First, set your goals and objectives

Before you dive into crafting and executing your social media content calendar, it is important to first set your goals and objectives. These goals will serve as a guide in your content creation and help you measure the success of your efforts.

Some common goals for a small business's social media presence could be to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and engage with your audience. To accomplish these goals, you need to set specific, measurable, and attainable objectives. For example, you can aim to reach a specific number of new followers each month, increase website clicks by a certain percentage, or receive a certain number of comments or likes on your posts.

It's important to align your objectives with your overall business goals, as well as your target audience. Knowing who your target audience is and what they are looking for will help you create content that resonates with them and drives results. Additionally, regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals will ensure that your social media strategy is effective and stays on track.

When setting objectives, it's also useful to choose relevant metrics to track and analyze. This could include engagement rates, website traffic, lead generation, or sales. These metrics will give you a clear picture of what's working and what needs to be improved.

Setting goals and objectives is a crucial first step in creating a successful social media strategy for your small business. By defining your objectives and choosing relevant metrics to track, you'll have a roadmap for success and be able to measure the impact of your efforts.

Research your audience

Though often overlooked, conducting audience research is a critical step in creating a strategic social media calendar for your small business. Understanding your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them, drives engagement and, ultimately, elevates your business.

To start, you need to define your target audience. Who do you want to reach through your social media channels? Consider factors such as demographics, interests, and behaviors to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer. More than half of the world uses social media; it’s impossible to reach everyone. Therefore, it’s important to narrow down the type of audience you will aim to target so your efforts and resources are worthwhile.

Once you have defined your target audience, you can use a variety of methods to gather information about them, such as online research and surveys. Social media platforms themselves can also be a valuable source of information, as they provide insights into the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your followers.

It's important to regularly review and update your understanding of your target audience, as their needs and behaviors can change over time. For example, if you run a clothing store, you may notice that your target audience is becoming more interested in sustainable and eco-friendly products. In this case, you would want to adjust your content strategy to reflect this shift in interest.

Additionally, conducting audience research can help you identify opportunities for growth and reach new audiences. It can also help you determine which platforms are most worth putting your focus on. For example, you may discover that a significant portion of your target audience is active on Instagram, and therefore, you may want to prioritize this platform in your content strategy.

Don’t forget this vital step when planning a strategic social media calendar for your small business. By understanding your target audience and regularly gathering insights, you'll be able to create effective content that connects with your audience and drives engagement.

Finally, time to plan!

Now that you’ve determined your goals and target audience, it is time to plan what kind of content to post, where to post, and when to post. The content you share on social media should be aligned with your business goals and resonate with your target audience. To achieve this, there are several key considerations to keep in mind.

First, determine which social media platforms to focus on. While it’s beneficial to have a profile on all of the main platforms, prioritize just one or two. You can cross post the same content across platforms, but keep in mind that it may need to be tweaked to suit each specific platform. Make sure to keep your voice and aesthetic consistent across all platforms to increase brand recognition.

As mentioned in the previous section, focus on the platform(s) where your target market is most active. For example, if your business targets young adults focus on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. If you’re targeting older adults, focus on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. If your target market includes gamers, try Twitch and Reddit. If your business appeals to writers, utilize Twitter.

Now that you have an idea of your audience and where to post, determine the type of content to be shared. This could include industry news, promotions, educational content, cultural content, information about your business, and more. Consider what type of content will best engage your target audience and support your business goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness and build credibility, you may want to focus on sharing educational content or industry news to position your business as a thought leader.

While social media is a great place to promote your business, you must be mindful about the amount of promotional content you post; keep in mind that people are on social media for entertainment, not to browse a slew of ads. A great guideline to follow is the 80/20 rule.

The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your content should focus on providing value and building relationships with your audience, while only 20% should be dedicated to promoting your products or services. This means that the majority of your content should focus on educating, entertaining, or otherwise engaging your target audience, rather than simply trying to sell them something. The 20% of promotional content should be carefully chosen and targeted, ensuring that it is relevant and appealing to your audience.