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Writer's pictureNatalya Davies

9 Easy Steps to Becoming a Content Planning Pro


Real talk time.


Running a business is no easy task - but running a small business AND trying to make it on social media... now that's what I call ambitious!


Take it from me, I'm a small business owner that manages my own socials, alongside coordinating the social media strategies of my own clients and even as an expert in this field, this is a costly challenge at times!


It can often feel like there isn't enough hours in the day to keep up with the hundreds of day-to-day tasks to keep your small business running and generating profit, so the addition of content research, planning and creation can be known to pile on the pressure!


Be honest, have you ever been tempted to leave your content as an afterthought and come up with something quickly on the spot? Let me tell you… people notice. Rushed content is very telling! All it says about your business is that you don't really have a clue what you're doing and the last thing you want is for your social platforms to destroy your brand credibility and affect your sales!


Listen... Would you believe me if I told you that a carefully constructed content plan could actually help you to achieve your business goals AND win you hours of valuable time back?


And no, stop being so pessimistic, there's really no catch! All you have to do is take these tips and tricks on board to use your content as a way of driving profitable action for your business!


Now, here goes...







1. Take a week off


Isn't it funny how I can almost hear the voice in your head saying "is she crazy?".


That's most certainly debatable... but no, I mean it.

Take some time out from your socials.


If your current approach to social media isn't working for your business, then it really won't matter if you are active or not! It is much more productive to free yourself up some extra time and use it to understand what you want to get from your social media marketing efforts and what your target audience wants to see from you in return!


There are so many easy ways to come up with content ideas that will reflect the needs, interests and pain points of your target audience(s). From speaking to potential customers directly to monitoring content published by niche leaders, this time invested in understanding what people want from you is an essential starting point for anyone looking to grow a following on social media.





2. Always keep a content calendar on the go


A content calendar is a must-have for absolutely ANYONE trying to use social media as a lucrative marketing channel, and the best thing about them (I'm talking directly to any of you commitment-phobes out there) is that their purpose is for you to make a whole load of decisions up front, freeing up so much time daily for posting and engaging.


A content calendar is exactly what it says on the tin, a calendar (or more often than not, a snazzy little spreadsheet) that houses all of your content ideas, captions, hashtags and visuals for the following weeks/months. However far in advance you decide to plan your content is completely up to you and the sort of business you are running!


Using a content calendar to aid your social media efforts is a great way of keeping things organised, consistent and even adds a bit of accountability to your marketing efforts. The great thing is, you don't even have to waste your time creating one, there are so many free resources available online that can you started in a matter of minutes!


Let's be honest with each other here, content marketing is not something you can just do as and when you please (at least not if you want to make your efforts worth something!). Setting the dates on those content ideas will help to keep your posts consistent and means you will be able to show up more regularly to your target audience!






3. Know your content pillars for easy inspiration


As simple as it sounds, sometimes keeping your content schedule filled with relevant, creative and unique ideas can be as simple as narrowing down exactly what it is that you offer through your content! Less is most definitely more!


Look into your insights and feedback to establish what content your audience/niche really love seeing from you and drive more of it in your schedules!


Oh, so they respond really well to motivational content at the start of the week? Great!

Make that one of your content pillars! Now, that’s at least one post a week sorted for you!


Without getting too technical here, a content pillar is essentially a sub-set of themes that are relevant to your business and target audience. There are so many themes and categories that you can make use of in your strategies including (and not limited to):

  • Motivational

  • Inspiration/Ideas

  • Promotional

  • Educational

  • Tutorials

  • Hacks

  • Informational

  • Lifestyle

  • Personal

  • Fun/Interactive

  • Industry updates

To appropriately target your audience and to be consistent as a brand, it is so important that you establish your content pillars early on (and also it will free you up so much time when brainstorming content ideas). I recommend sitting down and highlighting 3 to 5 key content themes that are relevant to your brand/niche and working out a few simple ways you can cater your content to those themes!




4. Always have a list on the go...


...and make it easily accessible to jot down those weirdly timed ideas!


I don’t know about you but I often get my most creative ideas at the strangest of times! It could be while in the shower, while taking a walk or even when waking up randomly in the middle of the night (and boy is it annoying when you wake up at 3am feeling wired from a creative breakthrough, but you just gotta roll with it).


Personally, I always keep a few lists on the go, whether that’s on paper or in the Notes app on my phone, but I always sync these ideas over to a master document in my Google Drive as often as possible! You never know, you may be striking gold with some of these ideas, so you never want to leave the option open for these to be lost or forgotten!


Using the 6 steps I provided for content inspiration in a recent Instagram post, do a little brainstorm of common themes discussed by others in your niche that also apply to your content pillars! Even keeping just a small list on the go can provide you with content to keep you going for a month, so my best advice is keep your eyes and mind open for inspiration and jot those ideas down as soon as they come to mind!


Here is an example of those pillars in action:

  • Motivational: “Daily Social Media Checklist for Organic Growth”

  • Tutorial: “How to create your reels on Canva”

  • Interactive: “Small Business This or That”



5. Have a thorough plan in place for every post


Unless you live under a rock (and it’s fine if you do), you will know that reels and short, snappy videos are a great way of tapping into maximum exposure for your business - and shocker, it’s a trend that isn’t going anywhere any time soon!


