/cm:social — Social Media Campaign Planning

Plan and execute a complete social media campaign across platforms with clear goals, content calendar, and engagement tactics.

What It Does

Guides you through social campaign planning from goal-setting to execution, with platform-specific strategies and a 30-day content calendar template.

Process

Step 1: Define Campaign Goal

Choose ONE primary goal:

Awareness → Reach new audiences, build brand visibility

• Metrics: Impressions, reach, follower growth
• Platforms: Twitter (virality), LinkedIn (B2B reach), Instagram (visual)

Engagement → Build community, start conversations

• Metrics: Likes, comments, shares, reply rate
• Platforms: Twitter (conversations), LinkedIn (thought leadership), Reddit (niche communities)

Conversion → Drive signups, demos, downloads

• Metrics: Link clicks, conversions, cost per acquisition
• Platforms: LinkedIn (B2B), Facebook/Instagram (paid ads), Twitter (DMs)

Write your goal: "Increase [metric] by [X%] in [timeframe] via [platforms]"

Example: "Increase demo bookings by 30% in 30 days via LinkedIn + Twitter organic content"

Step 2: Platform Selection

Match platform to goal + audience:

LinkedIn (B2B Decision-Makers)

Best for:

• Thought leadership
• B2B SaaS positioning
• Recruitment / employer branding
• CEO / executive visibility

Content that works:

• Personal stories (career lessons, founder journey)
• Industry insights (hot takes, trend analysis)
• How-to guides (tactical value)
• Company milestones (funding, launches, hiring)

Frequency: 3-5 posts/week (consistency > volume)

Engagement tactics:

• Comment on other posts (first-comment strategy)
• Tag relevant people (not spammy)
• Use carousels (higher engagement than single images)
• Native video > external links (LinkedIn prioritizes native)

Twitter/X (Developers, Tech Enthusiasts, Early Adopters)

Best for:

• Real-time updates
• Product launches (tech audience)
• Viral reach (retweets > likes)
• Customer support / community

Content that works:

• Threads (storytelling, how-tos)
• Hot takes (polarizing but authentic)
• Memes (if on-brand)
• Screenshots (product updates, metrics, wins)

Frequency: 1-3 tweets/day (or thread-heavy: 3-5/week)

Engagement tactics:

• Reply to mentions within 1 hour
• Quote-tweet relevant convos (add value, don't hijack)
• Use polls (easy engagement)
• Piggyback on trending topics (when relevant)

Instagram (Visual Brands, DTC, Lifestyle)

Best for:

• Visual storytelling
• Behind-the-scenes
• Influencer partnerships
• E-commerce (product showcases)

Content that works:

• Reels (short, snappy, trending audio)
• Carousels (educational, swipeable)
• Stories (daily updates, polls, Q&A)
• UGC (user-generated content)

Frequency: 3-5 posts/week + daily stories

Engagement tactics:

• Story stickers (polls, questions, quizzes)
• Respond to DMs quickly
• Collaborate with micro-influencers
• Use location tags + relevant hashtags

Facebook (Older Demographics, Community Groups)

Best for:

• Local businesses
• Community building (groups)
• Paid ads (lookalike audiences, retargeting)
• Events

Content that works:

• Video (native uploads, not YouTube links)
• Live video (Q&A, behind-the-scenes)
• User-generated content
• Community discussions (in groups)

Frequency: 3-4 posts/week

Engagement tactics:

• Create a Facebook Group (owned community)
• Go live regularly (Facebook prioritizes live)
• Use Facebook Events (for webinars, launches)
• Boost top-performing posts with ads

Reddit (Niche Communities, Product Launches)

Best for:

• Product Hunt-style launches
• Technical deep-dives
• Feedback / beta testing
• Underdog brands (anti-corporate vibe)

Content that works:

• AMAs (Ask Me Anything)
• Detailed how-tos (technical depth)
• Transparent founder stories (no BS)
• Memes (if subreddit allows)

Frequency: 1-2 posts/week (quality > quantity)

⚠️ Rules:

• Read subreddit rules FIRST (most ban self-promo)
• Engage authentically (don't just drop links)
• Respond to every comment
• Use alt accounts carefully (Reddit hates astroturfing)

Step 3: Content Mix Strategy

Don't post only promotional content. Use the 40/20/20/20 rule:

Why this works:

• Builds trust before asking for anything
• Algorithm favors diverse content (not just links)
• Audience stays engaged (not just sold to)

Step 4: 30-Day Content Calendar Template

Fill out:

• Week 1: 7 posts (2 educational, 1 social proof, 1 promotional, 1 personal, 2 engagement posts)
• Week 2: 7 posts (same mix)
• Week 3: 7 posts (same mix)
• Week 4: 7 posts (same mix)

Bonus: Add 2-3 "reactive" slots (respond to news, trends, viral posts)

Step 5: Hashtag Research Framework

Purpose: Increase discoverability without looking spammy

LinkedIn Hashtags

Use 3-5 per post:

• 1 broad (#Marketing, #SaaS)
• 1 niche (#B2BMarketing, #ProductLedGrowth)
• 1 branded (#CompanyName or #ProductName)
• 1-2 trending (check LinkedIn's "Trending" section)

Where to place: End of post (not mid-sentence)

Example: "[Your post content here]

#B2BMarketing #SaaS #ProductLedGrowth #MarketingAutomation"

