Social Media Marketing Plan

Social Media Marketing Plan Semester Project

Today communication is more instantaneous that ever before. According to Boyd (2013), social media affords
you, the public relations/media relations practitioner the opportunity for immediate global access, the ability to
mass distribute your information and direct customer interaction (B2C, Business to Consumer). Due to the fact
that you now must be engaged in social media to stay abreast of the latest happenings, you will be required to
select at least three of the above platforms (or any others that you clear with me) and develop a social media
marketing plan. This plan is one component of a company’s overall marketing/communication plan. A social
media marketing plan is the summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve for your business using
social networks. This plan should comprise your goals for where you want them to be in the near future and all
the tools (SM platforms) you want to use to get there.
Above you see the icons for Instagram, YouTube, 8mm, Front Back, Tape to Talk, Flipboard and Twitter. This
allows you to be creative in your development of your project listed below. You have creative license to
determine which ones you want to use and how you would incorporate them into your plan. I suggest you visit
several sport related websites (collegiate, professional, for-profit, non-for-profit, etc.) to see how they utilize
these platforms.
How to Build a Social Media Plan:
https://m.wikihow.com/Build-a-Social-Media-Plan
Students will individually be undertaking a social media-marketing plan, forming a fictional “team of public
relations/media relations consultants.” The consultants will prepare a proposal document for consideration by
the “TROY University Sport Consortium.” Think of the proposal as a formal contract/proposal offer you are
tendering, which (if approved) the “TROY University Sport Consortium,” will pay you for to complete the
proposed work. Students may choose from any variety of sport management topics (events, programs, teams,
etc.) but they must be related to sport and fitness management and must use social media marketing strategy in a
consulting fashion (i.e., the platforms given above). This proposal should be dynamic, colorful, and utilize
graphical elements (e.g., pictures, figures, graphs, charts, tables, etc.) to convey various elements of the social
media marketing proposal. In addition, you should use relevant industry data to add validity to the
problem/marketing cause.
**Professor’s note: TROY University Sport Consortium is being used throughout as an example. It would be
replaced by your chosen organization (i.e., Philadelphia Eagles, Texas A&M University, or Under Armour).
The proposal should address the following questions:
• What your consulting group proposes to do?
• Why your consulting group proposes to do it?
• How does your consulting group plan to achieve the goals outlined in the proposal?
• What benefits will the TROY University Sport Consortium receive?
• What benefits will the particular TROY University Sport Consortium team receive?
• How will you turn the proposal into an actionable plan that achieves results?
• What resources will you need to complete the proposed project (e.g., proposed budget)?
OUTLINE FOR THE DELIVERABLES
* This is the information that will be turned in to the professor as your final sport social media marketing
project. It should be submitted in a .PDF format. The submission, with all six sections (listed below) included
should be a minimum of 8 pages).
1. Cover Letter
a. What is enclosed?
b. Thank the client (e.g., TROY University Sport Consortium) for the opportunity
c. Include the name and address for the client (You may use me as the liaison for the TROY University
Sport Consortium)
d. Include the proper names and titles of all relevant individuals of the client and the consulting group.
2. Executive Summary (1-page)
3. Table of Contents (1-page)
4. Proposal Body (5 areas as outline below)
5. Promotional Newsletter
6. References
7. Appendices (details that are not relevant; this is likely where you would put all of your social media
marketing materials – you will reference it in throughout your proposal but not include the actual work)
Additional Information
The effectiveness of your proposal is proportional to the impression of professionalism it conveys. Accordingly,
the format, style, appearance, and content should be dynamic, informative, and engaging. Write for the reader’s
convenience, whether that individual wants to just scan the report, read it thoroughly, just read the first few
pages, or pick it and put it down and pick it up again.
• Straight paragraphs (i.e., like a text book) can turn off the reader. As well, lists and outlines can lack the
depth desired by many. Thus, use a combination of the two. Use headlines, headings, and highlights
liberally.
