How to Create a Social Media Strategy for a Client

Creating a social media strategy for a client is more than just scheduling a few posts and hoping for the best. It's a thoughtful roadmap that connects their business objectives to their digital presence, turning followers into genuine customers. This guide breaks down the process into clear, manageable steps, taking you from initial onboarding to delivering measurable results.

Step 1: The Discovery Phase - Ask the Right Questions

Every great social media strategy begins with deep understanding, not assumptions. Before you create a single piece of content, you need to get on the same page with the client. This discovery phase is where you set the foundation for everything to come.

Conduct a Client Kickoff Meeting

Schedule a focused conversation dedicated to uncovering the 'why' behind their social media goals. Use this time to ask specific, open-ended questions that will shape your entire approach. Here are the essentials to cover:

• What are the primary business goals? Move beyond vague requests like "grow our following." Dig deeper. Are they looking to generate leads for their sales team, increase online sales, build a community of brand advocates, or establish themselves as an industry authority? Pinpointing the top one or two business objectives is fundamental.
• Who is your ideal customer? Ask for detailed personas. Go beyond basic demographics. What are their interests? What problems do they face that your client solves? What kind of content do they consume, and on which platforms do they spend their time?
• What is the brand's voice and personality? How should the brand sound? Is it witty and playful, professional and authoritative, or warm and empathetic? Ask for examples of brands they admire (and brands they don't) to get a feel for the desired tone.
• Who are your key competitors? Identify 2-3 direct competitors. You'll analyze them later, but right now, you want to know who the client sees as their competition. Ask what they believe these competitors do well or poorly on social media.
• How will we measure success? Talk about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) early. While you'll define these more formally later, start the conversation now. Align on what metrics truly matter. Are we tracking website clicks, contact form submissions, or engagement rate? Getting this right early on prevents mismatched expectations down the road.
• What are the available resources? Discuss the budget for advertising, software, and content creation. Do they have a library of high-quality photos and videos, or will that need to be produced? Knowing your constraints and assets from the start is essential for building a realistic plan.

Step 2: Conduct a Thorough Social Media Audit

Once you have the client's perspective, it's time to gather your own data. An audit is a systematic review of the client's current social presence and their competitive landscape. It tells you where you're starting from so you can map out where you need to go.

Analyze the Client's Existing Profiles

If the client already has social media accounts, take a deep dive into each one. Look at:

• Profile Optimization: Are the basics covered? Check for a clear bio, professional profile and cover photos, a working link, and consistent branding across platforms.
• Past Content Performance: What has worked in the past? Identify the posts with the highest engagement (likes, comments, shares) and reach. Also, note what fell flat. Look for patterns in content type, format, and topics.
• Audience Analysis: Look at the platform's native analytics to understand their current follower demographics. Is it aligned with the target audience the client described? What is the general sentiment of comments?

Perform a Competitive Analysis

Now, do the same analysis for the top 2-3 competitors you identified in the kickoff meeting. This provides invaluable context and can reveal openings for your client. Scrutinize their:

• Platform Strategy: Which platforms are they on, and which seem to be their primary focus?
• Content Mix: What types of content are they posting? Note their ratio of video, images, carousels, and stories.
• Posting Frequency: How often are they publishing content on each platform?
• Engagement Rate: Don't just look at follower count. Calculate their average engagement rate (total interactions / follower count) to see how responsive their audience really is.
• Strengths and Weaknesses: What are they doing exceptionally well? Where are they dropping the ball? For example, if a competitor has a huge following but receives almost no comments, that's a weakness in community engagement. If they post a great Reel every week, that's a strength.

Use what you learn to find a "content gap." If you notice that no one in your client's industry is using Instagram Reels to share helpful tutorials, that's a massive opportunity for your client to own that space.

Step 3: Define Goals and Set Realistic KPIs

With your research complete, it's time to turn those broad business objectives from Step 1 into measurable social media goals. The best way to do this is with the SMART goal framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Here's how to turn a vague goal into a SMART one:

• Instead of: "Increase brand awareness."
• Try this: "Grow our Instagram account's average post reach by 25% over the next quarter (Q3) by implementing a new video strategy that includes two Reels per week."

Or:

• Instead of: "Get more leads."
• Try this: "Increase website clicks from LinkedIn by 15% month-over-month by posting one piece of high-value content with a clear call-to-action every Tuesday and Thursday."

