4.1: Course Project - Create a Social Media Strategy
Course Project: Social Media Strategy
Throughout this semester, you’ll develop a social media marketing strategy for a specific company or department within the university. You’ll pick a client/company (real or fictional), focusing on an organization with a decision-maker for whom you’ll design the marketing strategy. No need for actual access to the organization – ‘client’ simply means you can’t choose an industry for this project.
Due Dates:
Steps 1-2: February 23
Steps 3-4: March 9
Steps 5-7: April 6
Steps 8-10: May 4
We’ll also have assignments to create content for posting along the way. Your final submission will include a written proposal of all 10 steps and a short video (20 minutes max) to describe your strategy to the client. Due May 4 (In-person classes will present in class).
Step 1. Business Scope
Gather intel on the client’s mission, product/service, market, and competitors. If possible, define their Why, How, and What; if not, suggest creating one.
Step 2. Aiming High
Outline the client’s business and social media goals – engagement, growth, or ROI.
Step 3. Eye on the Customer
Identify target audiences using client criteria or platform data, and create customer personas with demographics and psychographics.
Step 4. Know the Competition
Examine competitors’ social media performance and compare it to the client’s. Identify standout tactics for both.
Step 5. Social Media Checkup
Assess what’s working or not, audience engagement, target audience network usage, and comparison to the competition.
Step 6. Tone It Up
Decide on a communication style for your strategy based on audience, personas, and platform suggestions. Include a hashtag strategy.
Step 7. Content Countdown
Pick the networks to use based on target audience and persona data. Create a content calendar for March, April, and May.
Step 8. Content Crafting
Develop content, captions, posting dates/times, including photos, videos, links, reposts, and captions.
Step 9. Platform Play
Choose platforms and software for scheduling, posting, and engaging with content (Meta Business Manager/ Creator Studio, Tailwind, Iconosquare, Buffer, Hootsuite, Creator Studio, IFTTT, etc.).
Step 10. Measure and Report
Submit your overall strategy, content plan, and any analytics available from posted content.
Turn in your written strategy and record a video describing your plan and any available analytics (for in-person class, present to the class).