Social Channel Setup & Management Workflow

Estimated Time: 30 days Difficulty: Intermediate Team Size: 2-5 people Category: Marketing & Communications A complete workflow for setting up, managing, and optimizing your company social media channels. This 10-step process covers audience research, platform selection, account security, content strategy, team roles, brand guidelines, crisis procedures, and performance analytics. Why This Process Matters: Social media is often the first touchpoint for potential customers. A professional, consistent presence builds trust and drives engagement. This workflow ensures you launch strategically rather than reactively. What You Will Accomplish:Professional, secure social accounts on the right platforms with 2FA protection Documented content strategy with editorial calendar and 70-20-10 content mix Clear team roles with defined response time standards (1-4 hours) Brand voice and visual guidelines ensuring consistent representation Crisis management procedures ready before you need them Analytics tracking with monthly optimization reviews and KPIs Best For: Marketing teams, small business owners, startups launching their social presence, companies rebranding or expanding to new platforms.

10 steps

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Process steps

Conduct social media audience research and platform analysis

2 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Identify which social platforms your target customers actually use before investing time and resources.Platform Selection Criteria B2B companies: LinkedIn, X/Twitter for thought leadership B2C retail/lifestyle: Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest Local services: Facebook, Google Business Profile Tech/developer audience: X/Twitter, Reddit, YouTube Research Actions Survey existing customers about their social media habits Analyze where competitors are most active and successful Check industry benchmarks for platform engagement rates Start with 2-3 platforms maximum - quality over quantity Tip: Spreading too thin across many platforms dilutes your impact. Focus where your audience actually spends time.

Create and secure social media accounts with 2FA protection

3 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Create professional, consistent, and secure social media accounts that represent your brand well.Account Setup Checklist Profile photo: Use your logo or brand mark (square format, minimum 400x400px) Cover/banner image: Consistent across platforms, showcase your value proposition Bio/About: Clear description of what you do and who you help Website link: Link to your main site or a dedicated landing page Contact info: Business email or contact form link Security Requirements Use a password manager for all social credentials Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every account Create a shared document listing all accounts and access levels Set up backup admin accounts in case primary access is lost Review connected apps quarterly and remove unused integrations Warning: Never share login credentials via email or chat. Use your password manager sharing features.

Build social media content strategy and editorial calendar

5 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Create a sustainable content plan that keeps your social presence active and engaging without burning out your team.Content Mix Framework Follow the 70-20-10 rule:70% Value content: Educational, helpful, entertaining - things your audience wants 20% Shared content: Industry news, partner content, user-generated content 10% Promotional: Direct product/service promotion, offers, CTAs Content Calendar Setup Choose a scheduling tool (Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, or native platform schedulers) Set a realistic posting frequency you can maintain (consistency beats frequency) Plan content themes for each day or week Build a content bank of evergreen posts you can reuse Schedule posts at least one week in advance Platform-Specific Tips LinkedIn: 2-5 posts/week, business hours Instagram: 3-7 posts/week, plus daily stories X/Twitter: 1-5 posts/day, real-time engagement matters Facebook: 3-5 posts/week, video performs well

Define social media team roles and response time standards

5 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Define clear ownership so nothing falls through the cracks and response times stay fast.Key Social Media Roles RoleResponsibilitiesContent CreatorWrite posts, create graphics, shoot videosCommunity ManagerRespond to comments/DMs, moderate discussions, flag issuesApproverReview and approve content before publishingAnalystTrack metrics, create reports, recommend improvementsCrisis LeadHandle negative situations, escalations, PR issuesResponse Time Standards Comments: Within 4 hours during business hours Direct messages: Within 2 hours during business hours Customer complaints: Within 1 hour, escalate immediately if serious Crisis situations: Immediate response, coordinate with leadership Important: Document who has access to each account and establish a backup person for each role to cover vacations and absences.

Configure analytics tracking and establish monthly review cadence

7 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Establish metrics tracking and a regular review cadence to continuously improve your social media performance.Key Metrics to Track Reach: How many people see your content Engagement rate: Likes, comments, shares divided by reach Click-through rate: Clicks to your website from social Follower growth: Net new followers per month Response time: Average time to respond to messages/comments Conversions: Leads or sales attributed to social (use UTM parameters) Monthly Review Process Export analytics from each platform Compare to previous month and same month last year Identify top-performing content - what worked and why Identify underperforming content - what to stop or improve Update content strategy based on learnings Set goals for the next month Tools for Analytics Native platform analytics (free) Google Analytics (website traffic from social) Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Buffer (consolidated reporting)

Create social media brand voice and visual style guidelines

7 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Create a reference document ensuring consistent brand representation across social platforms.Brand Voice Guidelines Tone: Professional but approachable? Casual and fun? Educational? Personality traits: 3-5 adjectives that describe your brand voice Words to use: Industry terms, power words, brand-specific language Words to avoid: Competitor names, controversial topics, dated slang Visual Guidelines Logo usage rules and minimum sizes Brand colors with hex codes Approved fonts for graphics Image style preferences Template files for common posts

Document social media crisis response and escalation procedures

10 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Prepare your team to handle negative situations before they escalate into PR disasters.Crisis Types to Plan For Customer complaints: Public criticism of products or service Employee issues: Posts by employees that reflect poorly on the company Security breaches: Hacked accounts or data exposure PR disasters: Viral negative content, cancel culture, boycotts Misinformation: False claims spreading about your company Crisis Response Protocol Pause scheduled posts - Stop automated content immediately Assess the situation - Is it a real crisis or isolated complaint? Escalate appropriately - Who needs to know? Legal, PR, executives? Draft response - Get approval before posting anything Monitor conversation - Track sentiment and adjust response Document and learn - Post-crisis review to improve Emergency Contacts Document phone numbers (not just emails) for: CEO/Leadership, Legal counsel, PR/Communications lead, IT security, External PR agency if applicable.

Obtain leadership approval for social media strategy launch

12 day from previous step

approval

Purpose: Get leadership sign-off on the complete social media strategy before launching.Review Checklist Platform selection aligns with business goals Content strategy reflects brand values Roles and responsibilities are clear Budget allocation is approved (tools, ads, content creation) Crisis procedures are documented Success metrics are defined Approve if the strategy is ready for implementation. Reject with specific feedback if changes are needed.

Launch social channels with first week of scheduled content

14 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Begin active posting and establish your social presence with a strong first week.Launch Week Checklist Publish first 3-5 posts on each platform Respond to any comments or engagement within response time standards Monitor for any issues or negative feedback Test all links in posts to ensure they work Verify analytics tracking is working First Week Goals Establish posting rhythm Test what content resonates Build initial engagement Identify any process gaps Tip: Pay extra attention during launch week. Early engagement signals help algorithms show your content to more people.

Analyze 30-day social media performance and optimize strategy

30 day from previous step

task

Purpose: Evaluate the first month of social media activity and make data-driven adjustments.30-Day Review Questions Which content types got the most engagement? What time of day performs best for each platform? Are we hitting our posting frequency targets? What questions or topics keep coming up in comments? Have we had any issues or crises to learn from? Is the workload sustainable for the team? Metrics to Document Follower count (baseline and growth) Average engagement rate per post Click-through rate to website Response time average Top 3 performing posts (save as templates) Bottom 3 performing posts (identify why) Actions to Take Update content calendar based on learnings Refine posting schedule based on engagement data Document any process improvements needed Share key wins with stakeholders