Social Media Operations

Complete operational workflow for managing social media accounts from setup to daily engagement and performance tracking.

When to Use

• Setting up new social media accounts
• Creating content calendars and posting schedules
• Managing daily community engagement
• Responding to comments and DMs systematically
• Tracking performance metrics weekly
• Recovering from shadowbans
• Managing negative comments or crisis situations

Core Principles

CONSISTENCY > PERFECTION
├── Daily engagement beats sporadic perfection
├── Community-first approach (give before asking)
├── Data-driven decisions on what to post
└── Engagement creates reach (algorithm reward)

Workflow

Step 1: New Account Setup & Warming

New Account Warming Protocol (7-Day Process):

Days 1-2: Passive Warming

GOALS: Act like a real user, not a brand
├── Complete profile 100% (bio, photo, links, highlights)
├── Follow 20-30 relevant accounts in your niche
├── Like and save content (30 min/day, genuine interaction)
├── Watch content fully (don't skip)
└── NO posting yet (resist the urge)

WHY: Platforms detect bot-like behavior. New accounts that immediately post get flagged.

Days 3-5: Light Engagement

ACTIVITY:
├── Comment on 10-15 posts (thoughtful, not spam or generic)
├── Reply to comments in your niche
├── Share 1-2 stories (not main feed posts)
├── Continue liking/following (20-30/day)
└── Still no main feed posts

COMMENT QUALITY:
✅ "This angle on [topic] is brilliant. Have you tried [related idea]?"
❌ "Great post!" "Nice!" "🔥🔥🔥"

Days 6-7: First Posts

LAUNCH:
├── Post first piece of content
├── Immediately engage for 30 min after posting
├── Continue community engagement
└── Monitor for shadowban signs (sudden zero reach)

POST STRATEGY:
- Start with evergreen content (not time-sensitive)
- Use 2-3 hashtags max (not 30)
- Don't include links in first 3-5 posts

Profile Optimization Checklist:

## Profile Audit: @[handle]

### Bio
- [ ] Clear value proposition (what you help with)
- [ ] Target audience mentioned
- [ ] Hook or personality
- [ ] Link (Linktree or direct)
- [ ] Keywords for search

Example: "Helping [target audience] [achieve result] | [Proof point] | [CTA]"

### Visual
- [ ] Profile photo (face for personal, logo for brand)
- [ ] Consistent across platforms
- [ ] High quality (no pixelation)
- [ ] Highlight covers branded (Instagram)

### Content Strategy
- [ ] First 9 posts planned (Instagram grid aesthetic)
- [ ] Content pillars defined (3-5 themes)
- [ ] Posting frequency decided

### Highlights/Pinned (Instagram/Twitter)
- [ ] About/Intro
- [ ] Best performing content
- [ ] Social proof (testimonials, press)
- [ ] How to work with you / Get started

Step 2: Content Calendar Management

Weekly Calendar Template:

## Content Calendar: Week of [Date]

### Overview
- Posts planned: [X]
- Themes this week: [e.g., Educational week, Product launch]
- Campaign: [If running a promotion]

### Schedule

| Day | Time | Platform | Type | Caption | Media | Status |
|-----|------|----------|------|---------|-------|--------|
| Mon | 9am  | IG       | Reel | [Link]  | [File]| Draft  |
| Mon | 12pm | TT       | Video| [Link]  | [File]| Ready  |
| Tue | 9am  | LI       | Text | [Link]  | [File]| Sched  |
| Wed | 7pm  | IG       | Carousel | [Link] | [File] | Draft |
| ... |      |          |      |         |       |        |

### Content Bank (Evergreen - Ready to Post)
1. [Topic] - Reel - [File location]
2. [Topic] - Static - [File location]
3. [Topic] - Carousel - [File location]

### Needs Creation This Week
1. [Topic idea]
2. [Trending sound to use]
3. [FAQ to answer]

Posting Cadence by Platform:

TikTok:

IDEAL: 1-3x per day
MINIMUM: 1x per day (during growth phase)
BEST TIMES: Test for your audience, common peaks:
├── 7-9am (morning scroll)
├── 12-2pm (lunch break)
└── 7-9pm (evening wind-down)

STRATEGY:
- Batch create content (film 5-7 videos in one session)
- Post at consistent times (algorithm learns)
- Mix trending + evergreen

