Word Wise: Practical Writing Tips for Freelancers and Solopreneurs

I’m not a marketer. But I know the value of having a marketing plan for social media. Social media is free and it’s accessible to everyone. That means I can reach plenty of people in my niche with just a little bit of intentionality.

But social media marketing has fast become a specialty. Mari Smith has earned the moniker of “Queen of Facebook,” given her expertise with Facebook ads. Viveka von Rosen is a LinkedIn authority. And what about Michael Stelzner? He created Social Media Examiner, the “world’s largest social media marketing resource.”

I can’t compete with those folks. I don’t have that kind of time. And as a solopreneur, I don’t have gobs of resources to invest in hiring a guru to create a social media marketing plan for my biz.

If you feel the same way, I’ve got good news for you. You don’t need a Forbes 100 social media strategy to compete in your niche. You just need a simple plan. And you can create that plan by asking yourself just 3 questions.

Need a social media marketing plan? Ask 3 questions

“A social media strategy is a document outlining your social media goals,” say the wise folks at Hootsuite. “Outline the tactics you will use to achieve them and the metrics you will track to measure your progress.” (Italics mine.)

I like how the Hootsuite social media sages break it down. You need just three things for your social media marketing plan: goals, actions, and measurement. And you record those pieces of information in a document — not as an idea floating around in your head.

Figure out what to put on that document by asking yourself just 3 questions — and you’ll be on your way to creating a personalized social media marketing plan that works.

Question #1: What’s your goal?

The first thing on that document? Your goal. Decide what you want to achieve by investing your time in a social…