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If you did not read part 1 of this series about the first stages of social media planning, you can find it here. If you did read it or are just a natural Social Media baller, then feel free to continue reading.

Content Planning

Content planning is, in my humble opinion, the most fun part of the process (although it is all fun). There are thousands of methods for putting together content without pulling your hair out, but here are a few that we use.

• Build a Library
• Blog posts can be broken down into two major categories: those that are time-sensitive like news updates and those that are not like advice. This particular post is not particularly time-sensitive. It helps to have a good buffer of around 5-6 non-time-sensitive pieces for release on days with less news. However, there are unplanned gems that will come out that deserve quick and relevant posts.



• When planning, do not post simply to post. A post that does not create value for your users is likely to degrade the value of your site in their eyes. Make sure that you have something to say and that you are not simply wasting time with your articles. Here are some good tips to get you started on value: Branded Content Tips
• If your blog is about a trade or a craft (like ours), do not be afraid to share what you know! Giving away some of your knowledge is a great way to help your readers. Were not talking about putting yourself out of a job, but enough to help people figure things out.
• Plan for Synergy!
• Here at Odd Dog, we are huge advocates of synergy. We believe that all the pieces of the web rise and fall together. In proper web strategy, every cog needs to be accounted for in order to achieve the best results, and it is no different in Social Media strategy. When planning your content, it is important to review all of the channels you have selected and find the best way to make them work together. Plan pieces of content that will appeal to your audience in each channel. Direct readers over to other blog posts and encourage them to read more. Create and facilitate discussions. Use programs that give you one-stop management for all of your profiles. A good example of this is using a program like Hootsuite to manage multiple social profiles at once. When I publish this post, I will enter it into Hootsuite and it will immediately reach our Twitter, our Facebook, and any other social profiles we have attached. It is this kind of synergy that creates successful Social Media campaigns.

[sws_blockquote align="" alignment="alignleft" cite="" quotestyles="style04"] Creating valuable, user-friendly, and well published content is more important than ever in getting yourself to the top of search result pages. [/sws_blockquote]

• Another reason for making your Social profiles work together is that it increases SEO potential. With the Google Panda update earlier this Spring, Social became an even more important factor in search rankings. Creating valuable, user-friendly, and well published content is more important than ever in getting yourself to the top of search result pages.
• Using Humor
• Humor can be an excellent tool. It injects personality and interest into an otherwise long and dry post. It also makes the posts a lot more fun to write. However, there are dangers to humor that a writer needs to be aware of. The first is to make sure that the humor is not the focus of the article, but just a supplement. Having too many quips will take away from the true value of your post. Make sure the humor is relevant as well, having non-sequitur jokes is only funny in Family Guy (and even then it is a stretch). Finally, keep the level of appropriateness in tune with the rest of your blog. If it is professional make sure you do not get too risque.

So there you have it, stay tuned for part 3: Execution next week!