Instagram:

REELS: 1x per day (priority format)
STORIES: 3-5x per day (keep top of mind)
FEED POSTS: 3-5x per week (carousel or single image)
BEST TIMES: 6-9am, 12-2pm, 7-9pm

STRATEGY:
- Reels for reach
- Stories for community
- Feed for authority/aesthetic

LinkedIn:

POSTS: 3-5x per week
BEST TIMES: Tue-Thu, 8-10am (B2B hours)

STRATEGY:
- Longer-form thought leadership
- Industry insights
- Personal stories with lessons
- Engage in comments (visibility boost)

Twitter/X:

TWEETS: 3-5x per day
THREADS: 1-2x per week
ENGAGEMENT: Throughout day (real-time platform)

STRATEGY:
- Quick takes, hot opinions
- Reply to trending topics in your niche
- Quote tweet with your perspective

Step 3: Daily Engagement Operations

Daily Engagement Routine (60 min/day):

Pre-Post (15 min before you publish)

## Pre-Post Warm-Up

- [ ] Engage on 10 posts in your niche
- [ ] Reply to 5 comments on others' content (thoughtful, not generic)
- [ ] Check DMs, respond to priority messages
- [ ] Check for trending topics/sounds to use

WHY: Algorithm rewards active community members. Engage before asking for engagement.

Post-Publish (30 min after you post)

## Post-Publish Engagement Blitz

- [ ] Reply to ALL comments within first hour (critical for reach)
- [ ] Like every comment
- [ ] Ask follow-up questions in replies (boosts engagement)
- [ ] Share to your story with CTA ("See my latest post")
- [ ] DM to 5-10 close followers ("Just posted, would love your thoughts")

WHY: First hour engagement signals to algorithm that content is valuable. More initial engagement = more reach.

Community Building (15 min, any time)

## Daily Community Time

- [ ] Engage with collaborators/peers (support their content)
- [ ] Join relevant conversations (reply to tweets, comment on posts)
- [ ] Support community members (celebrate their wins)
- [ ] Find 3-5 new accounts to follow in your niche

WHY: Give value before extracting value. Community-first approach builds goodwill and visibility.

Step 4: Comment & DM Management

Comment Mining for Content Ideas:

## Comment Insights: Week of [Date]

### Questions Asked
| Question | Frequency | Content Idea |
|----------|-----------|--------------|
| "How do I start?" | 5 | Beginner's guide video |
| "What tools?" | 3 | Tool stack post |

### Objections/Concerns
| Objection | Frequency | How to Address |
|-----------|-----------|----------------|
| "Too expensive" | 4 | Value justification post |
| "Doesn't work for [case]" | 2 | Address edge cases |

### Praise/Wins
| Feedback | Use For |
|----------|---------|
| "This changed my life" | Testimonial, social proof |
| "Best explanation I've seen" | Re-share as proof |

### Content Ideas from Comments
1. [Question that came up 3+ times]
2. [Objection to address]
3. [Positive outcome to celebrate]

DM Triage System:

## DM Priority Levels

### Priority 1: Respond within 1 hour
- Purchase intent ("How do I buy?")
- Partnership inquiry (brands, collabs)
- Influencer with large following
- Press/media requests

### Priority 2: Respond same day
- Product/service questions
- Feedback (positive or negative)
- Collaboration requests from smaller accounts
- Customer support issues

### Priority 3: Respond within 24-48 hours
- General questions
- Content suggestions
- Casual conversation
- Networking messages

### Templates

**FAQ Response:**
"Hey [name]! Great question. [Answer]. [Link to detailed resource]. Let me know if you need anything else!"

