Social media presence is no longer a nice to have, it’s a must-have. But creating social media posts across multiple platforms can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for a small business owner. With 5.07 billion people actively using social media worldwide (DataReportal), the pressure to be seen requires consistent and engaging content. That’s where the magic of batch-creating social content comes in. This game-changing approach to social media marketing will save you time, streamline your workflow and build a loyal online community.

What is Batch Creating Social Content?

The core principle of batch-creating social content is dedicating a focused session to creating a large amount of content in advance. Batch creation allows you to cater to all those different platforms without sacrificing quality or consistency. Instead of scrambling to create a daily post you could plan, design and write captions for a week’s worth of content across multiple social media channels (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc) in one go.

Benefits of Batch Creating Your Social Content

Here’s why batch creation can benefit busy social media managers and small business owners:

• Content Creation Efficiency: Industry experts estimate batch creation can save businesses up to 70% of their time. By working in focused bursts you eliminate the context switching that eats into productivity. This gives you more time to focus on other parts of your social media strategy like community involvement or creating engaging content.
• Branding Consistency: A consistent brand voice and visual identity are key to building brand recognition across your social media accounts. Batch creating allows you to ensure all your content aligns with your brand guidelines, and looks professional and cohesive. This consistency builds trust and familiarity with your target audience.
• Increased Creativity: Sometimes, inspiration strikes at the most unexpected times. Batch creating gives you a dedicated space to capitalise on those creative bursts. Brainstorming social media post ideas in bulk can lead to a flow of ideas for visual content (images, infographics, videos), entertaining content (polls, quizzes) and informative content (industry news, educational content).
• Improved Quality Control: When you review all your social media content at once you have the opportunity to fine-tune every detail. This allows you to spot and fix any errors or inconsistencies before they’re published, so your overall social media presence is of higher quality.
• Better Analytics and Optimisation: Batch creating makes it easier to track and analyse your social media content. By scheduling your posts in advance, you can use analytics tools to see what’s working with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly, to capitalise on peak engagement times and keep your audience engaged.

How to Batch Create Your Social Content

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

• Content Calendar Planning: Think of your content calendar as the blueprint for your social media success. Here you’ll map out what type of content to post (e.g. reels, carousel posts, customer testimonials, success stories, user-generated content), when to post it (e.g. peak engagement times) and which platforms to post on.
• Content Creation in Batches: Now the fun part! Dedicate a specific time slot for content creation. Focus on one platform at a time and have a streamlined workflow for efficiency. This could involve:
  • Creating Visual Content: Design eye catching graphics using Canva. Consider short-form video formats like TikTok and Instagram Reels to cater to evolving social media trends.
  • Content Pillars: This is where you brainstorm social media ideas that resonate with your target audience. Consider content pillars (core themes that align with your brand values) and leverage industry news, trending topics and success stories of other businesses in your industry.
  • Writing Captions: Write captions that tell a story, spark curiosity and encourage engagement. Use relevant hashtags to boost discoverability.
  • Incorporating Videos: Include a mix of video content, behind-the-scenes, educational content or even live videos (e.g. Q&A sessions) to really connect with your audience.
• Scheduling and Automation: Use a social media management tool like Later or Hootsuite to schedule posts in advance across your social channels, so you can have a consistent flow of content and free up time to focus on other parts of your social media strategy.
• Monitoring and Adjusting Your Strategy: Track your content’s performance using analytics tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite. Alongside scheduling, these tools will show you top-performing posts so you can tailor your strategy to create relevant content. This will drive traffic to your account, develop a personal connection with your audience and improve your social presence. Don’t be afraid to adjust your content calendar and strategy based on what’s working with your audience.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Here’s how to overcome the most common hurdles and get the most out of your batch creation sessions:

• Maintaining Creativity: Plan short breaks throughout your content ideas session to avoid creative burnout by taking a walk, listening to music or doing something completely unrelated to social media. If you’re still struggling then a helping hand can help! Brainstorming with colleagues can spark creativity! Grab some pens and fill up the whiteboard with visuals, quotes, share industry news, bounce ideas off each other and build upon each other’s suggestions.
• Adapting to Real-Time Events: Leave some space in your content calendar for spontaneous posts. This allows you to jump on trending topics or current events while still maintaining your overall content strategy. If a trending topic aligns with your brand or content pillars you can repurpose existing content with a fresh perspective. For example, create a carousel post featuring relevant blog post excerpts or an infographic summarising key points from a YouTube video.
• Keeping Content Fresh: Plan a variety of content formats, images, videos, infographics and live streams to keep your audience engaged. Dedicate specific weeks to exploring different themes relevant to your brand. For example a “Customer Appreciation Week” might feature user generated content and social media contests, while an “Industry Insights Week” could be industry news, guest posts or interviews with industry leaders.

Tools and Resources for Batch Creating Social Content

There are many tools to help you batch create social content. Here are a few:

• Design tools: Canva have pre-made templates to design social media posts in batches. You can also create folders for different brands/seasons/campaigns to keep your workspace tidy and organised.
• Scheduling tools: Later and Hootsuite allow you to plan and visualise your content months in advance. Captions written, visuals designed, posts scheduled – all at once! Saves you time and allows you to optimise your content for peak engagement times across all your social media channels.
• Social listening tools: Brandwatch and Sprout Social to monitor online conversations and track brand mentions. This can help you spot trending topics and tailor your content accordingly.

Need Help with Your Social Media?

Batch creating social content when done right can save you time, increase engagement and contribute to your overall social media success. We’ve worked with clients to develop a data driven social media strategy that aligns with their brand and target audience. So whether you need help with content creation, posting schedule or the latest social media trends we’ve got you covered.