Ultimate 1 Hour Instagram Workflow

Do you ever overthink an Instagram caption so much that you don’t end up posting at all?

I can relate.

This used to happen to me ALL the time. 

I’d overthink, overcomplicate and over-analyze my words because I couldn’t think of something clever or witty to say and the words just didn’t flow out of me.

I’ve found a way around this.

I created a one-hour content strategy workflow that helped me stop posting random things to my feed and stressing over what to say in my captions. 

The biggest changes I made to creating content on Instagram is that I started writing my captions first, and then I’d work on finding the image or the graphic after. 

This small change helped save me hours and helped keep me posting more consistently on Instagram. 

Creating consistent content on Instagram is one of the best things you can do to send the right engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm. 

When you give your audience—consistent, valuable and relevant content—you’re helping to shift your engagement and online growth in the right direction and in your favor. 

Check out this video that breaks down the five steps you need to take to start creating and posting more consistently on Instagram. 

Five Steps to Creating Consistent Content on Instagram 

Take a look at the video and please let me know if you have any questions

Follow this one-hour workflow to help you write, edit and organize your content on Instagram. 

STEP 1 – IDENTIFY A PLANNING TOOL

There are many free and paid Instagram scheduling tools to help you plan your feed ahead of time. Save time by scheduling your posts using an Instagram planning tool like Planoly, Buffer, Preview or Later.

Related: Instagram Apps to Organize and Schedule Your Feed

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR CAPTIONS

Write your caption first, then find your photo (or other creative asset) to complement your caption. Include an engagement call-to-action or a conversion call-to-action in your caption.

STEP 3 – IDENTIFY YOUR CONTENT PILLARS

Think of content pillars as categories of your expertise and what you will help your community with. Try and identify 3-5 content pillars that you can curate within your Instagram feed.

Example: A yoga instructor may have content pillars about wellness, nutrition and mindfulness.

STEP 4 – CREATE CONTENT IN BATCHES

Set aside one hour each week to plan your content for the following week. Write your captions and then identify the image, video, quote, etc. that you will be using for your post. 

You can start by scheduling an Instagram post 3x’s a week and experiment or work your way up to more posts.

free guide – Instagram Workflow

Follow this one-hour workflow to help you write, edit and organize your content on Instagram.

STEP 5 – EVERGREEN CONTENT CATEGORIES

Evergreen content categories complement your brand story and should be sprinkled throughout your Instagram feed.

About Me:

Who are you, what do you do? What are your hobbies? Tell people your story, any turning points in your life, talk about your relevant experience in your niche or industry. 

Your Why:

Why are you interested in this particular topic, activity or industry? Showcase your expertise by sharing your own personal journey and insights.

Showcase your Products or Services:

Do you sell a product or service? Tell your community about it!

What are the benefits of using it and how will their lives be transformed as a result of it?

Share testimonials from clients who have benefitted from it. Show and tell your audience on Instagram about your unique gift and talents.

Remember: Tell people about your products and services, showcase the benefits and highlight results.

Instructional or Educational Posts:

Teach people what you know and show your community on Instagram a technique, tool or resource that you enjoy using or have recently discovered.

Bring value to your Instagram followers by sharing nuggets of information that they will find useful.

Ask yourself, “What am I an expert in? What do I enjoy sharing that will add value to other people’s lives?”

Instagram Content: Strategy Tips for Success

The best strategy to follow is the strategy you’ll execute on. Start with a posting schedule that doable for you so that you can build momentum each week.

Capture your inspiration: Make sure you know where to capture inspiration when it comes. Keep it all one place.

Write like you talk: Try journaling every day. The practice of journaling helps you gain clarity, hone in on your unique voice, capture your thoughts and unique perspective.

Know Your Audience: Can you clearly articulate who your audience is? What are their hopes, dreams and fears? What are their mental challenges?

Engage on Instagram: Send the right signals to the Instagram algorithm and engage with current and new followers so that you can continue to grow and appear in people’s feeds.

Hashtags for your posts: Do some research and identify the right hashtags for your content (i.e. niche, location, topic, or industry-based) hashtags.

Try to use hashtags that have between 200,000-500,000 in the search volume on Instagram so your posts don’t get lost in the flood of content used by mega-popular hashtags.

Want to bring more clarity to your content strategy and save time writing captions for Instagram? Download this free Ultimate 1-hour Instagram Workflow now.