Skip to content
social media management process
BrandBastion7/7/23 11:41 AM7 min read

How to Enhance Your Social Media Management Process

Companies strive to create successful social media campaigns that engage their target audience and drive results. To achieve this, it's essential to have an efficient social media management process in place. The traditional linear model, consisting of distinct stages like researching, creating content, distributing content, engaging in discussions, and reporting on results, is obsolete.

In this blog post, we will explore the traditional linear approach to social media management and introduce a new and innovative model called the SMM Wheel. We will delve into the steps involved in the SMM Wheel process and discuss its advantages over the traditional linear process.

Traditional Social Media Management Processes

In the past, businesses followed a linear social media management process, which involved discrete steps that were completed one after the other. This approach typically consisted of strategizing, creating content, scheduling and publishing posts, replying to conversations, and then analyzing the results. While this process provided structure, it lacked continuous feedback and integration between the different stages.

old-smm-process

The New Approach: The SMM Wheel

The SMM Wheel represents a paradigm shift in social media management processes. Unlike the linear model, it emphasizes continuous feedback, integration, and actionability at every stage. The SMM Wheel creates a cohesive and iterative approach that leverages data and insights derived from audience engagement. It leverages data and insights derived from audience engagement to inform content creation, optimize campaigns, and ultimately drive better results.

360-(1)

Let's explore each stage of the process of the SMM Wheel:

At the heart of it all: Managing Conversations

At the heart of the SMM Wheel is active engagement with audience conversations. By actively engaging with comments, brands gain actionable insights that shape their publishing strategy in every single step.

By placing conversations at the center of the process, this approach improves how brands strategize, create content, analyze results, and iterate their efforts.

At the center of the SMM Wheel is the management of conversations, which acts as the linchpin connecting all stages of the process. This stage significantly impacts and influences the other stages, enabling brands to harness the power of real-time audience feedback and insights.

Engaging-with-commentsUse BrandBastion to manage your social media conversations faster than ever with AI

Strategize and Find Inspiration

Your social media marketing process needs to include strategizing and finding inspiration. This is also the phase where you can review your social media marketing plan. You can gather inspiration from different sources by:

Managing your social media conversations

  • Conversations are a treasure trove of inspiration. Analyze popular topics of discussion within comments to identify trends, interests, and pain points of your audience. Use these insights to shape your social media calendar, ensuring that your content addresses the interests and concerns that matter most to your community.
  • By identifying successful social media campaigns and posts that received a lot of positive sentiment, you can gain insights into what resonates with your audience and gain inspiration for what topics to communicate next.

Other ways to find inspiration:

  • Browsing through inspiration libraries. For example, BrandBastion's Content Hub has a diverse collection of social media post ideas categorized by holidays, trends, and industries.
  • Following other accounts. Check what your competitors and other content creators in your industry are posting about.

Create Content

Once you have a clear strategy and feel inspired, it's time to create compelling content. This step involves understanding the preferences and needs of your target audience to be able to craft engaging and relevant content.

Using the insights gleaned from audience comments, brands can create compelling content that resonates with their target audience. The SMM Wheel encourages brands to utilize comments as a direct source of inspiration for content creation. Testimonials, user-generated content, and customer feedback can be transformed into engaging posts that build trust and authenticity.

from-comments-to-post-1You can filter comments by positive sentiment on the BrandBastion platform and then post these reviews as new content

Don't forget to organize your content pillars and regularly review your calendar to maintain a balanced and engaging content mix.

Publish Content

Now it's time to publish and schedule your content using social media management tools to save time.

Conversations hold the power to guide your publishing decisions. Reshare past content that garnered positive comments and engagement, breathing new life into valuable discussions.

Additionally, stay agile and adaptable. If the comments indicate that a certain type of content is no longer appropriate due to recent events, be ready to pivot and adjust your plan accordingly. Even if you have scheduled posts, don't just stick to the plan without considering what's happening in real time.

Keep an eye on key metrics such as engagement, sentiment, and topics to gauge the impact of your published content.

Analyze & Report

Conversations provide valuable feedback for analysis. Dive into comments to identify which content resonated most with your audience.

Pay attention to engagement, sentiment, and recurring topics. Utilize this feedback to optimize your content strategy, ensuring that it aligns with your audience's preferences and expectations. This information allows brands to make data-driven decisions, double down on successful strategies, and refine their approach for future content creation.

Continuously analyze user feedback to refine and enhance your approach, making it more effective at resonating with your audience.

Strategize and Find Inspiration (Again)

The SMM Wheel is a continuous process that feeds back into itself. After analyzing and reporting on the results, brands can draw inspiration for the next round of content strategy.

insightsSome of the insights you can find on the BrandBastion platform which  can help you understand what topics are being discussed and what content is resonating (or not) with your audience

Conversations fuel the continuous cycle of the SMM Wheel. Continually monitor comments to understand which content resonates and why. Use this knowledge to inform your future strategy and content creation. The iterative nature of this process ensures that you remain responsive and relevant to your audience's evolving needs and interests.

The SMM Wheel empowers brands to unlock the full potential of social media by integrating real-time feedback and insights into every stage of the process. By actively managing conversations, brands can create meaningful content, optimize their strategy, and build authentic connections with their audience.

The SMM Wheel vs Traditional Linear Model

social-media-management-process-before-after-now

Factors Traditional Linear Model SMM Wheel
Process Structure Sequential stages Continuous and interconnected process
Integration Limited integration between stages Seamless integration between all stages
Feedback Feedback comes after all stages Real-time feedback and optimization
Source of Inspiration External research and assumptions Audience comments and real-time insights
Content Creation Based on initial research and planning Transformed from audience comments and feedback
Content publishing Content distribution focused on a "set it and forget it" approach Tracking metrics and optimizing in real-time to avoid backlash from recent events
Engagement Engage in discussions at a separate stage Actively manage conversations throughout the process
Analysis and Reporting Reporting at the end of the process Continuous analysis and reporting for optimization
Decision-Making Limited data-driven decision-making Data-driven decisions based on real-time insights and social media intelligence
Adaptability Limited scope for immediate adjustments Agile approach for real-time optimization
Results Results evaluated post-process Real-time optimization and enhanced results

Leveraging the Power of the SMM Wheel for Effective Customer Engagement

Customer engagement is paramount for businesses seeking to establish a strong social media presence. The SMM Wheel offers a comprehensive framework for optimizing customer service and engagement through social media management. By integrating conversations and feedback into each stage of the process, businesses can deliver exceptional customer service, promote their products or services effectively, and attract potential customers.

Moreover, the SMM Wheel encourages businesses to create engaging and informative content that focuses on the topics potential customers care about. By utilizing audience comments and insights, businesses can tailor their messaging to resonate with the target audience, highlight unique selling points, and address specific pain points or needs. This personalized approach helps businesses build trust, establish credibility, and attract potential customers through social media platforms.

To execute an effective social media marketing strategy, businesses need to leverage the right tools. The SMM Wheel is much easier to implement if utilizing the right social media tools to streamline content creation, scheduling, analysis, and reporting.

In the dynamic world of social media management, the traditional linear approach has given way to the more effective and interconnected SMM Wheel. By placing conversations at the heart of the process, businesses can create successful strategies that engage their target audience and drive results.

Subscribe to our monthly round-up 💌

  • Latest social media news,  trends, and access to exclusive resources
  • Hear from other brands and learn from their stories and experiences
  • Be the first to know about new BrandBastion updates
  • Prepare for upcoming holidays with post ideas and real brand examples

RELATED ARTICLES