Let’s be honest—content planning sounds great in theory, but when it’s 10 p.m. on a Sunday and your brain is running on fumes, even choosing a caption feels like climbing a mountain. One minute you’re posting a Reel, the next you’re asking ChatGPT, “What should I post on Instagram this week?”
Spoiler alert: You don’t need to wing it (anymore). You just need a plan that works with your life, not against it.
The good news? Planning a month’s worth of content doesn’t have to be a creative black hole. Grab your coffee (or wine—we don’t judge), and let’s build a monthly content workflow that’s doable, repeatable, and actually fun.
Here’s how to plan a full month of content—no burnout required.
Step 1: Pick Your Monthly Topic (Your Anchor Theme)
Each month, choose one central topic or theme that ties your content together. This makes your content feel cohesive and helps tell a story that builds momentum week by week.
Let’s say you run a bakery (yum)—your monthly topic could be Cupcakes. That opens the door to content about flavours, decorating tips, behind-the-scenes baking, customer favourites, and more. The theme gives your posts direction without boxing you in.
Need ideas? Try these:
- Chiropractor: Sports Injuries
- Printer: Digital Printing
- Nail Tech: Pink Everything
- Hairdresser: Summer Blondes
Themes help you stay focused and creative. Instead of wondering what to post, you now get to ask, “What can I say about this topic that my audience will care about?”
Step 2: Break It Down Weekly with the 4 Content Pillars
We like to keep things real, and that includes your content strategy. You’re not a billboard—you’re a human, talking to other humans. That’s where content pillars come in.
Our fab four:
- Educate: Teach your audience something useful. Share knowledge, tips, or behind-the-scenes insights related to your theme.
- Entertain: Make them smile, laugh, or say “same!” Add humour, fun facts, or light-hearted posts to show personality.
- Community: Show the people, stories, and moments behind your brand. Highlight your clients, team, testimonials, or local love.
- Promote: Yes, you can sell without sounding like a robot. Now’s your moment: share offers, new products, or services tied to your theme.
Mix these up throughout the month to keep your feed feeling alive and balanced.
Step 3: Mix It Up With Purpose
Here’s your secret sauce: Don’t overdo the sales posts. A good rule of thumb? Aim for 70–80% value-packed, non-promotional content (educate, entertain, community), and 20–30% promotional.
Example:
- Week 1: Entertain – Behind-the-scenes or a fun meme
- Week 2: Educate – Tips, hacks, or how-tos
- Week 3: Community – Testimonials or “meet the team”
- Week 4: Promote – Talk about your offer, product, or service
This keeps your audience interested and gives them a reason to stick around. You want to keep your feed social, not salesy. Your audience doesn’t want a pitch parade—they want realness, connection, and content that serves them.
Step 4: Put It All Into a Monthly Calendar
Once you’ve picked your topic and outlined your weekly pillar posts, slot them into a calendar. This is where the magic happens. It keeps you consistent, makes batching content easier, and prevents last-minute panic posting.
Content calendars keep you from doubling up on the same post type or theme and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
We use the exact same SkillsLab content calendar for our clients that you can download in our free eBook. It’s the holy grail of staying on track.
Step 5: Be Consistent (Not Perfect)
Posting once a week? Amazing. Posting twice a week? Fabulous. What matters most is showing up consistently. Ghosting your audience isn’t the vibe, but perfection paralysis isn’t either.
Start small. Build your confidence. And grow from there. Remember: (yes, we know we’ve already said this but it is so important!) Consistency builds trust. Ghosting your audience? Not so much.
Final Thought: Planning Makes Posting Peaceful
When you plan your content monthly—with a clear theme, balanced pillars, and a doable rhythm—posting becomes way less stressful and way more effective.
Social media doesn’t have to be chaotic. It can be creative, intentional, and fun (yes, fun). You’ve got something worth sharing. Let’s make sure it actually gets seen.
Don’t get stuck in the content trap. Your audience isn’t looking for flawless—they’re looking for you. Keep it simple, keep it consistent, and give yourself a gold star just for showing up.
Check out my SkillsLab Shop for the Social Media Content Planning eBook or our Social Media Toolkit for everything you need!
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