How to plan a month of social media posts in one sitting
The hard part of social media for a small business isn't any single post. It's having to think of something new every day while also running the business. Doing a whole month in one sitting removes that daily decision, and most posts can be prepared in a couple of hours.
Step 1: Look at the month ahead
Open a calendar and mark what's coming: festivals, your stock arrivals, sale dates, seasonal rushes and any shop closures. These are your fixed posts, and everything else fits around them. Prepare festival posts early, because the week before Diwali is the worst time to be designing anything.
Step 2: Choose a simple mix
A page that only says "buy now" gets ignored. Rotate between a few kinds of post so that there's always something to make:
| Kind of post | Example for a sweet shop |
|---|---|
| Product | A close-up of a new mithai box, with the price |
| Offer | "15% off all boxes until Sunday" |
| Behind the scenes | A short video of kaju katli being cut in the morning |
| Customer | A happy customer's review, shared with their permission |
| Useful | "How long does each sweet stay fresh?" |
Five kinds rotated over a month give you plenty of variety. If 30 posts sounds like too many, 12 good ones a month (about three a week) are better than 30 rushed ones.
Step 3: Make everything in one batch
- Take photos together. Good daylight near a window and a plain background do more than an expensive camera. Take a few angles of each product, so you have spares.
- Write captions together. Start with the useful part, because only the first line or so shows before "more". Keep to one clear message and say what to do next: "Call to order", "Open till 9 pm".
- Add a few relevant hashtags, including your town if you sell locally. A handful that fit will serve you better than a long list of popular ones.
Step 4: Choose your times by testing
You'll find plenty of "best time to post" charts online, but they're averages from other people's audiences. Start with a time your customers are likely to be free, like the evening, and post at the same time for a couple of weeks. Then try another slot and compare the two in your account's insights. Your own numbers beat any chart.
Get the file formats right
A failed upload is an annoying way to miss a post, so check formats before scheduling:
- Photos: use JPG for Instagram. Posting through its official API accepts JPEG images, so a PNG may need converting first.
- Videos: use MP4.
- Shape: tall or square images fill more of a phone screen than wide ones. Instagram's in-app guides show the current recommended sizes.
Step 5: Schedule it, then check in
Once your posts are scheduled, your only job is a 10-minute weekly check:
- Reply to comments and messages. Scheduling takes care of the posting, but not the conversations. These are often where sales happen.
- Pause posts when news changes. If you run out of stock or something serious happens locally, don't leave a cheerful offer going out.
- Note what worked. Check which posts brought messages, and not only likes, then make more of those next month.
Platforms change their formats and rules regularly, so check the current requirements in Meta's help pages. Timing and mix here are suggestions to test on your own account, not guarantees of reach.