I know that the general consensus for small business owners is that reels are scary and take a lot of work - but they really (or reely) don’t have to! Take it from someone that is the most awkward person in front of the camera at times… If you plan your reels, and any of your content for that matter, in advance, you will notice a big difference in the time it takes to create your content AND how much more value you can provide to your audience.


Also, while it’s great to keep things varied and on trend, don’t spend too much time creating content that isn’t going to hit that well with your audience! Start seeing time as an investment! Just like with financial investment, you’re going to want to see a return on your time invested, so keep that in mind when planning content!


For me, I know that my seamless carousels are one of my most successful posts on Instagram, so I don’t mind taking the extra time out required to research and write in-depth tips on educational topics. Use your insights to inform what you spend your time on! And also… even if a certain post type does do well, don’t post them all the time. Once a week is more than enough to get your audience engaged and excited for the next time you'll be posting one!







6. Create evergreen content that can be updated and

repurposed


Utilizing evergreen content in your strategies will save you so much time to focus on your business and here’s why…


Evergreen content is defined as “search-optimized content” that is always going to be relevant with your specific target audience(s), giving you the opportunity to update this content regularly and even repurpose it in different forms across your digital platforms.


This content is referred to as “evergreen” because much like the trees of the same name, the content lasts for a long time compared to content this is created to appeal to specific trends or current events. For example, I could take this blog and condense/simplify the information into a helpful Instagram carousel to appeal to my target audience that will still find this information useful but prefer consuming content in quick, easy-to-digest formats!


The great thing about evergreen content is that you only really have to do the research once but get so much more bang for your buck (I love that, is it obvious?) by being able to get multiple content pieces out of your research. Sure, you may have to do a little extra reading to keep the content truly up-to-date, but generally the hard work is all done for you!


Incorporating evergreen subjects into your content strategy is the definition of working smart!


Here some examples of evergreen content subjects:

  • Marketing: “How to keep your content schedule full with your busy schedule”

  • Wellness: “5 beginner yoga poses and how to introduce them into your routine”

  • Stationary/Planner Biz: “10 easy ways to spend use your time more productively”



7. Make use of guest contributions, user-generate content

(UGC) and collaborations


Next time you sit down to do what I like to call a “content braindump”, instead of trying to get it all done by yourself, start to think smarter about the topics and tactics you choose for your socials!


See if there is any way you can get your community or target audience involved in the content creation process. Trust me, there are so many creative ways that you can incorporate this into your strategy, all while giving credit back to loyal followers AND strengthening your connections to them!


Here are some handy examples for you:

  • Guest contributions: Give an aspiring journalist the opportunity to write a piece for your site blog

  • UGC: Get your community involved by hosting a contest with the entry requirements being a picture of your product in use! Then use these pictures for future content!

  • Collaborations: Reach out to other creators in your niche and ask them their thoughts on a subject! Compile a piece showing different perspectives on a subject and tag your fellow creatives!



8. Use broad content topics & create a series


My darling small biz owner, please start to realize that you don’t have to show all your cards at once! If you have a content theme or subject in mind, start to think about ways that you can turn that one idea into a regular installment for your social platforms!


When you are expected to constantly bring new ideas to the table for your digital content strategy, the likelihood that you will fall into a creative burnout at some point is very high. So, it is necessary to highlight topics that you can create multiple pieces of content on - plus, it will make your content much more digestible for your target audience if you break it up into small, bite size pieces!


Play a little hard to get with your audience and watch them keep coming back for more!


Here are some series ideas you can make use of:

  • Marketers: “Instagram 101: How to make the most of this social platform in your strategy”

  • Business Coaches: “Tips for starting a small business”

  • Cafe/Restaurant: “Customer of the month”

  • Skincare: “Monthly best sellers”



9. Know when to get yourself a social media manager


Just because you can do social media for free, doesn’t mean you should!


Let’s be real here, we practically all have the ability to take scissors to our own hair and chop it all off, but that in no way means we should! You trust your hairdresser/barber, so you can trust a social media manager too once you start to see social media as a serious and profitable marketing channel that can really bring you some return!


Always remember: you get what you pay for in life and the outcome of your social media strategy is no exception, so don’t be too proud to know when you need to get someone on board that knows what they’re doing! After all, it WILL directly benefit you and your business so why resist?


Here are some signs you may be ready to outsource a SMM to boost your business exposure online:

  1. You’re finding it difficult to keep up with social media demands

  2. You don’t understand how social media really works

  3. You haven’t seen any valuable growth on your socials

  4. Your current tactics are not meeting your business goals (i.e. you’re not profiting)


If you resonate with any of these points, I highly suggest you consider putting your faith in a social media manager to take the pressure off, give you more time for your business and to help you develop the right content and tactics to make your business grow digitally!


If that sounds like a reasonable plan to you, be sure to book a 45 minute free consultation with me via my website so we can plan the next steps for your business!






The bottom line?


Incorporating the right content planning tips into your social media strategy is like discovering a gateway to efficiency and earning back valuable time to focus solely on your business demands.


The bottom line is effective and efficient content planning is all about utilizing data and the lessons learned from past experiences to inform smarter decisions that will actually pay off! But take my advice, content planning and nifty little hacks will only help for so long! If you want your business to grow to a colossal extent, it really is in your best interests to outsource a fantastic social media manager to take your social media strategy to the next level!



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