The end of the month rolls around, and panic sets in. You open your content planning tool of choice (or maybe it’s just the post-it you leave on your desk for when inspiration strikes – no judgment here!) and try to go about mapping out your next 30 days of posts. But when you think about how to plan a month of Instagram content, your brain goes blank. How do social media managers make it look so easy?
One Key Difference
The first thing I want you to know is that allll those viral reels about “how to create a month of content in 30 minutes” are lying to you. No one creates content that fast. I consider myself pretty quick – but each WEEK of content for clients takes me anywhere from 1-3 hours, so I absolutely could not get a month of content ready in under 60 minutes. However, it is possible to reduce the time you spend PLANNING a month of content to under an hour – and this process will show you how.
How to Plan a Month of Instagram Content in 4 Steps
Step 1: Decide on your theme or focus for the month
Trying to pull content ideas from the ether is enough to make anyone start stressing. Instead, start by deciding on a general focus or theme for the month. Maybe it’s your design services, or insights into the “why” behind your business, or a new digital product you want to launch. Choosing a theme will create a cohesive feel to your content for the month and make it easier to think of what to post – a double win!
Step 2: Add in any key dates or events you want to highlight
Once you know your general focus, review the month ahead and consider which, if any, dates you need to highlight. Whether a project reveal is coming up or a holiday that fits your business is worth celebrating, block these content topics out first.
Step 3: Fill the rest of your posts with content ideas based off your content pillars
After blocking out any key dates, decide how many times you want to post each week (I recommend between 3-5, depending on your goals). Using your content pillars (use this post to map them out if you don’t have them yet!), set your topics for the other posts you plan to share.
P.S. Not sure where to start when it comes to your Instagram content strategy? Check out this blog post on setting your strategy and this one that explains the 8 content types & how to use them.
Step 4: Review your content calendar and block out time to create
Now that your calendar is ready, it’s time to get started creating that content! I prefer to batch create either weekly or biweekly – but not monthly, as it gives me a little more flexibility.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Forget to Use Tools to Help You!
Content planning gets a LOT easier when you have a system in place. The best system I’ve found is Airtable – it’s where all my clients’ content is managed and stored. Click here to get a copy of my content calendar for FREE and see your planning process go from overwhelming to a breeze!
Want more where that came from?
Check out these related blog posts:
- Create Your Content Pillars (That Aren’t Educate, Entertain or Inspire)
- The 8 Types of Instagram Content You Can Post
- Write Better Captions for your Posts
And don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, where every Tuesday you’ll get 3 content ideas, 2 trending audios, and 1 social media resource for further learning.
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