Batch your content to save time

Social media and/or blog writing can feel like a full-time job. By the time you think of a post, draft the post, edit the post, add the hashtags, boost the post, and post the post… hours have gone by. One solution? Batching.

Batching is when you compile and schedule all of your social and/or blog posts all at once. It takes a bit of planning, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to spend less time posting and more time scheming (or whatever else it is you do :)).

Step #1.

Brainstorm. Ideally for topics that support your content strategy. Write all of your ideas down so you can refer to them at any time.

Step #2.

Set a realistic schedule. If you only have time to post to social media once a week, that’s better than never! Remember that quality is more important than quantity, so be realistic about how often you can publish.

Step #3.

Think mid term. Even if you’re only batching for one month, think about the general you’d like to go in over the next six months. That’ll help you outline the posts you want to write down the road, and help you strategize with the bigger picture (ahem, your target audience and their needs) in mind.

Step #4.

Start writing. There’s no wrong way to start, but my favourite is to use a bullet list of topics or sentences as outline. That way I stay on track, and the sentences just flow.

Step #5.

Schedule. Use an easy post scheduler like Buffer or Hootsuite, or simply schedule Facebook posts from their Creator Studio. Always check tags and image previews to make sure they’re displaying correctly.

Step #6.

Keep an eye on things. This is the best part… you get to sit back and watch the fruits of your labour unfold before your eyes. But don’t get too complacent—you’ll need to “sanity check” your scheduled posts on a regular basis to make sure you don’t commit any faux pas. (E.g. a fun anniversary post that gets scheduled the day after someone passes away.)