Social Media Content Planning: Build a Repeatable System
SNS content planning means deciding who you want to reach, what you want to communicate, how you will present it and in what sequence before you start making posts. You do not need marketing terminology first. Start with the result the account should create and the impression people should take away.
- 01
Choose one result the social account should change
- 02
Separate recurring topics from content formats
- 03
Feed each post's learning back into the next plan
What does social content planning actually decide?
A brand can post products, how-to content, brand stories, staff, reviews and many other things. Planning organizes those options around a purpose so every post does not start from a blank page.
Decide not only what to post, but who should see it, what they should understand and what they should do next.
First decide what social media should change
Awareness, product understanding, ecommerce traffic and store visits require different content.
A clear goal also stops you from judging an awareness post and a purchase-focused post by the same number.
Group recurring topics into three to five themes
Teams sometimes call these recurring themes content pillars. In plain language, they are the main subjects the account will keep talking about.
A fashion brand might use new products, styling, materials and quality, brand story and customer reactions.
Treat the topic and the presentation format separately
The same topic can be shown as a photo, short video, carousel, comparison or Q&A. That presentation style is often called the content format.
A product how-to can become a 15-second video, a three-step image sequence or a frequently asked question, giving one topic several useful executions.
Build the month around a balance of roles
A content calendar is useful for checking whether awareness, understanding and action posts are balanced, not just for filling dates.
You do not need to post every day. Start with the volume you can actually produce and distribute the roles across it.
What should you carry into the next plan?
Measure the reaction that fits the goal: reach and views for awareness, saves and profile visits for interest, and clicks or purchases for action.
Record which topic, format and opening worked rather than only whether the number was high or low.
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