Free Social Media Strategy Template (Small Business)

Free, no signup · Updated 14 October 2026 · Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers

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One-page strategy: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Platform plan: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Measures: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)

In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.

What's inside

A one-page strategy: goals, audience, platforms, pillars, cadence and measures, each with the reason behind it.
A platform plan that gives every account a job, a format mix and a weekly post count.
A measures sheet that ties each goal to one number and where to find it.
A filled example for Larkhill Bakery, a fictional neighbourhood bakery, so you can see the level of detail that works.
Blank CSV copies of every sheet for Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers.

How to use it

Start with goals. Write no more than three, each tied to something the business needs, such as more pre-orders or more weekday visits.
Describe the customer you most want more of. If you have time, fill in the buyer persona template first and copy the headline here.
Pick platforms by where that customer already spends time, not by where you feel you should be. Two done well beats five done badly.
Choose three to five content pillars: the topics you will keep coming back to.
Set a cadence you can keep in a bad week. You can always add posts later.
Give every goal one measure and a date to check it. Write down where the number lives so checking takes minutes.
Put a review date on the page. Re-read it every quarter and change what the numbers tell you to change.

Preview: One-page strategy

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 12 rows.

Section	What we decided	Why	How we'll check
Business	Larkhill Bakery (example): a neighbourhood bakery and counter café with a pre-order service for celebration cakes.	Sets the scene for anyone who helps with posting.	n/a
Goal 1	More celebration cake pre-orders through the website form.	Cakes have the best margin and are booked days ahead, so they smooth out the week.	Count pre-orders that came from social links each month.
Goal 2	More weekday morning visits from people who live or work nearby.	Weekends are busy already; Tuesday to Thursday mornings are quiet.	Ask at the till once a week: how did you hear about us?
Goal 3	Be the bakery locals recommend when someone asks in a local group.	Word of mouth is how most new customers find us.	Note every mention or tag from a local account.
Audience	Parents and office workers within walking distance, plus people planning a birthday or small celebration.	These are the people we see at the counter and on the order form.	Re-check against order form postcodes each quarter.
Platforms	Instagram (main), Facebook (local community), Google Business Profile (people searching nearby).	Our customers are on these; we do not have time for video-first platforms yet.	Review in three months.
Content pillars	Fresh today, How it's made, Cakes for your day, Our street.	Covers daily footfall, trust in the craft, the pre-order goal and the local goal.	Check the mix each month in the content calendar.
Cadence	Instagram 3 posts a week plus stories on bake days; Facebook 2 a week; Google Business 1 update a week.	Two people post, both part time. This is what we can keep up in a busy week.	Count posts published against plan each Friday.

Preview: Platform plan

A filled example for a made-up small business.

Platform	Its job	Who we reach there	Formats	Posts per week	Main pillars	Who posts
Instagram feed	Show the bakes and the craft; drive cake pre-orders.	Locals and people planning a celebration.	Carousels, Reels, single photos	3	Cakes for your day, How it's made	Owner
Instagram stories	Tell people what is on the counter today.	Existing followers.	Photos and short clips	Bake days	Fresh today	Morning shift
Facebook Page	Stay part of local conversation; share events.	Parents and older regulars.	Photos, events, shares from local groups	2	Our street, Fresh today	Owner
Google Business Profile	Help people searching nearby choose us and find us.	People searching for a bakery or cake nearby.	Updates with a photo, offers	1	Fresh today, Cakes for your day	Owner
Website order form	Where cake posts send people.	Anyone ready to order.	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Platforms we are not on yet	TikTok and YouTube parked until the three above run smoothly.	n/a	n/a	0	n/a	Review next quarter

Preview: Measures

A filled example for a made-up small business.

Goal	Measure	Where to find it	Check how often	Starting point	Aim for next quarter
More cake pre-orders	Pre-orders from social links	Website analytics, filtered by UTM source	Monthly	Note this month's count	Higher than this quarter
More cake pre-orders	Clicks on the pre-order link	Link-in-bio and UTM reports	Monthly	Note this month's count	Higher than this quarter
More weekday visits	Customers who say they found us on social	Tally sheet by the till	Weekly	First week's tally	Steady rise, not a spike
More weekday visits	Direction requests and calls	Google Business Profile performance	Monthly	Note this month's figure	Higher than this quarter
Local recommendations	Mentions and tags from local accounts and groups	Notifications, saved in a note	Weekly	Count from the first month	More than the first month
Keep the plan going	Posts published against posts planned	Content calendar status column	Weekly	n/a	Every planned slot filled or deliberately skipped

Tips

Keep it to one page. If the strategy needs scrolling, nobody will re-read it before planning the month.
Write down what you are not doing. It stops every new trend from turning into a side project.
Measure goals, not activity. Likes are easy to count, but they only matter if they lead to something the business needs.
Set the cadence for your worst week, not your best. Consistency is easier to build on than a burst followed by silence.
Zolyp's Brand Brain holds your tone, audience and banned topics, and every post it writes pulls from it, so the strategy shows up in the posts.

Common questions

What should a social media strategy include?

At minimum: your goals, the audience you are trying to reach, which platforms you will use and why, your content pillars, how often you will post, and how you will measure progress. A review date and a short 'not doing' list help keep it honest.

How long should a small business social media strategy be?

One page is enough for most small businesses. The point is to make decisions you can check against when planning posts, not to write a report.

How often should I review my social media strategy?

Once a quarter works for most small businesses. Check each measure, keep what is working, and change one or two things rather than starting again.

Is this template free?

Yes. The filled example and the blank CSV files are free to download with no signup. Open them in Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers.

Social media strategy template for small businesses