a step by step guide to make Instagram a breeze this Summer
Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me, those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." - Henry James
With the Summer holidays just around the corner, it's the perfect time to start planning your social media content. You don’t want to be in a position where you get to the end of a busy Summers day and think to yourself “What am I going to post on Instagram today?” only to give up and go and make yourself an Aperol Spritz and spend the evening in the garden. You will land in September with a bump when you realise you have neglected your Instagram account for the entire Summer…
Here are some hints and tips to help you plan your Instagram posts for the Summer holidays ahead.
Start with a plan.
Before you start posting on Instagram, it’s important to have a plan in place. Get your calendar out for the next couple of months. Think about any key dates for your business, any dates you will be away from your business (yes, of course it is ok to take a break from social media whilst you are on your Summer holiday but you won’t want to neglect it for the whole of July and August….) and any social media awareness days you want to tap into. Mark all of these on your calendar.
Define your objectives
Next, have a think about what you want to achieve with your social media posts? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive sales, promote an event, or simply entertain your audience? Clearly defining your objectives will help guide your content creation process and ensure your posts align with your goals.
Map out your ideas
Have a look at your calendar and your objectives and then start mapping out some post ideas for the next couple of months. Would these posts work best as a grid post, or a reel or maybe even an Instagram LIVE? Write these into your calendar and ta da! you now have your Summer content plan.
Make a list
Having a plan is one thing but you need to keep going. Make a list of all the content you need to create. What photos do you need to take? What videos do you need to make? Do you need to line up guests for some Instagram LIVES? Write a list of what you need to create.
Get Creative
Have a content creation day and pull all your visuals together. I have been known to turn up to Lara’s house with a suitcase full of outfits for our content creation days and then get 20 to 30 reels in the content bank. We have a plan and we just go for it, ticking things off our list as we go. It is, without a doubt, the most fun we have at work……
Don’t stop there - schedule your posts
Now you have the visuals so start writing the captions and pulling together your hashtags. Then go back to your calendar and start scheduling these posts. We have said it before and we will say it again, there are lots of different scheduling tools out there but we both love using Later. It is so easy to use.
Congratulations, all your posts are all scheduled
Don’t forget there is still room for spontaneity. If something happens in your business that you want to post about, all you need to do is go into your scheduling tool and move the posts around.
Don’t forget to engage
Now just remember to go online when your post goes out and focus on the engagement. And because it is Summer, engage with intention. Don’t just scroll aimlessly, liking this post and that post. Be intentional, treat it like your job and then put your phone away and enjoy that Aperol Spritz.
If the thought of doing all this feels overwhelming, get in touch and we can organise a Content Planning Session where you will walk away brimming with content ideas and be ready to get your Summer Instagram sorted. With a bit of planning and hard work now, you set yourself up for a more enjoyable and carefree Summer season, and your September self will be thank you.
Have a lovely Summer.