How to plan a month of social media content

Most business accounts that post at random are not short of ideas. They are short of a plan. When each post is decided on the day, topics drift and busy weeks leave gaps. A monthly plan fixes this with very little paperwork.

Start from your goal and your offer

Decide what the month is for before you think about posts: more bookings for a new service, more visits to the shop, more requests for quotes. Then look at what you sell that month, such as a seasonal menu or a new treatment. Every post should support that goal. If an idea does not connect to your offer or your audience, it can wait.

Choose three or four content pillars

Content pillars are the recurring themes your account is known for. For a dental clinic they might be treatments explained, the team, patient questions and offers. Three or four are enough. They make planning faster, because you fill slots instead of facing a blank page, and they tell followers what to expect.

Mix the formats

Each format does a different job:

• Reels help you reach people who do not follow you yet: short demonstrations, before and after, a quick tip.
• Carousels suit content worth saving: simple guides, comparisons, answers to common questions.
• Stories keep current followers close: polls, behind the scenes, reminders about the offer.

Choose a mix you can keep up every week, not an ambitious one you will abandon.

Map the month, then produce in batches

A spreadsheet is enough: one row per post with the date, pillar, format, topic and status. Fill in fixed dates first, such as holidays and launches, then spread the pillars across the weeks and leave a few slots open for something timely.

Then mark one or two production days. Film the month's videos in one session from a prepared shot list, and write captions and design carousels in another. Schedule everything in advance, so a busy week no longer means an empty feed.

Look back once a week

Spend half an hour each week on what happened. Which posts brought messages, saves, shares or profile visits, and which were ignored? Likes alone say little; the actions that lead to an enquiry matter more. Note what worked, and next month's plan will reflect what your audience responds to, not what you guessed.

What to do next

Start small. Choose one goal for next month, write down three pillars and fill in the first two weeks. Book a single production day and see how it changes your week. If you would like a second opinion or help running the plan, the MB Media House team is happy to talk it through.