A company’s social media presence can often be an easy way to create and maintain customer relations. For both digital marketing and public relations professionals alike, a strong social media calendar can take a load of stress and work off the table. But sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a bit of a content rut.

Surely anyone familiar with managing social media knows this struggle all too well. Content is king, but it can certainly be challenging to stay on the creative ball week in and week out. So, what happens when the social media game could use a boost? Here are two simple tips to hit the refresh button on any social media marketing strategy.

Set Themes in Advance

It’s a simple concept but setting a theme for social media in advance can work wonders for getting into a flow with creating and curating content. Having a theme to work around gives marketers an idea of what they should be looking for or creating.

An additional benefit of creating a theme is that this gives the company an opportunity to create larger-scale campaigns around these concepts. A farther-reaching campaign creates a stronger cohesive feel when it comes to cross-platform marketing.

Let’s say that a company that promotes publicity for emerging athletes is struggling to stand out in a crowded environment on social media. Everywhere they turn, there are highlight reels and stat graphics just begging to be consumed. If they only put out a competing highlight reel or stats, how will they ever be able to attract an audience of their own?

Here’s where “theme thinking” can be applied. Perhaps the company can set a theme for thanking the parents of the athletes so often portrayed at the top of their game online. An emotive campaign focusing on memorable moments between parent and child or a video of an athlete saying “thank you” to their parents for giving them the opportunity to succeed can attract users who connect with the content.

Once a theme has been chosen, it then becomes simpler to find content that fits. Without a clear theme in mind, it can become a bit haphazard to come up with enough content to fill an entire month’s calendar.

“Setting a theme for social media in advance can work wonders for getting into a flow with creating and curating content.” Ronn Torossian, Founder and CEO 5W Public Relations

Automate Reports for a Clearer Picture of What Works — and What Doesn’t

While this concept comes more on the back end of social media marketing, analyzing data is nonetheless important for finding out what sort of content should be in the plans for future posting. Analytics are an important part of any marketer’s toolbox and for good reason.

Defining metrics that can be an accurate measure of a company’s return on investment should be analyzed each month or on a schedule appropriate for the person responsible or the business needs of the company.

Taking a good look at these metrics, or key performance indicators can give a picture of what users are enjoying and interacting with and what they aren’t. In addition, things such as conversions into revenue or paying/subscribing customers should also be monitored.

Analysis of user behavior is key to the effectiveness of any marketing strategy.

Now, with the larger amount of automation available through the use of artificial intelligence, marketers can sit back and relax in knowing that their reports can be assembled automatically, in great detail, at any moment. Gone are the days of tabulating results by hand and crunching numbers.

With the increase in the availability of options to automate many parts of the marketing process, professionals now have more time to hone in on content that fits the brand, that pulls in and engages with customers and increases revenue.