Factoring in Timing and Key Dates

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Introduction

Identifying and defining key dates and timelines for the year is essential when planning your social media activity as you want to ensure you have enough time to prepare for seasons or holidays that matter most to your business. 

Example

Say you’re a nonprofit organization with a specific holiday campaign designed to drive donations. You’ve decided to develop a series of blog posts with previous donors, supplemented with visual media of your volunteers and staff. In this case, you will want to specify the period of time when you’ll be developing your content, the dates when you will be releasing it, and the overall duration of your campaign. Elements you’ll want to consider include staffing, training, and technology. Who will be responsible for monitoring your social feeds, and who will be tasked with answering questions and addressing concerns? Ask yourself - do I have the resources to execute this campaign as planned on time and on budget? 

Timing Factors

Other timing factors to consider are reporting intervals. In order to measure the success of your campaign, you need to evaluate its effectiveness over time. You may check in on your progress on a monthly, quarterly or a semi-annual basis.  Before you’re due to report, leave yourself enough time to pull all the necessary data and produce a thoughtful analysis of the results. 

Lastly, you’ll want to take a look at any internal events that may need social media amplification like company volunteer events or award ceremonies and follow the same process to ensure you can offer adequate support. 

Looking for more? Checkout our blog and learn How to Schedule Facebook Posts to Save Time