How to Create a Content Batching Schedule
If you’ve ever wondered how other online business owners can show up so consistently on social media without running out of things to say, I have a secret for you. They are not smarter than you or more creative. They are batching content.
They have left the content creation hamster wheel behind and starting an effective content batching workflow that allows them to show up consistently and to post with purpose — without the stress. Consistently creating content without constantly being on the verge of burnout has completely changed my workflow for the better.
So grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your thing), kick back, and let's talk about how to batch content. Specifically, let’s cut the fluff and talk about how to establish a content batching schedule that will take your social media game to the next level — while giving you back time and energy.
What is Content Batching?
At its heart, content batching is when you set aside a specific time to focus on one project until it’s complete. Instead of repeating the same thing day after day, we only have to do it every month or so.
That frees up time, allowing us to work in a state of focus instead of scrambling. I like to think of it as a highly strategic set-it-and-forget-it technique that ends inconsistency.
The Benefits Of Batching Content
Gets you into a flow state. You can focus on the task at hand because somedays creativity comes easier than others.
Saves you time. You won’t be scrambling every day or every other day to come up with ideas and time to write, research and post content.
Allows you to see the bigger picture. Having posts mapped out in advance ensures that your content marketing strategy and brand message are on point.
Gives you peace of mind. If you like to cross off items on a do-to list, batching is the ultimate way to tick the boxes and free up your headspace for other tasks. There is so much freedom in knowing exactly what post is going up.
How To Batch A Month’s Worth Of Content In One Day
Another thing I’ve learned time and time is that you can get all the advice in the world and hear about all the benefits a system can offer, but it doesn’t mean a whole lot unless you can make the system work for you.
There are two camps of content batchers.
There is the done-in-a-day camp. For some content creators, it’s easier to spend a few hours a day or even a whole day researching ideas, writing social media posts or blogs, designing graphics, or scheduling your content.
That is a great system — and my preferred method — if you are able to set aside large chunks of time in a single day to dedicate to the process. It gets you in a workflow, and, like the camp’s name suggests, at the end of the day, you’re content for the foreseeable future is done.
For these campers, it could look like:
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Research content ideas and plugging them into a content calendar.
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Research and write captions/blog/video scripts.
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Create graphics, videos, or take photos.
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Schedule out content for the next week.
How To Batch Content Using A Weekly Schedule
Camp two spends an hour or two each day for an entire week to complete their batching. Each day is dedicated to a specific task. For example:
Monday: Research content ideas and plugging them into a content calendar.
Tuesday: Write captions/video scripts.
Wednesday: Create graphics, videos, or take photos.
Thursday: Schedule content.
The Big Takeaway
Creating a content batching schedule is all about knowing what will work for you in the long run. Of course, you need to have answers to the big picture questions:
Who is my target audience?
What are my content pillars — aka the subjects you’d like to be known for in your industry?
What kind of content calendar should I use?
What tools do I need to create content effectively?
What content will I repurpose to get the max mileage out of the content I’ll create?
Here is a read to help you answer those important content strategy questions, but the first thing you need to understand before you can create a content batching schedule is how long does it take you to research ideas, write social media posts or blogs, design graphics, and schedule your content?
Record much time each task takes you to complete from start to finish — no pressure to go faster; we’re just trying to get a starting point here!
Noting the time each task takes will give you a realistic goal to time block in your schedule to create content each month. The cool part the process gets faster over time. So even if you’ll need to set aside more time in the beginning, you’ll master your flow and take it to warp speed in no time.
Happy Creating!
Cyndi, Owner of Ascent StoryCraft
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