How to Re-Evaluate Your Social Media & Marketing Plans đ
Weâre now into the second month of 2023; howâs it going? Are you sticking to your social media plan?
What has worked, and what needs fixing?
If youâve found a cadence you can keep up with â great, keep it. If youâre comfortable with it, then consider adding a few more posts!
If you havenât been keeping up with it and itâs started to feel overwhelming, take a step back. Maybe even decrease the number of posts you originally planned.
Either way, Iâm proud of your progress so far. Youâve got this! And it can get better from here.
As with everything, though, thereâs always room for improvement. Plus, itâs good to never stop evaluating if something can be done better. Thereâs never a wrong time to simplify or improve!
In this guide, I want to cover ways you can re-evaluate and even improve your marketing or social media strategy.
3 Benefits to Re-Evaluating Your Marketing or Social Media Strategy
Before diving too far in, I want to show you the reasons behind re-evaluation. Whatâs the point? There are benefits to re-evaluating your social media plan or marketing strategy.
Keep Up with the Latest Changes
A major reason you want to re-evaluate your marketing plan, or social media strategy, is that it allows you to keep up with the latest changes within the marketplace. If your marketing plan is still geared toward the market before its changes, you could be missing out big time!
Reach Your Goals Easier
The goals and objectives for your original marketing plan donât have to change. On the contrary, what you need to do to achieve those goals is what changes!
Reviewing your marketing strategy may allow you to reach your goals easier now. Youâll have more chances at reaching your goals with routine re-evaluations!
See How Far Youâve Come
When you consistently re-evaluate, you can fluidly track your progress to ensure youâre always on the right path. Plus, seeing how far youâve come since the beginning feels good! You can also establish if youâre making the impact you want.
Not making the impact you were expecting? That just means you have an opportunity to make changes to your strategy accordingly.
6 Ways to Re-Evaluate Your Social Media Plan or Marketing Strategy
Letâs dig into the six ways you can re-evaluate your social media plan or marketing strategy without further ado. By the end of this guide, Iâm sure youâll have new ideas in store for your business, product, or service!
1. Re-Assess Goals and Objectives
Itâs time to take a good, hard look at your current goals. Ask yourself a few important questions:
Are your objectives clear and measurable? Are they aligned with your overall vision?
Is the measurement system you use to measure your goals effective?
How far is your progress toward your goals? Are you meeting your marketing objectives?
Look at your marketing plan from a third-party perspective. Is your marketing strategy or social media plan in any way confusing or vague?
If someone were to look at your plan, could they understand what your goals are and how you intend to reach them? These questions are especially important if you have staff or stakeholders that need to be in the loop on your strategy.
2. Relevancy is Key
Consistency is key, which rings true for evaluating your strategy just as much as it does everything else. In other words, itâs important to keep the cobwebs off your plan so you can stay relevant!
Part of staying relevant, particularly in todayâs world, is curating a trustworthy, engaging online presence. Digital marketing is a must! Itâs the most effective way to gain new consumers while keeping up with the latest tech.
In fact, over 91% of businesses use social media for marketing. With the social media market size worth an estimated $72.2 billion, it makes sense youâd want a piece of the pie!
Social media should be a key player in your marketing plan if you haven't already included it. Create and update your social media accounts. Get people excited about your brand! Start engaging in building word-of-mouth referrals and building a reputation in the online space.
You can make a Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and/or Tik Tok depending on your overall goals. Each has its own diverse audience that could potentially resonate with your company, product, or service.
If you already have a social media strategy, look at what youâve been doing right and what could improve. Look at your competitors for inspiration. What are they doing that you could do even better?
3. Refresh Your Brand
Do you feel like your brandâs gone stale? Maybe your marketing plan needs a complete overhaul. And hey, thatâs okay â even company giants like McDonaldâs, Nike, and Pepsi have refreshed their brands over the years.
If you need a full revamp, just take it one step at a time. Start tailoring your brand messages to stay relevant to your consumers.
Everyoneâs target audience is different, so start by fully defining yours. Take it a step further and define what your brand currently represents.
Not sure how to find your target audience? Youâre in luck â I wrote a blog about that, too. Narrow in on your ideal client/customer with my complete guide on finding your target audience.
4. Refine, Refine, Refine
Maybe your marketing plan doesnât need a full revamp. On the other hand, you may just need to refine it! And a great way to refine is with your audience.
What do people think about your marketing efforts? How does it make people feel?
Are you appealing to kindness or urgency? What methods are you using to give your target something productive to do?
More importantly, are you keeping your audienceâs attention?
According to a 2013 study from Microsoft, humans only have about an 8-second attention span. So you need to grab their attention â fast!
A rule of thumb is to provide your audience with something to feel good about, something to think about, and something to do. Consider whether your content provides one of these three elements.
5. Rely on Customer Feedback
Another way to re-evaluate your marketing plan or social media strategy is to look at what customers say. Just donât forget to ask them so you can discover the answers!
Engage with your audience to stimulate client feedback, and youâll be able to see the holes in your marketing plan.
Relying on consumer responses can help you decide if you need to simply refine your strategy, or refresh it entirely.
6. Remember â Your Marketing Plan is Ever-Changing!
Last but not least, try to stay flexible. Your plan shouldnât be so rigid that you canât adapt to changes on the fly!
Being able to bend with market changes, social media algorithm adaptations, and more will benefit your strategy tremendously.
