How to plan a month of social posts in one sitting

Most small businesses do not run out of things to say. They run out of time to decide what to say today. The fix is to decide once, for the whole month, and then stop deciding.

1. Fix your posting days first

Pick the days and times you will post, and keep them the same every week. Three posts a week is about thirteen a month. A fixed rhythm is easier to keep than a burst followed by silence.

2. Write down what your customers ask you

Open your messages and your notes from the last month. Every question a customer asked is a post. So is every worry they mentioned and every mistake you see them make. Aim for one theme per posting day.

3. Give each theme a shape

A theme is not a post yet. Decide how each one will be told: as a story, as a problem and its fix, as a myth and the truth, or as a list of steps. The six story shapes covers when to use each.

4. Write all the words before you design anything

Words are quick to change. Designs are not. Write every slide and every caption first, read them in one go, and fix the ones that sound unlike you.

5. Design in one batch, in one look

Use the same colours, the same logo placement and the same style across the month. Your feed should look like one business, not thirteen.

6. Review everything, then schedule it

Read each post once more as a customer would. Approve the ones you would be happy to see under your name, and schedule them for the days you fixed in step one.

Where CONRA fits

This is the routine CONRA runs for you. You set your brand and your posting days once. Each month it suggests a theme for every posting day, writes the slides and captions, and designs them in your colours with your logo. Every post waits for your approval, and the approved ones go out on schedule. Planning and writing cost no credits, so you can change the words as much as you like before any image is drawn.