Creating social media posts is one thing people seem to either enjoy or loathe (and sometimes both at the same time!). Personally, I’m of the camp that social media platforms provide a creative outlet to share messages. But, I’m also a realist and a business owners, so I’m very aware of the time factor that writing comes with, and I often work with businesses on planning out their social media content calendars and posts so that time doesn’t become the issue.

Now, as I began writing this, I briefly confused myself with the topic of this post, “how far in advance should write social media posts?” which is not the same as “how frequently should you post on social media?” Those are definitely two separate beasts, and for the sake of this blog post, we will be focusing on how far in advance social media content (or really any marketing content) can be written in advance.

In all three of these scenarios, we’re going to assume there is a pre-planned social media topic framework for the specific timeframe that they’re using for guidance. Translation: Not just sitting down to a blank screen without a specific direction for the day ahead.

Here’s the scoop on tackling social media post creation:

Daily:

What does this look like? When social media framework is planned out, some prefer to take a day-to-day approach with writing the full post. The flexibility of this method, and the ability to write content based on something that has recently happened (e.g., a business update, weather-related, etc.) certainly provides perks. But, this is likely one of the most stressful scenarios, due to the pressure and commitment. Additionally, the “abandon” post rate is high due to that pressure, and also due to the fact that some pieces may need additional planning that wasn’t factored in. For example, time wasn’t allocated for designing a specific graphic.

• Pros: Flexibility and ability to quickly pivot
• Cons: Commitment every day to writing, draining creativity with on-the-spot pressure of writing daily, likelihood of abandoning post due to pressure or lack of advance prepared items

Weekly:

What does this look like? In most cases, it will either mean committing one day per week to write a week’s worth of social media content using the pre-established content calendar. Once a week is certainly less pressure than writing daily, but does require that dedication of one time slot per week. On the upside, time is on your side, should you arrive at content day and realize a graphic or other piece of a social media post missing, as there is still time to source that, as opposed to being on the post day already.

• Pros: Setting aside a dedicated time only once per week, advance time to factor in missing items
• Cons: Once per week commitment

Monthly (or Further!):

What does this look like? First, it can be done! It does pose more challenges on the likelihood that business or world events could impact a post three weeks from now. However, it can work, and in cases of evergreen (i.e., less-timely content) or a very specific rollout plan, it can be effective. Even with these best-laid plans, it’s usually best to leave a little wiggle room for a timely addition.

• Pros: Organized and situated well ahead of time, plenty of time to prepare collateral (graphics, videos, etc.), ideal for collaboration scenarios across teams or other businesses
• Cons: Increased likelihood for timing changes to arise, or more timely things to come up

Reality Check:

With so many hats to wear and moving pieces, why would a weekly or monthly system be beneficial for a small business? You’re working ahead, and not left with a “dry spell.” Even if it’s not always realistic to adhere to this style, some businesses will implement it during busy times or vacations to ensure content is covered.

So, now the question is, “which frequency will work best for you and your business?”