And, of course, make sure youâre doing whatâs best for your business.
4 Potential Areas You May Still be Struggling
Okay, so youâve decided that it is time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy. But â maybe youâre not sure where to start. Letâs look at some potential areas even marketing experts may struggle with.
1. Taking/Posting Photos
Photos help customers remember information easier. Itâs science! When you read or hear a piece of info, youâll only remember about 10% of it after 3 days. But, if you add a picture into the mix? You remember up to 65% of the info!
Vision is a big deal for consumers, which is why text posts are a thing of the past. Stick with pictures and videos for the most engagement possible.
Having trouble nailing the right photos? Letâs run through some quick tips so you can stop struggling with this part of your marketing plan!
Learn Your Cameraâs Full Capabilities
First, donât go in blind to your cameraâs features. Take some time to find out exactly what your phoneâs capable of! There are a variety of modes and features on different phones, so discover which modes are best for you. How does your camera focus? What are your exposure settings?
Take Multiple Shots
One picture is never enough to truly capture the full story. Take as many shots as you can! You can select the best out of the bunch by capturing multiple pictures. Itâs particularly helpful if you have a moving subject or youâre after the perfect angle.
Consider a Tripod
Most mobile tripods are flexible and arenât much bigger than your phone. Take one with you for a hands-free experience! Likewise, tripods will help you get a crystal-clear image. A tripod is especially handy if youâre known to have shaky hands. It just might be what you need to tackle those photos easily!
Donât Do It Alone
Just because youâre gathering content doesnât mean you have to do it all on your own. On the contrary, get your team involved. Gather content with a shared album so you can each take on a part of the burden.
Reserve Time for Capturing and Scheduling Posts!
Lastly, make sure youâre giving yourself enough time to do it all. Set time aside throughout the week or month to take photos, edit them, and schedule posts. I canât recommend scheduling posts enough.
Overall, itâll save you countless hours of time. Plus, it can be a major stress point keeping to a real-time schedule of taking and posting pictures. Save yourself the hassle and schedule posts out well in advance. I recommend blocking out 1 to 2 hours each week for the best results.
2. Creating Videos
According to Wyzowlâs video marketing statistics 2022 report, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool nowadays. A whopping 96% value video as an âimportant partâ of their marketing plan.
And apps like CapCut and other programs for videos on your phone make it easier than ever to keep your video content fresh. Gathering video should become a part of that 1 to 2 hours a week you block out for collecting content and scheduling posts.
3. Caption Writing
When it comes to scheduling posts, thereâs more than just gathering photo and video content. A post isnât extraordinary without the right caption to back it up! It makes sense, then, that overcoming writerâs block for social media is a key part of any marketing strategy.
Fortunately, Iâve got some tips to make your caption writing smoother and easier. These rules apply to all content writing but are especially helpful for captions.
Write Down or Voice Memo Your Ideas
Thereâs no telling whenever inspiration will strike. But when it does, make sure to take advantage! Keep your phone handy so you can write down your idea in your Notes app or do a quick voice memo. Then, youâll have a list ready for when itâs time to schedule your posts!
Figure Out What People Want to Hear
Do you know what your audience loves? What gets them to engage in posts the fastest? How can you cultivate captions that appeal to your target market? Let these questions stew in the back of your mind as you cultivate flawless captions for your readers.
Share Valuable Information
Whether youâre sharing fun facts, tips and tricks, advice, or a simple story, give your audience something of value. Whatever it is, make sure it resonates with your ideal client or customer.
Have a Call to Action
Last but certainly not least, your call to action is the most crucial piece of your caption. Whether thatâs to contact you, engage in the post in some way, click on a link, or something else altogether, keep it tangible for your client.
Getting your readers to take some form of action will also help establish yourself in their minds. Add to your online presence and build your customer rapport the right way with a solid call to action on every post.
4. Idea Generation
Generating ideas regularly can be exhausting â I get it. And sometimes, idea generation just doesnât come naturally. Fortunately, there are still ways to get inspiration.
Spend some time scrolling through platforms. Set aside time to consume industry information on a routine basis. Whether thatâs once a week or every day, absorbing that knowledge will help you generate ideas in rapid-fire over time.
See what others are saying. That includes your competitors, but can also include your followers and others within your industry.
Ask your followers what they want to see. By communicating with your audience regularly, you also increase your engagement, so itâs a win-win.
Allow some of your staff or your employees to help brainstorm with you. When you brainstorm with the team, youâre getting a whole collective to generate ideas. Thatâs thinking smarter, not harder.
Take advantage of free tools like topic, keyword, and content generators. Utilize artificial intelligence to make the most of your marketing strategy without sacrificing quality.
Finally, when all else fails, take a step back and take a dang break. Great ideas often take time â donât beat yourself up for not generating ideas fast enough or not getting your plan right the first time. With practice, determination, and time, I know you can cultivate something beautiful.
Wrapping Up
Re-evaluating your marketing strategy or social media plan doesnât have to be a chore. On the contrary, it can be something you look forward to doing when you re-evaluate a consistent routine.
I hope this guide helps you build ways to re-strategize and think outside the box on your next social media plan. When you realize the benefits, youâll understand just how vital rethinking your strategy can be.
And, if you still want help developing these plans and strategies, establish a relationship with a Social Media Marketing Agency!
