Alright, now you’ve got a clear idea of what you’re hoping to achieve, it’s time to figure out how you’ll actually work to achieve it, and there are a few things for you to consider...

If you haven't already, the first thing you’ll need to clear up is your audience. Who are they? Sure, this is all a bit back to basics, but you need to have a good grasp of it, because it’s going to inform the social media platforms you use. Naturally, you’ll want to utilize the platforms where your audience can actually be found, but whatever you decide, keep in mind that each platform has its own image and reputation that you’ll be affiliated with by using it.

Where you decide to place your brand will then, in turn, inform the kind of content you create. After all, certain platforms do certain formats far greater justice than others. While Instagram is great for creating an engaged community with tools like stories and reels, LinkedIn uses its LinkedIn Live events and blog posts to deliver thought leadership.

It’s great that social media provides multiple platforms that support and popularize different formats from which your brand can be seen and heard by huge audiences. But, once you're there, what are you actually going to say, and how are you going to say it? To figure this out, you’ll need to have a think about your corporate voice. What kind of tone do you want your brand to have? Most businesses fall into the trap of mistaking ‘professional’ for ‘impersonal’ communication, but on social media, this just won't cut it. You’ll need to have a really good think about what makes your business unique, and how you want it to come across to audiences.

Next, you should create actual content. Just remember, your content doesn’t have to be perfect. There’s no way that every social post will encapsulate every single aspect of your brand, and that’s fine. At this stage, just circulate it with relevant stakeholders, and ask: “does this work for us?”

You might also look to curate additional, relevant content from third parties that aligns with your brand values and reinforces your positioning, to help increase your output and raise your profile at a lower cost. Starbucks does a great job of this, especially when it comes to user generated content, or UGC. Every December its #RedCupContest campaign shares and comments on thousands of consumer-generated images, videos and posts, providing Starbucks with access to positive branded content - at no cost to the brand.

It might also benefit your business to be bold. Taking a stance on something might not thrill everyone, but it’s important to acknowledge that there’s an endless supply of content online that you’ll be competing with, so your willingness to be confident and assertive could set you apart and allow you to be heard amongst the growing noise.

Whatever you do though, don't take that piece of advice as gospel or be mistaken into thinking that controversy is key. It’s up to you to figure out what’s right for your brand, and remember that you’re trying to make friends on social media, not enemies!

Whatever you decide, you can bet that stakeholders will have their own opinions at the ready. The best thing you can do is dedicate the time to come to a collective agreement and get a real handle on what and how you want to communicate - then you can translate it into a set of written guidelines.

Once you feel confident with the kind of content you’ll be putting out there, you’ll need to identify the resources required to pull it off. How much time, money and expertise do you have to work with? Can it all be done in-house, or could a good argument be made for outsourcing some of the work to freelancers, agencies or maybe even influencers? And, when it comes to influencers, you’d do well to bear in mind that as they increasingly seek creative freedom and longer-term relationships with brands, you’ll need to provide them with transparent guidelines.

When it comes to signing off content, give people clear responsibilities and encourage open communication. Most companies have that one executive that needs to weigh in on these kinds of decisions - is that person clearly identified in your strategy?

Last but not least, before setting off on a social media campaign you need to consider what you’re going to do if what you post doesn’t go down so well. Sometimes, while we might have the best of intentions, what we say can be misinterpreted or lead to some unexpected outcomes. Nowhere is this truer than on social media, and it can do some serious damage to your business, so it’s important that you do what you can to identify the risks involved with each piece of content, have the analysis and tracking tools in place to recognize audience reaction as early as possible, and perhaps most importantly, make sure your team is ready to respond to crises.

We’re nearly done with this section of the lesson, so we’ll wrap things up here by giving you these last bits of advice. When creating a social media strategy, you always need to consider the 4 C’s of social media. The first is consistency - to come across as authentic, you should ensure your brand has consistent messaging and tone of voice across multiple platforms. Next is customisation. Customize posts to suit different audiences, behaviors, formats and platforms. The third ‘C’ is commitment - only commit to a social channel if you have the time, tools, resources and skills to do it well. Finally, caution - be aware of the dangers posed by a social media crisis and plan for what could go wrong.

Content, Voice & Formats