My Simple Content Planning Process: How I Plan a Month of Content in Under 2 Hours
Content planning can feel heavy.
Too many ideas, no structure and a lot of time doom scrolling!
Now, I plan a full month of content in around 90 minutes. That’s without design time. I use the same content planning process every month, and it keeps things simple and sustainable.
Here’s exactly how it works.
Step 1: Start with clear goals for the month
Before I think about posts, reels, or captions, I get clear on what I actually want my content to do.
Each month, I set 1–3 goals. No more than that.
For example:
- Promoting an offer or launch
- Growing my email list
- Starting something new, like a newsletter
Every piece of content supports one of those goals. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t get posted. Think about using stories on Instagram as a way of posting ad hoc, every day content.
This step alone removes a lot of content overwhelm.
Step 2: Choose one audience pain point
Next, I choose one pain point my audience is struggling with and focus on that for the whole month. Just one.
Not every problem they’ve ever had. Just the one that feels most relevant right now.
A common one I see is: “Content planning feels overwhelming, boring, and like a chore.”
That pain point becomes the thread running through my content. Different angles. Different formats. Same core issue.
It keeps messaging clear and stops content feeling random.
Step 3: Look ahead to what’s coming next
As part of my content planning process, I also look ahead to the next month.
Not to overplan. Just enough to prepare my audience.
This might include:
- An upcoming launch
- Updating brand photos
- Increasing capacity after a soft launch
This helps content feel intentional rather than reactive.
Step 4: Use a simple weekly content framework
I don’t post every day, I post with purpose. Each week, I aim to cover three types of content:
Growth content
Content designed to be shared or saved. Helpful, practical, or eye-opening.
Nurture content
Educational, sales-led content that addresses a pain point, offers a solution, and includes a clear next step.
Human content
Behind-the-scenes posts that show personality, values, and real life.
This balance makes content easier to plan and easier to stick to.
Step 5: Map out a rough monthly content plan
Once I have my goals, pain point, and framework, I map out the month.
Nothing complicated. Just a rough plan.
For example:
- Three Instagram posts a week
- One or two emails
- Key pinned posts
Seeing the full month at a glance removes the daily stress of deciding what to post.
Step 6: Plan everything in one place
I plot all my content into a planner and build each idea out properly.
That’s where I:
- Expand the idea
- Choose the format (carousel, single image, photos)
- Write the caption
Once designs are ready, I add them too so I can see everything together.
This stops content living in my head and makes consistency much easier.
Why this content planning process works
The full planning process takes around 90 minutes.
Because I repeat the same steps every month:
- Content feels lighter
- Decisions are quicker
- Consistency doesn’t lead to burnout
Most importantly, my content supports my goals and genuinely helps my audience.
If content planning feels hard, boring, or overwhelming, it’s rarely a motivation problem, it’s usually a planning one.
A simple content planning process changes everything.