How to create a social media plan in 4 beefy steps

This is part three of our three-part Social Media Planning series, broken down into the following phases:

1. Social media analysis
2. Social media strategy
3. Social media plan (below)

In parts 1 and 2 we’ve looked at how to create a social media analysis and strategy.

Now it’s time for four beefy steps for completing a social media plan:

1. Outline a phased plan

• Using recommendations from your social media strategy, outline a phased plan.
• Make your first phase as manageable as possible based on the organization’s resources.
• Subsequent phases should evaluate existing tools and goal fulfillment.

Here is an example of a two-phase plan:

Phase one

• Optimize existing website
• Start a blog for the organization
• Optimize or create optimized accounts with some social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Create optimized accounts with and populate media communities such as Flickr and YouTube.
• Integrate all of these accounts using an integration tool like Ping.fm or HootSuite.
• Use an analytics/metrics tool such as PostRank or Radian6 to measure progress and success.

Phase two

• Evaluate which tools are yielding results. Identify if the problem is the tool or the approach used to reach the target market.
• Eliminate tools that are no longer feasible or alter your approach to using them.
• Depending on resources, add some additional tools to the social media plan such as Foursquare, Delicious, Digg, SlideShare or Eventbrite.
• Depending on resources, ramp up the use of existing tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube by joining groups or adding applications.
• Add an additional blog or Twitter account if applicable.
• Assess your choice of analytics/metrics tool and consider adding more tools.

2. Flesh out the plan

• For each tool in your outline, define specific strategies and tactics to use while implementing the tool.
• Include a general strategy for applying the tool specifically to the organization’s goals and target market.
• Include tactics for managing and optimizing the tool based on the organization’s resources.
• Research effective tactics and strategies for each tool, and investigate how your competitors are leveraging them.
• Plan how you will integrate the tool with the rest of the tools in your social media plan.
• Plan how you will measure the tool’s success within your chosen social media analytics/metrics tool.

3. Time line and guidelines

• A good strategy and plan will take time to implement and establish. Include a realistic time line for achieving the organization’s goals.
• Don’t forget the importance of transparency, authenticity and interaction in this type of market — as well as the fact that anything you post is not going away. As a result, don’t skimp on preparing detailed social media guidelines and policies.

4. Integration and metrics

• Prepare a social media integration plan and map how your tools will seamlessly work together.
• Prepare an advanced social media analytics and metrics plan.

This post originally appeared as a Social Media Tip of the Day entry from Social Media Power.