Twitter Hashtags

Use 1-2 per tweet:

• Tweets with 1-2 hashtags get 21% more engagement
• 3+ hashtags → engagement drops (looks spammy)

Best practices:

• Use in context (#buildinpublic in a thread about your journey)
• Jump on trending hashtags (only if relevant)
• Create branded hashtag for campaigns (#30DaysOfMarketing)

Instagram Hashtags

Use 10-30 per post:

• Mix of high-volume (#marketing 50M posts) + niche (#saasmarketing 100k posts)
• Hide in first comment (cleaner caption)

Formula:

• 5 broad (1M+ posts)
• 10 medium (100k-1M posts)
• 10 niche (10k-100k posts)
• 5 branded or location-based

Research tool: Hashtag analytics in Instagram Insights, or use RiteTag, Later

Step 6: Engagement Tactics

Engagement isn't just posting. It's participating.

First-Comment Strategy (LinkedIn)

Why: LinkedIn algorithm prioritizes posts with early engagement

How:

1. Post your content
2. Immediately comment (add context, ask a question, or share a related link)
3. Ask 2-3 colleagues to comment in first 10 minutes
4. Reply to every comment within first hour

Result: More comments → higher reach

Tagging Strategy

When to tag:

• Mentioned someone in your post (give credit)
• Sharing someone's content (tag the creator)
• Collaborated with a partner (tag them)

When NOT to tag:

• Random people to "boost reach" (spammy)
• Competitors (unless it's a genuine shoutout)

Cross-Promotion

Repurpose content across platforms:

Example workflow:

1. Write a detailed LinkedIn post (300 words)
2. Extract 3 key points → Twitter thread
3. Turn into Instagram carousel (5 slides)
4. Quote best line → Twitter quote graphic
5. Expand into blog post → Link from all platforms

Tools: Repurpose.io, Buffer, Hootsuite

Story Engagement (Instagram/Facebook)

Use interactive stickers:

• Poll: "Which feature should we build next?"
• Question: "What's your biggest [pain point]?"
• Quiz: "Test your [topic] knowledge"
• Countdown: "Product launch in 3 days!"

Why: Stickers boost reach (Instagram rewards interaction)

Step 7: Metrics to Track (Per Platform)

LinkedIn

Engagement:

• Impressions (how many saw it)
• Engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / impressions)
• Follower growth

Conversion:

• Link clicks (to landing page, blog)
• Profile views (are people checking you out?)

Benchmark: 2-5% engagement rate is good for organic

Twitter

Engagement:

• Impressions
• Engagement rate (likes + replies + retweets / impressions)
• Profile visits

Conversion:

• Link clicks
• Mentions (branded + unbranded)

Benchmark: 1-3% engagement rate (Twitter is lower than LinkedIn)

Instagram

Engagement:

• Reach (unique accounts)
• Engagement rate (likes + comments + saves / reach)
• Story completion rate (% who watch to the end)

Conversion:

• Link clicks (bio link or story swipe-ups)
• DMs (often where conversions happen)

Benchmark: 3-6% engagement rate (varies by follower count)

Step 8: Create Campaign Brief

Compile everything into a one-page brief:

Social Media Campaign Brief

Campaign Name: [Name] Duration: [Start Date] – [End Date] Owner: [Your Name]

Goal: [Increase X by Y% in Z days via platforms A, B, C]

Platforms:

• [ ] LinkedIn (focus: [audience])
• [ ] Twitter (focus: [audience])
• [ ] Instagram (focus: [audience])
• [ ] Facebook (focus: [audience])
• [ ] Reddit (focus: [subreddits])

Content Mix:

• 40% Educational
• 20% Social Proof
• 20% Promotional
• 20% Personal

Key Themes:

1. [Theme 1]
2. [Theme 2]
3. [Theme 3]

Content Calendar: [Link to Google Sheet / Notion / Airtable]

Hashtags:

• LinkedIn: [list]
• Twitter: [list]
• Instagram: [list]

Engagement Tactics:

• First-comment strategy (LinkedIn)
• Reply within 1 hour (Twitter)
• Story stickers (Instagram)

Success Metrics:

• [Metric 1]: Target [X]
• [Metric 2]: Target [Y]
• [Metric 3]: Target [Z]

Review Cadence:

• Weekly check-in (every Friday)
• End-of-campaign debrief (within 7 days of completion)

When to Use

• Launching a new product or feature
• Building brand awareness in a new market
• Driving event registrations (webinar, conference)
• Seasonal campaigns (end-of-year, new year resolutions)
• Before a fundraise (build momentum, visibility)

Time Investment

Planning: 2-3 hours (goal setting + calendar creation) Execution: 5-7 hours/week (content creation + engagement) Review: 1 hour/week (metrics check + adjustments)

Output

• Campaign goal statement
• Platform selection rationale
• 30-day content calendar (filled out)
• Hashtag lists per platform
• Engagement playbook
• Metrics tracking sheet
• One-page campaign brief

Quality Bar

• Single, measurable goal (not "increase engagement" — "increase demo bookings by 30%")
• Platform selection justified (why LinkedIn vs. Twitter for this goal?)
• 30-day calendar populated (at least 80% of slots filled with topics)
• Content mix balanced (not 80% promotional)
• Engagement tactics defined (not just "post and hope")
• Metrics tracked weekly (not just at the end)