Blogs and social media can be effective marketing tools for small town businesses, but they take planning to make the most of.
This is true for small businesses and for tourism groups. Don’t let important events, holidays, and tie-ins sneak up on you. Use your calendar to connect your social efforts to the real world.
First, plan out your blog posts. Use the free blog post planner from Productive Flourishing, updated every month. Go to their Free Planners page, and scroll down for Blog Post Planners. You can read their instructions page for more detail.
The Blog Post Planner, below, helps you brainstorm for new posts by category.
The Blog Post Calendar, below, organizes the process of scheduling those posts. You can also make note of local events, fairs, festivals, sales, and other things you want to be sure to write about.
Second, plan out your social media. I don’t mean to be artificial about what you share on social networks. I do mean to think ahead about what it makes sense to share at certain times. To help you plan that out, customize this Social Media Calendar. It’s available as a DOCX or PDF.
For example, you know you want to promote the local car show, so schedule it in on your calendar and what you might do for it in different media.
I’ve used these tools to plan out special campaigns that spanned several months. What do you use to plan ahead for your online promotions and content?
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
- Culture is the intersection of people and place - August 19, 2019
- For easier social media marketing, fill in the blank - August 5, 2019
- Need a downtown business idea? Try a Cookie Crawl - July 22, 2019
- Need funding for the next step in your business? - July 17, 2019
- Youth business idea: phone clinics - July 8, 2019
- Chain link is everywhere in downtowns. Here’s how to dress it up. - June 30, 2019
- Stop using “3 legged stool” to describe any idea - June 24, 2019
- What are your challenges? Add your voice here - June 17, 2019
- How to publicize your biking trails before they’re finished - June 10, 2019
- How $5 and a bowl of soup can rebuild your community - June 3, 2019
Thanks for mentioning our planners, Becky! Much appreciated.
Nice tools!
My Twitter friend Danielle Hatfield @DHatfield posted a link to the social media calendar and blog planner at Experience Farm (you know I love a farming reference).