Why You Should Plan Your Content And How To Do It

Creating and posting content can be such a struggle. It’s a lot of work, it’s hard to fit into your schedule, and it can be overwhelming when you need content every day but just don’t have the time. The secret to making content creation easier is to plan your content ahead of time!

Crazy idea right? You might already know this but struggle to actually do it yourself. Planning out your content prior to creating it makes everything so much easier. 

By the end of this blog post, you will understand why it’s so important to have a content plan and the nitty-gritty of how to actually get it all done!

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5 reasons to plan your content ahead of time

There are so many reasons to plan your content. Just ask yourself what struggles you are having with posting content… those are some reasons for planning ahead! But, in case you currently have no reason to plan ahead, here are some of the BEST reasons to start planning your content. 

#1. Your own sanity 

Who likes being frazzled and stressed out? Do you enjoy missing deadlines? Is it fun to rack your brain for ideas every time you need to post?

I think we can all agree that being stressed, overwhelmed, and burnt out is not fun and will not help you in the long run. 

Having a plan for even the week ahead will help you so much! 

• You’ll know what photos you need for the week
• You can pre-write your captions or blog posts
• You’ll be way more consistent

#2. You will create better content 

Whether you have a blog, YouTube channel, or Facebook group… when you have a plan in place and you actually stick to it, your content will be 100x better than it would be on the fly. 

You can actually plan ahead for holiday content or get the perfect picture ready for national pizza day. 

Planning ahead also allows you time to see what your audience liked in the past so you can create more of it. When you just snap a picture and post it to Instagram without any thought chances are you are missing the mark with your people. 

#3. Reduce the chance of annoying mistakes

Isn’t it the worst when you hop onto a blog post to read all the interesting content and half the post is full of spelling mistakes?

Look, we are all human and a spelling error is bound to happen! But when you wait until the last minute to write your blog post and then rush to upload it, you’ll probably miss more than normal. 

#4. You will have time to alter plans 

So many times I have taken pictures for Instagram and then realized that 2 pictures didn’t look good beside each other or the lighting was weird in one and didn’t match the rest of the aesthetic. 

When these things happen a week ahead, it’s no biggie. Just arrange the photos differently or retake a picture or two. 

When this happens the day of posting and you are at work unable to take another picture, chances are you just don’t post at all. Ps. I’ve been there so many times and it’s the worst!

#5. Consistency is key 

I’m sure you’ve heard this from a million other bloggers and content creators but consistency is key to growth! 

If you post one blog post here and there or post sporadically to Instagram, your chances of steady growth are less. 

Having a content plan helps you be consistent. You have the content finished ahead of time which means you will actually post it! 

The best ways to plan your content 

There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to plan your content. Everyone has different ways of doing things and what works for me might not work for you. 

However, I have tried a few different things when it comes to planning content so let’s chat about it. 

Make a content calendar 

There are a number of ways you could do this. If you like a paper planner you could grab a physical planner or calendar. Personally, I love Clever Fox Planners. You could also make something yourself in a bullet journal. Whatever works. 

If you like a digital planner then you may find Google Calendars helpful. Personally, I don’t like having my personal planner and content planner together because it’s too confusing for me. So, I make my own content planner in Google Sheets! 

I like Google Sheets because it’s accessible from all devices. If I am out and have time to work on a blog post, I can check Google Sheets and see what I had planned. 

This is an example of what my content calendar looks like. I like to use colors but keep it simple so I use green for when I successfully posted and red for a missed post. This is also JUST for my blog.

I also just plug in ideas and come up with the actual titles later. You cant see it on the screenshot but I usually include the finished URL so I can easily find my posts if needed. 

For social media, I have a Google Doc and I plan 2 weeks in advance. I typically post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so I just write out the dates I plan on posting with the topic and any photo ideas I have. 

Then, I will write all the captions below so I can just copy and paste them on social media when I’m ready. 

Keep all your ideas somewhere 

Planning your content is so much easier when you have topic ideas. Write your ideas in a journal or make a Google Doc with all your ideas. Then when you sit down to plan your content you can just plug in ideas without the hassle. 

Dedicate time to planning 

You do need to set some time aside to plan. If you like to have a monthly plan then pick a day to plan out the whole month. If you are more of a weekly planner then decide what day each week is good to sit down and plan. 

Schedule time for content creation 

Having a plan for your content is great but it doesn’t mean your content is done. You actually need to create the content once you plan. 

Whether that means batching all your content for a week, two weeks, or a month… do whatever works for you. 

I tend to plan and create content more in advance for my blog but do the weekly plan and create for my social media. 

Related posts:

• How To Stay Crazy Organized As A New Blogger
• 5 Easy Steps To Prioritizing Your Goals
• Life By Deanna Is ONE – Here’s What I’ve Learned
• A Day In The Life Of A Part Time Blogger

It’s always good to have a plan for your content. Whether you post on your blog once a month or multiple times a week, having a plan means you will be more successful. 

Do you plan your content ahead of time? Do you have any tips and tricks?