The who, what, where, when and why of social media strategy

9 June

Creating a long strategy might feel reassuring, but it’s easy for it not to filter through to application in our day-to-day. What if instead, your social strategy could fit comfortably on half a page? Something quick, adaptable, and actually usable. Time is precious and I’ve been in meetings where brands say “I just need you to start posting, next week”. When you can’t push back, this is how I'd do it.

Introducing my Who, What, Where, When, Why Approach: a simple but powerful framework for crafting social strategies that prioritise clarity and flexibility, without overwhelming your workload. I’m diving straight in with clear, practical questions you can answer as you read; by the end my hope is you'll have the foundations of your strategy mapped out. Let's break it down:

Who:

If there's one piece to get crystal-clear, it's this. Your social strategy will suffer if your audience definition is hazy or filled with assumptions. Spoiler Alert: "Women, 18-65, Living in London” is never enough.

Ask yourself clearly:

Who exactly do we want to speak to, and who don't we?
What's truly important to this audience: what excites them, frustrates them or even bores them?
How deeply can I understand their online habits and conversations?

Without clear audience clarity, content becomes vague and broad, or worse, risks misunderstandings or controversy. Being clear on your "Who" is your guiding star.

What:

Virality feels brilliant. I know, because recently I worked with a brand who were thriving on TikTok, with a content creator who every so often hit millions of views. It was great! The kicker was that many posts relied on controversy and divisive comments, which isn’t ideal for brand building. Sure, numbers soared, but we need to remember that community blossoms in the quieter, intentional content we introduce between the viral moments.

Always define clearly what your content intends to achieve beyond surface metrics. Take a moment to think:

What's the practical purpose of our posts (education, entertainment, advocacy)?
How do individual posts fit your wider ambition?
Can you nurture and educate your community between bigger, viral moments?

Purposeful posting creates real audience affinity, not just spikes of angry comments.

Where:

It's tempting to spread yourself thin across multiple platforms. I’ll die on this hill: One platform nailed brilliantly will pay off more than three platforms done half-heartedly. For each space, ask yourself simply:

Do our audience really spend time here, or are we just chasing platform FOMO?
Is what I'm planning uniquely suited to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn... or am I copy-pasting content everywhere without optimising it?
Not sure? Pick one main platform for now, master it, then scale thoughtfully.

Clarity about "Where" sharpens your content instantly, helping you avoid wasted hours which don’t pay off.

When:

Posting three times a day sounds proactive, until life happens. Suddenly you're behind, scrabbling to keep up as quality dips. Strategy should realistically reflect your resources and your audience's attention span. (Shout that louder for the people in the back!). Think about these:

How often does your audience genuinely want (and need) to hear from you?
Can you strategically mix regular deeper-value content which take longer to create (education, insights) and lighter reactive posts (trends, quick tips)?
Are there smarter ways to streamline creation so you're not constantly chasing deadlines?
How might a simpler workflow improve quality, consistency, and your mental wellbeing?

A measured pace always wins over unsustainable floods of content and periods of radio silence.

Why:

If we started this framework with the most important element (Who), we're ending with a very close second. Your "Why" is what ties everything else together; it's the heart of your entire social approach.

It’s tempting to overlook “why” in favour of quick-wins or chasing metrics, but surface-level rewards fade fast. Knowing your deeper motivation brings purpose and clarity, and guides you through shifting platforms, trends and conversations. Ask yourself plainly:

Why is your brand on social media? Beyond ‘visibility’ or ‘followers,’ what meaningful role does social play within your wider business goals?
Why should your audience care about what you have to say?
Can your whole team confidently say why a particular post is shared, or why you're spending time on specific content types?

Keeping your “Why” clear and central ensures every social decision you make feels aligned, meaningful, and genuinely resonates with your audience.

Remember, simple is strategic.

A valuable strategy doesn't have to be complex. A clear, nimble framework, usable in any social landscape, is actually more powerful. If you’re putting off thinking about a strategy because it feels like a big undertaking, pare it back and remember the key is simplicity, clarity, and consistency.

I'd genuinely love to hear your approach. Find me over on LinkedIn and tell me:

How would you answer your Who, What, Where, When & Why right now and which element feels hardest to pin down clearly?