Staying on top of social media can feel overwhelming, especially for small business owners juggling multiple tasks. A structured approach to planning and scheduling your content can save time, reduce stress, and ensure consistency. Here’s how to stay organised with your social media planning.
Set Clear Goals
Before diving into content creation, define what you want to achieve with your social media. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or build engagement? Clear goals will guide your content strategy and keep you focused.
Choose Your Platforms Wisely
Rather than trying to be everywhere, focus on the platforms that align with your audience and business objectives. For many small businesses, Facebook is a great starting point due to its community-building features and organic reach.
Create a Content Calendar
A content calendar helps you plan and track your posts in advance. Use tools like Trello, Notion, or a simple spreadsheet to organise your content by date, topic, and format (e.g., images, videos, or text-based posts). This ensures variety and prevents last-minute scrambling for ideas. I’m a huge fan of Trello and use that to plan and organise my social media content.
Batch Create Your Content
Set aside dedicated time each week or month to create and schedule multiple posts at once. This method boosts efficiency and prevents content creation from becoming a daily burden. I find it easier and more productive to create content and schedule content this way.
Use Scheduling Tools
Leverage scheduling tools like Meta Business Suite, Later, or Buffer to automate posting. Scheduling in advance allows you to maintain a consistent presence without being online 24/7. I use Meta Business Suite to schedule Facebook and Instagram posts and respond to comments.
Repurpose and Recycle Content
Maximise your content by repurposing it across different platforms. A blog post can be broken down into multiple social media posts, a video script can be turned into a caption, and an old post can be refreshed with new insights. I also look back over the content in Trello to see what posts I can update and reuse.
Track Performance and Adjust
Regularly review analytics to see what’s working and refine your strategy accordingly. Track engagement, reach, and conversions to understand what resonates with your audience. Check out the insights on Meta Business Suite to keep track.
Stay Inspired and Organised
Keep a bank of content ideas using a notebook, digital notes app, or a Trello board. Having a pool of ideas makes planning quicker and ensures you never run out of content. I also have a board on Trello to add ideas which I find super useful.
By implementing these strategies, you can streamline your social media efforts, stay consistent, and focus on growing your business.
