Batch prepare social media posts

Who it's for: owners who mean to post every week but never get round to it.
Time needed: 1 hour a month. About 5 minutes a week to check comments.
You'll need: your phone's camera roll, a laptop and access to your Facebook Page or Instagram.
Our view: one hour on the first Monday of the month beats trying to post on the fly. Two posts a week is plenty.

Our Social Media Guide

Step 2. Gather your photos first

Scroll last month's camera roll. Pick 8 to 12 photos and put them in one album. Real work beats perfect shots.

Step 3. Write 8-12 captions in 1 go

Prompt to copy:

I run a [trade] business in [town], New Zealand. Write 8 short Facebook posts for next month: 2 about recent jobs ([job 1], [job 2]), 2 tips about [topic], 2 about our team and 2 thanking customers for reviews. Use NZ spelling, plain words and no hashtags. End each with "Call [phone] or book at [link]."

Always check the facts. AI can make things up.

Step 1. Pick 4 themes

Use the same 4 every month so you never start from a blank page:

• A job: a finished piece of work, with a photo

• A tip: something customers often ask you

• The team: a person, a new tool or the ute

• A review: a kind word from a customer (with their OK)

Step 5. Save a slot per week

Open Meta Business Suite on a computer and choose Create post. Add the photo and caption, then pick a date and time under the scheduling options. You can post to Facebook and Instagram at once. Current steps: Create and manage posts in Meta Business Suite.

Step 4. Schedule them in Meta Business Suite

Keep one spot each week for something that happens on the day, like a big job, a storm call-out or a local event.

Keep each one short: what it is, where it was and what to do next. You can use an AI tool like ChatGPT to get a first draft, then fix it so it sounds like you.

Watch out for

• Posting customer photos or names without asking. Get their OK first, and keep addresses out of shot.

• Copying AI text word for word. It can sound generic or get facts wrong.

• Ignoring comments. A quick reply to a question can turn into a job.

How to check it's working

• Check your scheduled posts in the Planner each month so there are no gaps.

• Note which theme gets the most comments, messages or calls. Do more of it.

• Ask new callers if they saw you on Facebook or Instagram.

Short of photos? See guide S2, Turn one job into 5 pieces of content.

Further reading: Promote your business (business.govt.nz)

Want us to do it for you?

Our Social Media Kit does a full months worth of customised social media posts for Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, Pinterest or Linkedin - $595 +GST.

Part of the Local Trust Score guides from Buzz Marketing.
Check your score: Local Trust Score quiz

Example: Mary's Monday hour

Mary runs a cleaning business and posted only when she remembered. Now she blocks out the first Monday morning of each month, picks 8 photos and schedules 2 posts a week. Customers now mention her posts when they book.

The rule: Plan, Batch, Forget

1. Plan the same 4 themes each month.

2. Batch the photos, captions and scheduling in one sitting.

3. Forget about it until next month, apart from replying to comments.

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