Steal This Social Media Content Strategy

Put together by The Strategy Team at Stratos!

Social media can feel like a second full-time job for business owners, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. (You could hire us or join the Stratos Social Media Club, but more on that later.)

In the meantime, let’s break the process down to make it a little easier. 

Above all things, you have to have a strategy. 

Why? 

When you create social media content using a strategy, you can stay consistent, engage your audience, and grow your business’s social media without spending hours on your phone trying to figure out what to post on the spot. 

Getting content out when you have the time is stressful. What about when you don’t have the time? Let’s be honest: you spend so much time thinking about what to post that when you have a second to do it, the post is never as well-thought-out as you want it to be. At that point, like most business owners, you feel pressured to publish something. 

A simple (and strategic) framework helps you streamline the time necessary to create content while keeping it strategic and engaging. We’ll walk you through three of our favorite principles for strategy.

FYI: For easy math, let’s pretend our strategy is for twelve posts a month. Feel free to get your calculator out to increase the number of posts! 

Principle #1: Follow the 80/20 Rule

Not every post should be a sales pitch. Social media audiences engage with brands that offer value, not just promotions. That’s where the 80/20 rule comes in:

• 80% (Nine of your twelve) posts per month should be nurture-style content. 
• The remaining 20% (three posts) can ask for a “sale” with a direct call to action.

This balance ensures that your audience stays engaged without feeling like they’re constantly being sold to. You can build trust and brand loyalty, too!

Principle #2: Use Content Pillars to Make Planning Easy

Instead of scrambling for ideas about what to post, use content pillars to guide your posts. Content pillars aren’t just a theme or content subject for a post; they have a goal that serves your business.  

Here are some key goals a content pillar might achieve (and examples of the content you could create.)

• Engaging Entertainment: Your audience won’t want to engage with boring content. Bring the fun! 
  Examples: Relatable memes, behind-the-scenes moments, interactive questions.
• Education: Everyone loves to learn! Be a resource for your audience.
  Examples: Tips, how-tos, industry insights, Answer your FAQs.

• Empathy: Create a space of inspiration and connection for your audience. Present yourself as someone who can help solve their problems. Be human.
  Examples: Client success stories, motivational posts, and personal stories.
• Encouraging a Purchase: Create opportunities for your audience to buy from you or book a call. 
  Examples: Announcements, product features, promotions, and service highlights.

Extra Tip: Another way to think about this is that when you are coming up with content, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the goal of the content you want to create?
• What do you want your post to be about?
• What do you want your audience to do once they see this content?

How to Implement Content Pillars:

• Start with three posts per pillar to keep things balanced.
• Use a mix of media formats: images, carousels, reels, or live videos to keep content fresh.
• BONUS: Batch your content. If you have 10 new client testimonials, create a graphic and caption template and knock them all out. Then, schedule them out in advance!

Principle #3: Engage Without Burning Out

Social media isn’t just about posting. It’s about building relationships. But engagement doesn’t have to take hours, either.

Here’s the Simple 15-Minute-a-Day Plan:

• Spend 5 minutes responding to direct messages and comments on your posts. This means more than just reacting to their message or comment. Write an authentic response. 
• Spend 5 minutes engaging with your audience’s posts and stories. This can be reactions and authentic comments.
• BONUS: Use Meta’s autoresponse tools or automate DMs using tools like ManyChat to answer FAQs.

 Little daily interaction goes a long way in building a loyal community.

Okay, I get it. Social media can feel like a lot, even when we break it down. But I think you can do it! A good strategy is one that you can stick to. I encourage you to try this strategy out, even if it’s just one of the principles. If it doesn’t work for you, edit it as you see fit. We have TONS of resources on our Stratos Creative Marketing Blog if you want to learn more strategic tips.

Shameless plug…If this strategy makes sense but feels like one more thing on your plate, you don’t have to do it alone. Stratos’ Social Media Club gives you the strategy and support to make your content work for you, no matter the amount of time you have. And suppose you really don’t want to think about your social media. In that case, we have our Done-for-you Stratos Social Services, where we handle everything, from strategy to creation and scheduling, so you can focus on running your business!

Not sure what the best option is for you? Get on our calendar, and we’ll help you figure it out.