While the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, the best laid plans of social media managers usually result in more consistent content, improved attention to detail, increased engagement, and better overall voice and branding. It’s so easy to get swept up in the running of the practice, the seeing of patients – the general handling of business! You’re busy and your social media manager is busy. It’s easy to forget about social when other things feel like they should take priority. However, with a plan, or editorial calendar, it’s easier to plan ahead, schedule content, and hit your stride. That’s less time spent frantically playing catch-up, posting “just anything” because it’s been a few days.
The very mention of that term, editorial calendar, can sound a little over-involved, perhaps more than you need, reserved for, say, The New York Times or even such B-list publications as US Weekly. But truthfully, all an editorial calendar requires is a plan for content. When will we shoot to have this post published? When is the best time to fit in a braces-off shot? When in the season does this post make the most sense? By answering these questions and loosely planning out your month of content, you can schedule time to create this content and make sure it actually gets done.
But, of course, we’re going to help you! As much as we’d love to stop by the office each week to gather assets and fine-tune your voice, we’re just a bit too far away for the drop-in. The best content, of course, is generated by you, since you and your staff have an unparalleled ability to tell your story, in your voice, with your patients. We’ve been sending social media prompts for months, but we’d like you to prioritize those this month.
You, of course, don’t have to use every prompt to help your social, but try to mix up your content with teeth-unrelated posts like these we’ve written for you. We want to show your awesome work and the lives you touch, but it’s important that we show the personality of you and your practice, too. Like I’ve always said, people want to get to know you, and if they like you, they’ll want to come to you when they need orthodontic treatment. Luckily, you and your practice should be easy subjects for your social!
So take a few minutes this month to sit down and plan. If you can ask your social media manager to do this on her own, great! If you need to sit down with her for the first few planning sessions, I promise it will be time well spent. And, if you’re wondering, this is what we do. Our social media manager has the responsibility of posting 15 times a month. We have several different post categories, so that we don’t post the same content over and over. She is also responsible for handing in an editorial calendar by the first of each month, so that I can approve it. I promise that if you try this, you will feel more comfortable knowing that your social media presence is consistent, on voice, and highly engaging.
Of course, if you have any questions or need any feedback about your content, you know where to find us! Email me at [email protected] if you need anything at all. Happy holidays, fam!