The 60-Minute Content Planning Framework
This is the framework many social media managers use to plan a full month of content without dragging the process across multiple days.
It’s structured, repeatable, and intentionally boring, which is exactly why it works.
Minute 0–10: Pull Performance Signals (Not Opinions)
The first 10 minutes are spent looking backward.
Inside analytics tools like , teams review the last 30–90 days of content to identify:
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Posts that earned saves and shares
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Formats that consistently performed well
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Topics that quietly overperformed
This step immediately narrows the field. Instead of infinite possibilities, there are now clear signals pointing to what’s worth repeating, remixing, or expanding.
Minute 10–25: Lock Monthly Content Themes
With performance patterns identified, the next step is defining 3–5 content themes for the month.
Instead of mapping 30 individual ideas, teams commit to a few strategic lanes, such as education, trends, POV content, or product-led value, and plan within those boundaries.
’s visual calendar helps here because balance becomes obvious immediately. If everything skews too educational or too promotional, it’s clear before anything goes live.
Minute 25–45: Map Formats Using a Simple Planning Template
This is where most of the calendar gets filled.
Rather t
han planning post ideas, social media managers answer three repeatable questions for each theme:
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What format works best here?
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How often should it appear this month?
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What’s the core message being repeated in different ways?
Once those answers are set, content planning becomes assembly, not invention.
Using ’s planner, teams can drag, drop, and preview how formats are distributed across the month, ensuring consistency without repetition.
Minute 45–60: Layer Trends Without Losing Control
Trends still have a place, they just stop running the show.
Instead of chasing every trending sound or format, trends are treated as containers. The question becomes: Can this trend support an existing theme or message?
By layering trends into an already-built plan, content stays timely without becoming disposable.
