The Truth Behind The 1-Hour Content Calendar

Gurus are boasting about how you can create a month’s worth of content in 1 hour but there’s a lot behind that idea that they aren’t talking about.

Social media takes a lot of time for most people. Keeping up with trends, writing out captions, filming videos, remembering to post, etc. It can be exhausting to keep up the consistency when you have a calendar of other tasks that need to be completed.

Then you hear about the 1-hour content calendar and think all of your problems have been solved.

They haven’t.

The Premise

Most of the content promoting this idea revolves around having a file, usually a Google Sheet or an Excel document, of quotes that you import into Canva to create a whole bunch of graphics.

There’s no real problem with this. However, we all know that’s not where social media ends.

Then they tell you to pop them into your social media scheduler and you can sit back and not have to worry about posting for the rest of the month.

The Problems

There are a variety of issues with this ‘how to create a month’s worth of content in 1-hour’ trend. 

Your social media strategy shouldn’t rely on quotes.

That’s not a strategy at all.

This could work for a few posts during the month but quality, original content is what does best on social media.

I enjoy trends like most social media managers but I won’t ignore the fact that engaged audiences enjoy unique content.

Your content needs to relate to your audience, not just be convenient for you.

If I set aside the fact that you’re only creating static posts with a quote, the next issue that this tactic shows is that: 

1. Either you’ve just pulled a bunch of quotes randomly without thought to what would best resonate with your audience
   
   or
   

2. You’ve had to spend extra time behind the scenes to compile that list.

Just because a quote sounds good isn’t enough for it to engage your audience. When you’re planning your content you should be keeping a pulse on what your ideal customer wants to hear.

Take the time necessary to create content that applies to the people you want to attract.

You’re neglecting the captions.

If you’re just posting the quote as the caption itself with a few hashtags, then you’re lacking context and possible SEO opportunities.

You want your content to be searchable and a quote generally isn’t going to do that.

It doesn’t have to be several paragraphs long but you should be bringing the overarching idea of your post back to your audience and their pain points. Give them something to comment on and a reason to stay on the post for a little bit longer.

Even if your caption is only a sentence, make it a good one. Whether it’s funny, relatable, informative, etc., just make it stand out.

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Creating posts with graphics that have quotes on them is great every once in a while but it certainly isn’t a social media strategy. These 1-hour content calendars are actually harmful to your growth.

Can I create a content calendar in a day? Sometimes. But that’s because my team and I have already done the backend work of going through discovery, doing the research, and creating a strategy.

Start caring about the content you put out and what your audience wants. That is what will help you grow a loyal and engaged following.

If you find yourself needing help with your marketing, you can reach out to us at www.simmoncreative.com and get a FREE Growth Session where we will discuss your current social media, your goals, and what your next steps might look like to increase your growth.

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