Picture this – it’s 2 pm on a Wednesday, you’re scrolling through your business page and you realize something – you haven’t posted in 3 weeks. Darn it! The algorithm won’t like that. So you sit down to create a quick post to share… but then get a reminder that you have a client call in 5 minutes, or your alarm goes off because you need to get some laundry done.
And then you remember that this is precisely why you haven’t made a post in a while – you don’t seem to have the time for it.
While I can’t wave a wand and add more hours to your day (and boy, do I wish I could!), I can help you create a content planning routine to save your sanity. With a routine in place, you’ll have time dedicated specifically to working on your content, so you won’t be scrambling to come up with a new idea, design artwork, or draft captions in between sips of cold coffee or during that precious break when you have back-to-back meetings.
Instead, you’ll have weeks of content planned, created, scheduled, and waiting to go out like clockwork. So, are you ready to stop ghosting your followers and stressing over content?
What Is Content Planning?
Content planning is ideating and executing creative ideas within a specific timeframe. Simply put – it’s time set aside for working on your content. It can be limited to just ideation or creating each piece of content – that aspect is up to you!
The most important part is having a clear idea of what you’ll be sharing so you can more easily and consistently produce valuable content.
Why Is Content Planning Important?
You get to see the big picture when you plan content in advance. You’re given an overview of what the month will look like so you can create content that works together. Another great perk (maybe the best of them all!) is that you’re never left wondering what to share or scrambling to make a last-minute post in the middle of a lunch meeting.
You know exactly what to post and when. You know how much time to set aside for content creation and what resources you’ll need ahead of time so you aren’t caught by surprise.
This gives you the freedom to do more because you’re spending less time on the social media aspect of your business.
And in case you didn’t catch that – making time for planning frees up your time! Think of how much time you spend each day trying to come up with a last-minute idea or creating a quick video just to get something posted. With a plan in place, you can dedicate a set time to work on your content and schedule it to go out without a second thought. All that time you saved can be spent working with clients, creating new offers, or spending time on personal projects.
What Are The Steps Of Content Planning?
Content planning is more than just literally sitting down to come up with ideas. There are a few steps you need to take before you get there. Let’s take a look at what they are and why they matter.
Set Your Goal
Everything you do has to start with the end in mind. Do you want to see more engagement? Get more followers? Or do you want to encourage more subscriptions to your email list? Understanding what you want your content to achieve will help you narrow down what type of content to create. It also gives you something to refer to at the end of that time frame to see whether or not your approach was successful.
Decide on Your Ideal Content Planning Time
Some people are more creatively driven in the wee hours of the morning, others in the afternoon, and then there are those like me who work best at night. There is no right or wrong answer here – you just need to identify your ideal creative time.
You can even go a step further and have a designated day when you work in a different location that fuels your creativity. For me, that’s usually a cafe. Something about the smell of coffee and light jazz…
Time Yourself
This isn’t an absolutely necessary step, but if you intend to make content planning a part of your business routine, I highly recommend it.
Before you get started, set a timer for each task. The point of having a system is that you know what needs to be done each month to have a complete posting schedule. Listen – life gets busy. It helps to know exactly how much time you need to complete your content. You might only sometimes be able to stick to your ideal content planning time, but if you know how long you need, you can carve that time out in your day.
Even better reason – at some point, you’ll be outsourcing these tasks (yes, that’s the aim!). This will give you an idea of how long that person will need to work on your content.
Create Your List of Content Ideas
Now, you can get into the fun stuff – coming up with all your creative ideas. Once you’ve decided how many posts you’ll need, you can start jotting down themes and topics to cover. And if you’re feeling particularly creative and come up with more content ideas than you intend to use for that month, you can always use them later. Way to get ahead!
Grab these ideas for January if you need a little help getting the creative wheels turning.
Create a List Of What You Need
Once you know what posts you’ll be creating, start thinking about what you’ll need to make those ideas happen. Do you need stock images, product images, video clips from your team, or an audio sample from your hosted webinar?
Make a detailed list of what creative items you need to source so that when you start producing the content, you aren’t scrambling to figure out what you need. Few things kill your creative flow, like stopping for another brainstorm!
Map Out What Your Posting Schedule Will Look Like
Have an idea of what your posting schedule will look like. What day will each post be shared? This lessens the chances of you posting similar content back to back, posting too many of the same types of content, or constantly repeating the same posts on multiple platforms. A healthy mix of content types and themes goes a long way in keeping your audience engaged.
Knowing what you want to accomplish before creating your content allows you to make everything more cohesive.
Need more guidance? Check out my workbook on content planning that will walk you through the steps of creating your own compelling content planning routine.
This workbook will help you churn out weeks’ worth of social media content in just a few hours to save time and energy and show up more consistently online.
Now my focus is on using all that I’ve learnt, and everything I know about marketing and communication to help entrepreneurs like you gain clarity on how to market your business. Hiring a marketing agency or spending thousands on campaigns might not be possible now, but your business deserves to be seen. And together, we can make that happen!