Tired of creating massive, overstuffed presentations every time you onboard a new client? You’re not alone. For years, agencies have relied on sprawling, 50+ slide decks to pitch social strategies, cramming every detail into oversized files that are as clunky as they are unnecessary.

But here’s the truth: Social strategy should be simple.

Instead of overwhelming your team (or clients), focus on answering these four core questions:

1. What are you trying to accomplish?
2. Who are you trying to reach?
3. What resources do you have?
4. How will you measure success?

Let’s break each one down.

---

1. What Are You Trying to Accomplish?

Goals are often assumed but rarely articulated clearly. Skipping this step is a mistake—defining goals is critical for keeping your strategy focused and proving your value when it’s time to measure results.

Start with the SMART framework for effective goal-setting:

• Specific: Are you aiming for brand awareness, conversions, or follower growth?
• Measurable: Can you track your progress? If not, refine your goal.
• Achievable: Be realistic. Overnight success doesn’t happen.
• Relevant: Align your social goals with broader business objectives.
• Time-bound: Set deadlines—monthly, quarterly, or annually—for tracking progress.

This structure ensures clarity and keeps you from defaulting to vague ideas like “boosting engagement.” Instead, you’ll set concrete, actionable targets.

---

2. Who Are You Trying to Reach?

Your audience should drive your content strategy, not viral aspirations. Instead of chasing mass appeal, focus on the niche audience most likely to engage with and benefit from your brand.

For example, when working on social strategy for Microsoft Surface, the focus was on existing Surface owners, not general tablet shoppers. During back-to-school campaigns, content targeted current users, convincing them why Surface was the best choice for their kids.

This approach keeps messaging relevant and resonates with the people who are most likely to act.

---

3. What Resources Do You Have?

Your strategy should reflect your available resources, including your team’s size, skills, and time.

If you’re a one-person social media team, prioritize content formats that align with your expertise. Are you a writer? Focus on blogs, captions, or tweets. A designer? Lean into graphics. Comfortable on camera? Experiment with TikToks or Reels.

For larger teams, tailor your strategy to your team’s strengths. When managing social for Dying Light, I leveraged a talented game capture artist to produce stunning in-game videos. For Rock Band, we relied on a creative director skilled in Adobe After Effects to create eye-catching cinemagraphs. Both approaches worked, but each was built around the unique talents of the team.

---

4. How Will You Measure Success?

With countless social media metrics available, the challenge is identifying the ones that align with your goals.

Your SMART goals should help narrow the focus:

• Top-of-funnel goals: Track metrics like reach, views, and shares.
• Community-building goals: Prioritize engagement metrics like comments and reactions.
• Conversion goals: Focus on sales, sign-ups, or other tangible results.

Select a primary metric that reflects your ultimate objective. For example, the Washington Post’s Instagram focuses on shares as their north star metric. Shares indicate content is useful enough for audiences to pass it along, making it a meaningful sign of success for their reporting.

For an extensive list of potential metrics, check out resources like Sprout Social’s guide to social media metrics.

---

Iterate Until It Clicks

Your first attempt at answering these questions might not be perfect—and that’s okay. If your available resources don’t align with your SMART goals, or if success metrics feel off, adjust until everything connects.

The process of refining your strategy is as important as the final product. With a clear, simple framework, you’ll build a strategy that’s not only actionable but also easy to communicate and scale.

So ditch the bloated decks and keep your strategy straightforward. Social media success starts with clarity, focus, and a strong foundation.

---

SEO Tips for Your Strategy

• Use clear, audience-focused headlines like “How to Simplify Your Social Media Strategy.”
• Incorporate targeted keywords like “social strategy,” “SMART goals,” “target audience,” and “social media metrics.”
• Optimize for readability with bullet points, subheadings, and concise paragraphs.

By following this guide, you’ll create a strategy that’s as effective for your audience as it is manageable for your team.