The 5 Ways I Batch Content for my Blog & Instagram

Are you trying to figure out how to create content for your blog and Instagram with a busy schedule? Here are a few tips on how you can batch your time and create/share your content.

These last two years have been especially busy for me – both
personally and professionally. I worked towards and earned my master’s degree
on top of working full time. I thought I would take a step back on my blog, but
in reality the opposite happened. I became more devoted to my blog has my
career in aerospace became more demanding and my course loads weighted on me.

I realized over the past few years that the busier I got, the better I got at managing my time. While I finished school this past June, I’m still using the same practices to balance my blog and full time job. Today I wanted to share how I batch my time to create content for my blog.

But first, what does it mean to batch content?

Batching is referred to as completing a small set of tasks in a period of time. In blogging, I batch content, photos, and writing to be more efficient with my time.

Here are the 5 ways I batch content for my blog & Instagram:

1. I spend 1 hour on Sundays writing my Instagram captions for the week.

One way I freed up time during my week was by spending one
hour writing my Instagram captions at the beginning of the week. I realized I
was wasting time trying to figure out a caption during the day when I needed to
post, engage, and move onto my next task. I was getting stressed when I got to the
end of my day and I still didn’t have a caption for the photo I wanted to post.

To avoid getting stressed over captions, I dedicate one hour
to writing my captions and researching my hash tags on Sundays or the beginning
of the week. I usually write my hash tags in a word document and even write the
date they need to be published. I’ll send myself an email at the beginning of
the week and refer back to the email when I need to post my photo.

If you get stressed about writing captions, I recommend taking the time to write 2-3 captions ahead of time first.

It will help get you into the habit of writing your content ahead of time. This also gives you time to proofread your captions before you post it!

2. I plan my feed at the beginning of the week.

There are great tools out there like Planoly or Unum to help you plan your Instagram feed. I typically plan my feed for a week at a time. If I know what photos I want to share on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I’ll also know what captions I need to write. I usually spend 30 min to an hour rearranging my feed and looking at what sponsored content needs to be published that week.

Before planning out my feed, I used to get so stressed out trying to figure out what photo to post next. Using Planoly was a game changer for me. I pay the $20 a month for unlimited uploads and it’s worth every penny.

3. I shoot 3+ outfits at a time.

I’ve shared this on the blog before but I’m sharing it again
because batching your outfits will help you create more content. Learning how
to be comfortable in front of a camera and then learning how to be efficient at
photo shoots definitely takes time. But once you understand how to pose and
your good angles, photo shoots will come easy.

Depending on where I can change (in the car or a coffee shop bathroom), I can shoot 3 outfits in an hour. If we have props or if we have multiple shoot locations, then it usually takes 1 1/2 – 2 hours. I absolutely love photo shoots and I think their one of the most fun things about blogging. But I try my best to get shooting done in an hour because that time can be spent doing other things – like brainstorming new blog posts or writing.

If you’re still getting comfortable in front of the camera
and need posing tips, you should check out:

How
to Pose Sitting Down

How
to Pose with Flowers: 6 Ideas You Can Try

8
Ways to Pose with Food for Your Instagram

6 Dynamic New Poses You Can Try in Photos

4. I write my blog posts ideas at the beginning of every month.

I started brainstorming and writing my blog posts ideas at
the beginning of every month when I started grad school. I had to balance
writing content with homework assignments, group projects, and finals. I used
to open up my planner, pull out my class syllabuses, and write down all the due
dates for school assignments.

Then I would brainstorm blog post ideas at the right of my calendar. I usually list out 6-10 blog post ideas a month and typically publish at least 8 of those ideas. Seeing my blog posts ideas at the beginning of each month helped give me the motivation and direction to continue to create content for my blog. I wasn’t feeling like I was looking for ideas in the middle of the week.

5. I spent 1-2 hours at the beginning of each week outlining or writing blog posts.

My weekly goal is to publish two blog posts. I do my best to
spend at least an hour or two outlining or writing out my blog posts at the
very beginning of the week.

If I don’t have a ton of time, I try to outline at least one blog post. If I get to Tuesday or Wednesday and I find space in my schedule, I’ll pull out my outline and then take the 30 min or 1 hour to write the blog post. Since my major points are already listed out, it’s easy for me to find the words and sentences to support those ideas.

Overall, I’ve found that batching content at the beginning
of the week has been the most helpful to me. Since I work a typical 9-5 and
have to commute almost 2 hours a day, I have to plan my blog and social media
content out ahead of time.

Planning out my feed, writing out my captions and blog posts at the beginning of the work week are essentials ways I batch content for my blog and Instagram. If I don’t do this, I don’t end up publishing any blog posts and I end up getting stressed about posting on Instagram. I hope diving into how I batch content for my blog and social media channels was helpful to you!

What are your tips for batching content for your blog?

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Emma

Photos: Maddy  & Sam