We’re headed into the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season, new year planning, or just having a lull in the year to focus on some of those bigger projects and to-do list items. So that brings up the question: Is wrangling your organic social media accounts and content plan ahead of any of those items on your list?
If so, it’s perfect timing, because as a self-professed calendar lover and checklist enthusiast, we’re just under 8 weeks until Christmas and 4 weeks to Thanksgiving, so it seemed like the perfect time to share my exact social media planning and clean-up processes with you. Hooray!
I’m excited about this because: 1. I enjoy processes a lot. 2. I enjoy helping others with my processes a lot. I’m very fortunate to work with some pretty cool businesses, but the reality is, I can’t work one-on-one with everyone. But, I can bottle up the exact processes I use to streamline my social media post planning and share it with more people to use. With the year winding down, it seemed like the perfect time to finally do this.
So, for the next four weeks, I’m sharing my social media planning process broken down into four actionable steps inside my Facebook Group, and you can join in to take advantage of it just by joining the Facebook Group. That’s all. Nothing else needed. Except to participate, you have to hop in before Sunday, November 3, because I want everyone to be on the same page (literally and figuratively!), rather than having people join in throughout November. I’m also keeping the group small, so this is just for you, reader, and any friends you’d like to send over.
So, without further ado, what’s the first step we’re going to tackle? Social media audits!
Ahhh that sounds scary, like something out of a tax nightmare. Now, don’t get me wrong–it can be a little scary if it’s been a while and there are some *ahem* cobwebs hanging out in your social media accounts. Well, my friends, it’s time to bust out your broomstick and just dive in.
What’s the point: Why conduct a social media audit?
While I do LOVE a good checklist item, this isn’t sprucing up your social media accounts just for the sake of patting yourself on the back and putting a big ‘ol checkmark on your to-do list. (Not that I’m not guilty of adding things I’ve already done to my checklist, just to have the satisfaction of crossing it off.)
Here are a few benefits:
- Taking Advantage of Everything: We often think of social media channels simply for the ability to share a post with our followers about key messages, or seasonal updates, but there are built-in features on social media sites now that can also enhance that. Think of it as using up every inch of real estate (that’s a logical fit) to communicate with followers.
- Customer Service: In a perfect world, social media followers and visitors are heading over to your website or contacting you via your preferred method. The reality is, they may not navigate from a social media platform, and may even choose to contact your business that way. By providing answers to some of their common questions, it not only provides them with speedy customer service, but also streamlines your process.
- Ch-ch-ch-changes: Newsflash–we don’t have control over social media platforms. (A little dry social media humor for you that hits close to home!) Features come and go, sometimes quickly, and if something critical goes away, or is formatted differently, you’ll want to be in the know about that.
- Confidence: If the ins and outs of your Business Facebook Page, or Instagram Analytics gives you the creepy crawlies, know that first of all, you aren’t alone! Secondly, setting a routine to visit the deeper areas of your social media accounts means you’re getting more comfortable navigating and using social media features.
It’s my first social media audit: What am I looking at for a time commitment?
It’s going to vary. You can absolutely make this a quick glance to make sure there aren’t any glaring issues, like doing a quick clean-up as surprise company knocks on your door, or you can invest more time. Personally, I find that bite-sized steps are a great starting point, and then I add on some of the more complex things that you will want to be thoughtful about.
Real talk: This process absolutely gets easier each time you do one, especially if you make it a more frequent exercise. Think of it kind of like business bookkeeping. The more you stay on top of it, say monthly or quarterly/seasonally, the less logistical cobwebs you’ll have to work out, and more time to focus on updating strategic fields in a fun and creative way.
So, how do you do it?
Now that you’re pumped up to dive in to one of your own, you can find this week’s video and my audit checklist in the Facebook Group. Not a member? Come on over! It’s free to join, but I’m only accepting new members through Sunday so that everyone can be on an even playing field for this four-week social media prep!
I’ll see you in the Facebook Group!
