A lot of work goes into creating a social media strategy pitch. When being tasked with coming up with a plan, social media managers need to research the company, look into existing analytics, develop SMART Goals, create relevant and creative content schedules, figure out a realistic budget, understand their audience and dozens of other factors that determine the fate of their proposed social media campaign.
As part of my Social Media Practice Course Capstone, I read, researched and planned out a social media campaign of my own. I chose the amusement park Six Flags Fiesta Texas because I saw the potential the brand could have on social media.
The brand had a lot of room for social media opportunities, including posting more frequently, establishing new social media audiences, using video as a tool, redistributing their YouTube content, cross-sharing their website content to get their social traffic on their site (which can then create opportunities to buy park tickets), taking advantage of popular trends, among other possibilities.
With this in mind, my goal was to create a plan where the brand could use video to not only reach new audiences, but also increase engagement across their social media platforms. If they were to follow through successfully, Six Flags Fiesta Texas could create opportunities to build a community of loyal followers, which can in turn create additional brand awareness, as well as potential new customers for their theme park.
I also researched their competitors and found that they have a better social presence because they have a consistent stream of content for their followers. Posting frequently can offer online communities more chances to engage with people who have their same passions, as well as the brand they’re loyal to.
It doesn’t feel like I’ve been working on this project steadily for seven weeks because I got something new out of it at the end of every week. I learned the importance of creating a detailed and organized social media calendar, the major role online communities play, how user-generated content positively impacts brands and how metrics are an important part of every social media strategy. In applying what I learned this semester, I was able to not only create a full-blown social media pitch that I believe would truly help this brand further succeed, but also helped me learn how to work on detailed plans that I can use in the future. My biggest takeaway from working on this pitch was realizing the impact of communities and how their engagement on social media can help determine the success of a brand’s online presence.