4. Include the social media audit results and describe the insights gained. For this fi nal part of the plan, collect all other social plan parts, 1 through 13, that have been completed throughout the book. Pull these sections together into one cohesive social media marketing story. Strategically this is a plan to follow, but also a story to sell. Even though most leaders know social media is important and want to do something with it, most are still skeptical of social media methods. This plan will serve as a reference to follow, but also to show and present to organization decision- makers in order to get social media eff orts approved and running.

Begin by pulling out the main sections from each part of the plan completed from chapter 1 to chapter 13. Compile the sections into a single report that tells the overall social media story, from research, target audience, and insight to big idea, selected social channels, and content. As you tell the social media plan story, remember to support and quantify everything with outside references and data to build a strong and convincing argument. Don’t forget to defi ne social media terms for full context and understanding.

Most executives may not be familiar with social media terminology. Also, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Use screen grabs and charts and graphs when appropriate to provide a more complete and convincing vision of the proposed eff ort.