Some question the need for strategy when posting on social media. Strategy is as important here as anywhere else in business. It’s how you make sure you take the shortest route from where you are now to where you want your business to be. It’s how you get from Point A to Point B in the fastest way.

There are many resources for small business planning. We have included what we think are the most important elements of strategy and put them all on one page. We hope you will refer to your one page plan regularly, so we included it front and center in Prepare to Post.

What is 3-2-1

3-2-1 stands for 3 main messages, 2 platforms and 1 target audience and 1 goal. This simple way of organizing will force you to keep your eyes on the most important parts of your social strategy.

Let’s Fill out the App Interactive Worksheet

Below is an overview of your interactive strategy worksheet. Be sure to check out the dedicated tutorial for each of these sections.

• 3 Messages (Tutorial: Messaging in All Your Posts)

Your main messages will be the foundation for good content. If you make sure to include one of these messages in each post, soon your audience will be understanding your business. The main messages should be broad and encompassing.

Go ahead and edit the exact message next to each message heading by clicking on the pencil icon. Message 1 and 3 should be specific enough that the words used here would only apply to your business. Message 2 could apply to other businesses initially but over time you can develop it until it, too, is unique to your business.

• 2 Platforms (Tutorial: Choosing Two Key Platforms)

We recommend you focus on two key platforms first. Better to do two well, then to do more than that poorly. You can always add more platforms later if you like.

The main question to answer here is where does your audience hang out? That is where you need to be posting.

• 1 Target Audience (Tutorial: Defining Your Target Audience)

We recommend you focus on one target audience. Once you reach them and get your main messages across, you can add others if you like. Edit this space to include your most important audience attributes, so you can remind yourself of them on a regular basis.

• 1 Goal (Tutorial: Which Social Media Goal is Right for My Small Business)

For simplicity and maximum results, we recommend choosing one goal.

-Increase traffic to website

-Increase brand awareness

-Increase followers

Most people are accomplishing more than one goal with their social media efforts. Still, it helps to be focused. If you are clear about your goal, you can direct your efforts to accomplishing that one.

Strategy Done

If you filled this worksheet out, congratulations! You have a strategy, and you have an advantage over most others using social media presently. Remember to revisit this often and edit when you notice you are learning new things about your strategy through posting and tracking your results.

Don’t worry if you don’t have it exactly right on day one. Over time, as you post and see what your target audience responds to, the answers will become more obvious to you. You can edit or optimize your 3-2-1 plan as you go along.

Going forward, do you have ideas on how small biz owners who have never used strategy for posting can make this a habit? Share with us in the private Facebook group, the Small Biz Builders.