What goes into a monthly social media plan

A monthly social media plan includes a strategy, a content calendar, the designs and captions for every post, paid ad campaigns, replies to comments and messages, and a report at the end of the month. A good plan is written down, measurable and approved by you before the first post goes live. If any of these parts is missing or vague, you will not know what you are paying for.

Many businesses pay an agency or a freelancer every month and only see the posts. The work that decides whether those posts sell happens before and after them. Here is what each part should contain, and what to check before you sign.

Start with the strategy

The strategy answers three questions: who you are talking to, what you want them to do, and what makes you different from the competitor in the next post on their feed. The answers decide the tone, the topics, the language and where the ad money goes.

• The goal for the month: messages, calls, store visits, online orders or awareness for a launch
• The audience: age, area, interests, and what they care about when they buy
• The offer: what you are promoting this month and why someone should act now
• The language: Egyptian Arabic, formal Arabic or English, based on who buys from you

Without a goal, nobody can say at the end of the month whether it worked. Agree on it in writing.

What a content calendar should include

The content calendar turns the strategy into a schedule. You should see and approve it before anything is published, usually at the start of the month.

• The number of designs and videos for the month
• The date, platform and format of every post: feed post, carousel, reel or story
• The caption for each post, written in your tone
• A mix of content: offers, product details, customer questions, behind the scenes and brand posts
• Seasonal moments such as Ramadan, Eid, back to school and summer, planned ahead rather than rushed

Ask how many rounds of changes you get on designs and captions, and how far ahead the calendar is sent for approval.

Designs, photos and video

The designs should follow your visual identity so that people recognise your page without reading the name. Stock images and generic templates make a page look like everyone else. Real photos and video of your own products and place usually look more trustworthy, which is why many plans add a shoot. Short video, including animated video, is now a normal part of Facebook and Instagram, so check whether it is included or charged separately.

Paid ads and the ad budget

Organic reach on Facebook and Instagram is limited, so most plans that aim at sales include paid ads. There are two separate costs here, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion.

1. The agency fee: covers planning, setting up, targeting and managing the campaigns.
2. The ad budget: the money paid directly to Meta or Google for the ads to run.

Ask who owns the ad account. It should be in your business's name, so the history and the audiences stay with you if you change agencies. Also ask what the ads are optimised for. A campaign aimed at messages or lead forms behaves very differently from one aimed at likes or views.

Replies to comments and messages

Ads bring messages, and unanswered messages are lost customers. The plan should say who replies, in what tone, during which hours, and what happens to a serious lead. If leads go into a CRM, each one gets an owner and a follow-up call instead of sitting in an inbox.

What the monthly report should show

At the end of the month you should receive a short report in plain language, not a dashboard export. It should connect what was spent to what came back.

• What was published, and which posts performed best
• How much of the ad budget was spent, and on which campaigns
• Messages, calls, leads, visits or sales by campaign
• What will change next month: what gets more budget and what gets dropped

Likes and followers are worth tracking, but they are not the result. If the report only shows reach and engagement, ask what it brought in.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. How many designs and videos do I get each month?
2. Is a photo or video shoot included?
3. Is the ad budget included in the price or separate?
4. Who replies to comments and messages?
5. What will the monthly report show?
6. How long is the contract, and what happens if I want to stop?

Common questions

How many posts a month does a business need?

There is no single number. Consistency matters more than volume: a steady schedule of well-made posts usually does better than many rushed ones. Agree on a number that fits your goal and your budget.

Is the ad budget included in a social media package?

Usually not. The package covers the work of planning, content and managing the ads, while the budget paid to Facebook, Instagram or Google is separate and agreed with you.

How long before a social media plan shows results?

Paid ads can bring messages within days, but building a page that sells takes longer, because the content and targeting improve month by month. Plan for more than one month before judging.

Should my posts be in Arabic or English?

Write in the language your customers use when they talk about what you sell. Many brands in Egypt use Egyptian Arabic, some use formal Arabic or English, and some mix by audience.

How Masters helps

Masters runs digital marketing in three monthly packages. Silver includes 6 to 8 designs a month with strategy, a monthly plan for Facebook and Instagram, content writing, ads management and a monthly report. Golden includes 8 to 10 designs and adds a photo or video shoot. VIP includes 10 to 12 designs, a shoot and an animated video every month. The ad budget is separate and agreed with you, content is written in Egyptian Arabic, formal Arabic or English, and leads from lead forms can go straight into Masters CRM so every lead gets a call. Prices are sent on request.