Your KPIs are the specific metrics you will track to determine if you are meeting these goals. They should be tied directly to your stated objectives and focus on business impact over vanity metrics.

Step 4: Develop the Core Content Strategy

This is where your research and goals come together to form a creative plan. Your content strategy dictates what you'll post, where you'll post it, and why.

Choose the Right Platforms

Don't spread your client thin by trying to be everywhere. Focus on the platforms where their target audience is most active and engaged. Use your audit findings to make an informed decision. For a B2B SaaS client, LinkedIn and X are likely your top priorities. For a direct-to-consumer fashion brand, Instagram and TikTok will be front and center.

Establish Content Themes (or Pillars)

Content pillars are 3-5 core topics that your client's brand will consistently discuss. These themes act as building blocks for your content calendar, keeping your feed focused, consistent, and valuable to your audience. For example, a local real estate agent's pillars might be:

1. Market Updates & Insights: Sharing local market statistics and what they mean for buyers/sellers.
2. Neighborhood Spotlights: Highlighting local businesses, parks, and events to sell the lifestyle.
3. First-Time Homebuyer Education: Creating helpful checklists, videos, or posts that guide new buyers through the process.
4. Behind the Scenes: Showcasing day-in-the-life content, happy client closings, and personal stories.

Define Content Formats

A successful content strategy has variety. Based on your pillars and platforms, outline the mix of formats you'll use. Today's social media thrives on dynamic content:

• Short-Form Video: Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts are non-negotiable for reach and engagement on most platforms.
• Image Carousels: Perfect for step-by-step guides, lists, or telling a visual story.
• High-Quality Photos: Lifestyle shots, user-generated content, and behind-the-scenes images help humanize the brand.
• Ephemeral Content: Use Instagram or Facebook Stories for polls, Q&As, and more casual, interactive updates.

Step 5: Create a Content Calendar and Workflow

A content calendar is a detailed schedule of what you will post and when. This is where you transform your strategic ideas into a concrete action plan. A shared visual calendar is usually the best approach.

At a minimum, your calendar should include:

• Date and time of publication
• Social media platform
• Content format (e.g., Reel, Carousel, Photo)
• The specific visual or video to be used
• The written caption and hashtags
• A clear Call to Action (CTA)
• Status (e.g., Draft, Awaiting Approval, Scheduled)

Equally important is establishing an approval workflow with your client. How far in advance do they want to see content? How will they provide feedback? Settling this early saves countless headaches and ensures everyone is aligned before anything goes live.

Step 6: Execute, Engage, and Analyze

With your plan in place and content scheduled, the work shifts from planning to management and optimization.

Don't Just Post and Ghost

Social media is a two-way conversation. Set aside time each day for community management. This means responding promptly to comments and direct messages, as well as proactively engaging with other accounts in the client's niche. A healthy, engaged community is often the most valuable asset a brand has on social media.

Analyze Performance and Report on What Matters

Set up a regular reporting cadence (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) to track your KPIs. Go beyond simply listing out the metrics. A good report tells a story with data. Explain the "why" behind the numbers.

For example, don't just say, "Reach was up 20%." Instead, say, "Our focus on educational Reels increased our overall reach by 20%, bringing 500 new visitors to the client's 'learn more' page this month." Context makes the data meaningful and demonstrates the value of your work.

Iterate and Adapt

A social media strategy is not a "set it and forget it" document. Social media platforms and audience behaviors change constantly. Use your data to see what's resonating and what isn't, and be prepared to adjust your strategy. If carousel posts are wildly outperforming single-image posts, lean into them. If a content pillar isn't getting any traction, consider replacing it with something new.

Final Thoughts

Creating a client's social media strategy is a systematic process that combines research, strategic planning, creative execution, and ongoing analysis. By following these steps, you can build a comprehensive roadmap that aligns with business goals and delivers consistent, meaningful results.

Once your strategy is set, putting it into action shouldn't feel like a chore. That's why we built Postbase as a clean, modern tool to help you bring your plans to life. With our beautiful visual calendar, you can map out your entire content plan, and our simple scheduling tool makes publishing everything - especially short-form video - across multiple platforms a breeze. It's all about helping you spend less time wrestling with clunky software and more time doing the creative work that gets real results for your clients.