track your engagement rates, follower growth, click-through rates, and other relevant metrics. Analyze which types of content and posts perform the best and use this information to refine your strategy.

3. Monitor your brand mentions

Track what people are saying about your brand on social media. Monitor mentions and relevant keywords and analyze the sentiment and tone of each.

4. Conduct surveys and polls

Ask your audience for feedback and insights. Conduct surveys and polls to gather information about your brand perception, audience preferences, and opinions.

5. Compare yourself to competitors

Monitor your competitors’ social media performance and compare it with your own. Analyze what they’re doing differently and see if you can incorporate any of their successful tactics into your own strategy.

6. Review your content strategy

Analyze the performance of your content and see which types of posts are resonating with your audience. Review your content calendar and see if it’s aligned with your brand positioning and messaging strategy.

7. Measure ROI

Calculate the return on investment (ROI) of your social media branding efforts. Compare the cost of your social media marketing activities with the revenue or leads generated from it.

By following these steps, you can measure and evaluate your social media branding strategy and make necessary changes to improve its effectiveness.

Frequently asked questions

How can social media branding help you stand out from your competitors?

Let’s face it: the competition is fierce out there. That’s where social media branding comes in. By showcasing your brand’s personality, values, and mission, you can set yourself apart from the competition and attract loyal customers.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when creating a social media branding strategy?

One of the biggest mistakes is not knowing your target audience well enough. Imagine trying to throw a party without knowing who’s coming — it’s bound to be a disaster. So take the time to get to know your audience and what makes them tick.

Another mistake is not establishing a consistent voice and tone across all social media channels. This can be confusing and undermine trust with loyal followers.

How can you use customer feedback to improve your social media branding strategy?

By monitoring feedback on social media channels and through customer service channels, you can gain valuable insights into what your followers like and dislike about your brand. Customer feedback is a direct and crucial line to the pulse of your audience. Use this information to refine your branding strategy and make adjustments to better align with your audience’s expectations.

How can you utilize user-generated content to strengthen your social media branding?

By encouraging your followers to create and share content featuring your brand, you can increase brand awareness and engagement. You can build an entire community that’s excited to spread the word about your company!

User-generated content also allows you to showcase your brand’s personality and values through the eyes of your customers, making it a powerful tool for building trust and authenticity

How can you ensure that your branding message is consistent across all social media channels?

Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to social media branding. To ensure that your branding message is consistent across all social media channels, you need to establish clear guidelines, including your voice and tone, visual identity, and messaging.

The result will be a playbook that everyone on your team can follow. You should also create a social media content calendar to plan and schedule your posts in advance.

And don’t forget to use a social media management tool like Jetpack Social to help you maintain consistency by automating your posts.

Jetpack Social: Elevate your brand with automated social media posts

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of implementing your social media branding strategy, fear not!

Jetpack Social is here to save the day. With this powerful social media sharing plugin for WordPress, you can automatically post your website content to social media. 

One of the best features of Jetpack Social is its auto-posting capability. You can easily share your website content on all of your social media platforms with just one click, freeing up time for you to focus on creating more amazing content. And if you prefer to have more control over your social media presence, you can always schedule your posts in advance, choosing the best time to share your content with your audience.

But that’s not all. With Jetpack Social, you have the power to customize your posts for each social media platform you choose to share on. This means that you can tailor your message and image to fit the unique voice and tone of your brand.

So, what are you waiting on? Elevate your brand’s social media game with Jetpack Social, and let it do all the heavy lifting for you. With this superhero on your side, you’ll be able to take your brand to new heights and make your voice heard in the noisy world of social media.

Try Jetpack Social now and see the difference it can make for your brand: https://jetpack.com/social/