• You must use at least three social media platforms. That means that you will be creating at least three
“dummy” accounts for your project. You should be taking screen grabs (or screenshots) of those
accounts and the work you have done on them to include in this project. Providing the professor a link
will not suffice.
• Keep details out of the body of the proposal; they belong in the Appendix.
There are SIX important elements you will include in your proposal:
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepare a brief summary to the TROY University Sport Consortium. Include what you, the public
relations/media relations consultant, are proposing, its business operations, and the current situation the
proposal espouses to remedy or assist with. This statement should indicate that your consulting group
understands the situation and all the pieces (and players) involved. Knowledge of a particular domain (in this
case, sport social media marketing) is a critical factor that will contribute to success. Thus, you should include
the key terminology used by the decision-makers and gleaned from the class lectures. Decision-makers start
with, and focus on, the executive summary so create this section with that in mind. When writing the executive
summary, assume the reader knows little or nothing about the proposed project.
2. OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
In clear, brief terms, this statement should explain what the your group should be striving to achieve, resolve, or
remediate for the TROY University Sport Consortium. Focus your proposal on their needs, then describe your
consulting group’s capabilities and the social media marketing plan you have to resolve said needs. Remember,
clients care about how you will address their issues and challenges and the process by which you will do this.
Questions to consider:
• What is the situation / problem that you are proposing to remedy?
• How can the organization realize greater success in a certain performance area(s)?
• What does the industry data say about the problem?
• What obstacles require resolution?
• What strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats contribute to the problem?
• How do you think the client defines and measures success?
• What variables does your client use to define success?
• What specific metrics will be used to measure these variables?
• How will your group define, capture, and report on these metrics (e.g., through research)?
3. PROPOSAL OBJECTIVE
Here, your consulting group will outline the objectives in terms of the outcomes the consulting project is
expected to achieve. Your consulting group should be generous with your ideas in this phase, and not limit
the proposal to one particular area. Use your ideas to show the client how your team thinks about and
approaches social media marketing problems (Hint: this is where you will propose your social media platforms
and explain why they will help in your cause).
Questions to consider:
• What benefits will be gleaned from hiring your group?
• Why is your approach better than the competition?
• How will the organization benefit financially, perceptually, and contextually?
• How will performance be enhanced?
• What do you expect the data to show?
• How much improvement can you deliver?
4. PROJECT DELIVERABLES
This section will detail the tangible ‘products’ you will present to the client. For this course (SFM 6639), a final
proposal document is required. Remember, if you are using data to support aspects of your proposal, double and
triple check the information is accurate. It is easy for ‘facts’ and ‘data’ to be misunderstood and misused in a
proposal (hint: cite them using APA). This is also where you would lay out you would explain the social media
marketing platforms in greater detail.
5. THE PLAN
This section articulates the schedule for getting from discussions about the project (i.e., initiation) to
completion. The project plan section will detail a list of tasks, timelines for completion, milestones, and
schedule for the final deliverables. An important role of this plan is to instill confidence in the client, as well as
to show how the work will be done.
Questions to consider:
• How do you plan to get to your objective?
• What is your data collection procedure? (i.e., page views, like, retweets, etc.)
• What resources will you require?
• What role must your client play in your plan?
• What contingency plans may be developed if major obstacles arise?
6. PROMOTIONAL NEWSLETTER
Every day digital media becomes more important as a means for receiving, producing, sharing, and
broadcasting information. Tools and resources that were once the exclusive property of a few are now available
to many more people. Tomorrow’s publishers, marketing people, and community leaders will need to know
how to use digital media to persuade others and tell new and effective stories.
Therefore, you need to develop a (promotional) E-newsletter in your proposal as an example of one of your
social media platforms.
Things to consider:
• Your (promotional) message reaches your intended and targeted audience.
• Your message is understood by your audience.
• Your message/strategy stimulates the recipients and they take action.
• You need to incorporate a variety of virtual materials (photos, videos, etc.) for your E-newsletter.