Top tips for developing an effective social media strategy + useful checklists

As a strategic marketing expert working with Swiss SMEs on a regular basis, I can instantly tell when a brand does or doesn’t have a real social media strategy. This becomes a serious problem when your social media presence supposed to be a channel you rely on to attract new customers, increase brand awareness or improve customer lifetime value.

Here are the most common situations I see:

1. You have a great content creator, your content might even go viral, yet sales barely move and new subscribers don’t convert into customers. Reason: there’s no strategic marketing funnel connecting your content to your business goals.

2. You have a good social media manager. They’re great at engagement, responding to comments, and keeping your account active but your results still plateau. Reason: the funnel isn’t designed to guide your audience from awareness to conversion.

3. You manage social media yourself. You’re doing everything but you’re stuck with the same KPIs month after month. Reason: too many tasks, no clear plan, misplaced priorities, copying others & using AI not the right way.

All of these challenges come down to one thing: the absence of a solid strategic foundation.

A well-built strategy makes sure that every post, campaign, and piece of content works together to support your business goals. It helps you focus your efforts, use resources efficiently, and get measurable results. In this article, I’ll explain how to recognize these gaps and what you can do to fix them so your social media finally starts working for your business.

Understanding your audience and setting clear goals

Before selecting a platform and diving into content creation, it’s essential to understand who your audience is and what you want to achieve. Without this foundation, your social media efforts may lack direction and fail to deliver results.

• Make a proper research on your target audience: Consider not only demographics but think of their behaviors & lifestyle, problems related to your product/service, search queries, language they will react to, music they like, shows they watch, other products they buy, etc. Use market research, analytics tools, social listening and observation.

• Define your current goal: Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, boost sales, increase engagement? If you are not a huge corporation with an unlimited budget, you can't achieve all at once, and a clear goal definition will guide your content and KPIs.

For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness among young adults aged 20–30 who are interested in fitness, your content should reflect their lifestyle and motivations. Focus on short-form videos (Instagram Reels, TikToks) that feature relatable, real people from the same demographic. Share motivational posts, workout tips, and behind-the-scenes clips that capture the energy of this age group. Highlight the lifestyle of active, not married individuals without kids, collaborate with influencers popular among this audience, partner with complementary fitness or wellness brands, and encourage user-generated content from your community.

8 key social media strategy tips for success

Social media performance depends on a lot of factors.

Once your goal and strategy are defined, implementing the right tactics can make a significant difference in your social media performance. Here are some essential social media strategy tips to keep in mind:

1. You don’t need to be active on every social media platform. Not every channel suits every business. Instead, focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active and where your content can make the biggest impact.

2. Conduct competitor research. Analyze your competitors’ profiles, customer feedback, and ads to identify what works in your niche. Look for content gaps - topics or formats that your competitors overlook but your audience would find valuable. Study the most successful brands in your space: what do they do differently? What patterns can you replicate or improve? Also, check which ads they run and how long they’ve been active to understand what resonates best with your shared audience.

3. Always have a content calendar. Plan your posts in advance to maintain consistency and to make sure your content aligns with ongoing marketing campaigns, seasonal events, or product launches. A well-structured calendar keeps your brand organized and prevents last-minute posting.

   

   
   

   Pro Tip: Strive for a balanced mix of promotional, engaging, entertaining, educational, and informational content. The exact ratio depends on your business goals. A well-balanced content strategy keeps your audience interested, prevents fatigue from overly promotional posts, and encourages long-term engagement with your brand.

   
   

4. Adapt content for each platform. If you’re active on several social media platforms, use the same core topics, but never copy-paste content directly. Each platform has its own format, tone, and audience expectations. Duplicated content performs worse and gives people no reason to follow you elsewhere. Instead, repurpose your content — adjust visuals, captions, or formats to fit each platform’s culture.

   
   

5. Engage with your audience. Make Q&A sessions, personalized content on demand, answers on DMs publicly. These authentic interaction builds trust, loyalty, and stronger relationships with your community.

   
   

6. Invest in quality visuals and a good copy. Your visuals should clearly reflect your brand identity and appeal to your audience’s emotions and needs. When someone first sees your content, they instantly ask: “What’s in this for me?” Make sure your visuals answer that question. Both aesthetic appeal and message clarity are essential for growth at the awareness stage.

   
   

7. Leverage analytics properly. Regularly review your performance metrics to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Find patterns in both good and bad content, check not only overall profile analytics but content pieces separately. Data-driven insights allow you to refine your content strategy, optimize results, and focus resources where they matter most.

   
   

8. Use my social media checklists below (4) to make sure you’re running your channels strategically.

By following these tips, you can build a cohesive and effective social media presence that resonates with your audience and supports your business objectives.

How to measure success and adapt your social media strategy

No social media strategy is complete without tracking performance and making data-driven adjustments. Regular analysis helps you understand what resonates and where improvements are needed.

• Track key performance indicators (KPIs): These may include engagement rate, reach, follower growth, click-through rate, shares & saves, watch/read time, and conversions.

• Use platform analytics and third-party tools: Tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social provide valuable insights.

• Conduct A/B testing: Experiment with different post types, captions, and posting times to find the most effective combinations.

• Adjust your strategy based on data: If certain content types or platforms underperform, reallocate resources to more successful areas & test new content types / hooks / engaging tactics. Sometimes it is enough just to change music or a hook in the title.

  
  

By continuously refining your approach, you ensure your social media efforts remain effective and aligned with your goals.

Taking your social media strategy to the next level

Developing a winning social media strategy requires ongoing research, creativity, and analysis. By deeply understanding your audience, applying proven strategic methods, and regularly reviewing your results, you can build a strong online presence that drives real business growth.

Learn how to design your Instagram feed here.

If you’re looking for expert guidance or a fully customized social media strategy, explore my professional services by clicking a link:

• Consultation session — includes several hours of in-depth research & a 1-hour personalized consultation.

• Social media strategy development — a complete 2–4 week process of research and strategy creation adapted to your brand.

• Ongoing social media support — monthly strategic guidance and optimization to help you stay consistent and grow effectively.

P.S.: Remember, social media is a dynamic space. Stay adaptable, keep learning, and let your strategy evolve with your audience and business goals.