**Collab Interest:**
"Thanks for reaching out! I'd love to explore this. Can you share more about [specific detail]? My rates/process: [link]"

**Purchase Question:**
"Excited you're interested! Here's the link: [URL]. If you have questions, I'm here to help. [Optional: discount code for DM followers]"

Step 5: Performance Tracking

Weekly Metrics Dashboard:

## Weekly Report: [Date Range]

### Reach & Impressions
| Platform | Impressions | Reach | vs Last Week |
|----------|-------------|-------|--------------|
| TikTok | 50K | 35K | +15% |
| Instagram | 20K | 12K | -5% |
| LinkedIn | 8K | 6K | +20% |

### Engagement
| Platform | Likes | Comments | Shares | Saves | ER% |
|----------|-------|----------|--------|-------|-----|
| TikTok | 2K | 150 | 80 | 300 | 5.2% |
| Instagram | 800 | 50 | 20 | 120 | 4.9% |

### Growth
| Platform | Start | End | Net | Growth % |
|----------|-------|-----|-----|----------|
| TikTok | 10K | 10.5K | +500 | +5% |
| Instagram | 5K | 5.2K | +200 | +4% |

### Top Performing Content
1. [Reel title] - 100K views - Why: Trending sound + relatable hook
2. [Carousel] - 5K likes - Why: Educational, saved for later
3. [Video] - 50K views - Why: Addressed common question

### Underperformers
1. [Post] - 500 views - What to learn: Hook too generic, didn't stop scroll

### Conversions
- Link clicks: 150
- Profile visits: 800
- DMs received: 25
- Leads/signups: 8

### Insights & Actions Next Week
- What's working: Educational content outperforms entertainment
- What's not: Static posts getting low reach
- Test next week: More carousel posts, trending sounds on Reels

Content Performance Analysis:

## Content Audit: [Month]

### By Format
| Format | Avg Views | Avg Engagement | Best Day/Time |
|--------|-----------|----------------|---------------|
| Reels | 15K | 5.5% | Mon 9am |
| Carousels | 3K | 6.2% | Wed 12pm |
| Static | 1.5K | 3.1% | Any |

**Decision**: Scale Reels (reach), use Carousels for depth, reduce Static

### By Topic
| Topic | Performance | Action |
|-------|-------------|--------|
| How-to guides | Above avg | Scale up |
| Behind-the-scenes | Average | Optimize |
| Product features | Below avg | Drop or pivot |

### By Hook Type
| Hook Style | CTR/Engagement | Notes |
|------------|----------------|-------|
| Question | High | "Did you know...?" works |
| Statement | Medium | Needs to be controversial |
| Action | High | "Stop doing X" performs |

Step 6: Crisis Management

Negative Comment Protocol:

ASSESS THE COMMENT:
├── Valid complaint → Respond empathetically, take offline
├── Misunderstanding → Clarify politely, public resolution
├── Troll/Bad faith → Hide or delete, don't engage
└── Offensive/Hate speech → Delete and block

RESPONSE TEMPLATE:
"Thanks for the feedback, [name]. I hear you on [their concern]. [Brief explanation or acknowledgment]. Happy to discuss further in DMs—shoot me a message?"

WHAT NOT TO DO:
❌ Delete valid criticism (looks defensive)
❌ Argue publicly (feeds trolls, looks unprofessional)
❌ Ignore (looks like you don't care)
❌ Get emotional (always respond professionally)

Shadowban Recovery:

## Shadowban Checklist

### Signs of Shadowban
- [ ] Sudden 50%+ drop in reach
- [ ] Content not showing in hashtags
- [ ] Explore/FYP appearances stopped
- [ ] Only followers see content

### Recovery Steps
1. **Stop posting** for 24-48 hours (let account cool down)
2. **Remove flagged content** (check for violations)
3. **Check hashtags** (remove any banned hashtags)
4. **Go back to warming behavior** (engage, don't post)
5. **Post safe, high-quality content** (no links, no controversial)
6. **Report to platform** if it persists (Instagram: Settings > Help)

### Prevention
- Don't use banned hashtags (check shadowban testers)
- Don't overuse same hashtags repeatedly
- Don't post too frequently (max 1-2x/hour)
- Don't buy followers/engagement
- Don't violate community guidelines

Common Mistakes

Tools & Resources

Scheduling:

• Later (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest)
• Buffer (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook)
• Meta Business Suite (Instagram + Facebook)
• Hootsuite (Multi-platform)

Analytics:

• Native platform analytics (best source)
• Social Blade (growth tracking)
• Not Just Analytics (TikTok insights)

Content Planning:

• Notion or Airtable (content calendar)
• Canva (graphics and templates)
• CapCut (video editing)

Related Skills

• /ugc-content-creator – Creating the content to post
• /copywriter – Writing captions and hooks
• /performance-marketing – Turning organic content into ads

Last Updated: 2026-01-22