How to Plan 1 Month of Content in 1 Hour
Content planning doesn’t need to be overwhelming OR time consuming. With a focused strategy it’s entirely possible to plan 30 days of content in just one hour and actually feel good about it!
Whether you're a business owner, a creative entrepreneur, or managing multiple roles in your brand, this is EXACTLY how to build consistent, purposeful content calendars.
STEP ONE: Define Your Core Content Pillars
Start with clarity. Identify 3–5 content pillars that align with your brand, values, and offers. These themes become the foundation of everything you share online.
Common examples include:
Educational content related to your industry
Behind-the-scenes
Testimonials and client case studies
Personal stories or founder perspective
Promotional content around your services or offers
When you consistently speak from these pillars, your content becomes more recognizable, focused, and strategic.
STEP TWO: Choose Your Content Formats
Decide which types of content you’ll prioritize based on strengths and what performs best on your platform.
For Instagram, this might include:
Reels (short-form video)
Carousels (multi-image or educational posts)
Static graphics or quote posts
Stories
Email content or blog teasers
Diversifying formats keeps your audience engaged and gives you more opportunities to repurpose content effectively.
STEP THREE: Map Out Your Monthly Content Plan
Using your pillars and chosen formats, outline your content for the month. I recommend using a simple weekly rhythm to streamline your planning process.
Sample Weekly Structure:
Monday: Educational tip or how-to
Tuesday: Founder insight, quote, or brand POV
Wednesday: Behind-the-scenes or process content
Thursday: Offer highlight or client success story
Friday: Creative or trend-based content
Repeat this format across 4 weeks and you’ll easily fill 20–25 content slots.
From there, you can add a few evergreen posts like:
FAQs
Common myths in your industry
Meet the founder” introductions
Testimonials or reviews
STEP FOUR: Batch Captions and Visuals Separately
Once your content plan is outlined, work in short sprints to batch your writing and design work separately. Trying to do both at once slows the process down.
Writing Sprint: 30 minutes to draft 5–7 captions
Design Sprint: 1 hour to create visuals using templates
Reels Sprint: 60–90 minutes to record 4–6 short videos
Batched creation prevents burnout and makes content creation more manageable especially if you're balancing client work or multiple roles.
STEP FIVE: Schedule and Automate
You can use a scheduling platform to upload your content and automate posting OR Instagram (Meta) has this built right into the platform. If automation isn’t your preference, you can still organize everything inside a visual planner or calendar and post manually.
The goal here is consistency, not perfection. Choose the method that helps you stay on track long-term.
BONUS: Weekly Instagram Story Prompts
Stories are an easy way to maintain visibility without creating new content every day.
Use these weekly prompts to stay consistent:
Monday: What you’re working on this week
Tuesday: Quick tip or tool you recommend
Wednesday: Poll or audience Q&A
Thursday: Behind-the-scenes moment or voice note
Friday: Offer reminder, client success, or testimonial
Final Thoughts:
Planning 30 days of content in one hour is entirely possible with the right system in place. This framework has helped dozens of small business owners create consistent, intentional content without sacrificing clarity or creativity.
Interested in Personalizing This Framework?
If you want guidance tailored to your brand, offers, and goals, my Content Planning Power Hour is designed to help. In just one session, we’ll map out a full month of content aligned with your messaging and your schedule.
