Social media marketing is more than just posting content—it’s about strategic planning that aligns with your business goals. If you’ve ever wondered what is the first step of the six-step process of a social media marketing plan, the answer is simple: setting clear social media marketing objectives.
Before diving into creating content or choosing platforms, you need to establish what success looks like. This critical first step lays the foundation for your entire social media strategy planning.
1. Setting Social Media Marketing Objectives
Your objectives define the “why” behind your efforts. Are you trying to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive website traffic? Identifying specific, measurable goals helps ensure your social media efforts align with your overall business goals.
Here are some examples of strategic objectives:
- Brand awareness goals – Expand your audience reach and build recognition.
- Engagement rate goals – Increase likes, comments, shares, and saves.
- Lead generation goals – Drive potential customers to your landing pages or website.
- Customer support goals – Use social platforms to provide timely support and build trust.
2. Why Objectives Matter in Social Media Strategy Planning
Without clear goals, you risk posting content that doesn’t serve your business. Social media strategy planning starts with understanding your purpose. When you know what you’re aiming for, it’s easier to create a goal-driven content strategy that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and expectations.
3. Aligning Social Media Objectives with Business Goals
Your social media marketing objectives must connect back to your larger business goals. For example, if your business goal is to increase monthly revenue by 20%, your social media goal could focus on improving conversion rates from meta ads or boosting click-through rates on Facebook posts that link to product pages.
This business goals alignment ensures you’re not just chasing likes—you’re making real business impact.
4. Defining Social Media KPIs
Once you’ve set your objectives, the next step is to track them using social media KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These KPIs might include:
- Follower growth
- Post reach
- Engagement rate
- Website traffic from social media
- Conversion rate from social media ads
Measuring these KPIs will show you what’s working and where to improve.
5. Know Your Target Audience Goals
An effective social media plan also depends on understanding your audience’s needs and behavior. Are they looking for educational content? Inspiration? Product updates? Knowing your target audience goals helps you craft messages that resonate and convert.
Final Thoughts
So, what is the first step of the six-step process of a social media marketing plan? It’s all about setting your social media marketing objectives. When you begin with clear goals, every other step—from audience research to content creation and performance tracking—flows with purpose and clarity.
Whether you’re handling it in-house or partnering with a social media agency, starting with well-defined objectives ensures your strategy is built on a solid foundation. Many social media marketing agencies emphasize this crucial first step because it sets the direction for campaigns that actually convert.
Start strong, plan strategically, and your social media efforts will not only look good—but drive real, measurable results.