If you’re a new online boutique owner and just starting an online boutique, you’ve probably looked at your Instagram in frustration and said “I don’t know what to post!”. Well, that’s exactly what a social media content calendar is for. So what is a social media content calendar? And how can it simplify your business so you can grow your audience, get more customers and have less stress when it comes to growing on social media? In this blog post, we’ll cover that and what a social media content calendar for online boutique should include for it to be the most beneficial for your online boutique business. So keep reading!
What is a Social Media Content Calendar?
A social media content calendar is a document or tool that helps you plan and organize your social media posts in advance. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you feel like you have to show up every single day to make content, write captions, and try to increase your engagement. You have so many other things to do to run a successful boutique so it’s important that you make the most of your time.
By using a social media content calendar, you’re able to see all of your social media content at a glance. That way you’ll know exactly what’s coming up and you can curate your feed like the big brands do. Plus a calendar ensures that you’re consistently posting relevant and engaging content— and not wasting time on things that won’t attract and keep the attention of your target customer.
How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar in 6 Simple Steps
1. Determine Your Goals
The first step in creating a social media content calendar for online boutique is to determine your goals. What are you trying to achieve with your social media strategy? Do you want to increase your brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate sales?
Too many new boutique owners are hoping that there’s a single solution for everything they need. But understanding what you want to accomplish and even if that platform can help you get there is the first step to actually reaching your goals.
2. Choose Your Platforms
Next, you want to decide which social media platform(s) you’ll be using. Different platforms have different audiences, levels of engagement and content types that will require a slightly different approach. For example, Instagram is more visually focused, while Twitter is more text-based. Choose the platform(s) that are most relevant to your target audience and your goals. If you don’t have a clear picture of your target customer and how that will impact your marketing, read this post.
And we always recommend starting with one platform. Social media is a full time job so if you’re trying to manage five different platforms, you’ll create more stress for yourself to actually run your online boutique.
3. Plan Your Content
Once you’ve determined your goals and chosen the key platform(s) you want to use, it’s time to plan your content! This is the exciting part. Start by brainstorming ideas for content that would be interesting and engaging to your target audience.
You can also look at your competitors’ social media accounts for inspiration. Big brands spend hundreds of thousands (if not millions) on their marketing every single year. So this will give you a sense of what is currently working for them and how to apply it to your own online boutique.
Your images, video and voice (how you speak and what you write about your brand and products) will become extremely important to connect with the customers you want. So make sure you’re not just copying what other brands are doing but actually making it your own.
Once you have a list of ideas, organize them by topic or theme. That will make it easier for you to create a cadence for the types of content you will post across the week or month.
4. Create a Schedule
Now that you have a list of content ideas, it’s time to create a schedule! Your time is your most important asset as a new online boutique owner so you don’t want to waste it. The goal is to do as much in advance as possible so that you can run your boutique day-to-day without having to be glued to your phone. Determine how often you’ll be posting on each platform and on which specific days. Make sure you’re posting at times when your target audience is most likely to be active on the platform and will engage with your content. Whether it’s a like, comment, share, follow or a sale, you’ll never get results if you’re not putting yourself out there consistently.
5. Fill in Your Calendar
Once you have a schedule in place, it’s time to fill in your calendar with your content ideas. You can use a spreadsheet, a social media scheduling tool, or a dedicated content calendar tool. Make sure you’re balancing promotional content with more general content that’s relevant to your target audience.
Remember, people use social media for everything from inspiration and entertainment to education. So make sure you’re providing the content that your target customer would want to consume.
Calendars are also helpful because you get to see everything that is coming up at a glance. So you’ll know that you’re focusing on a particular product or collection.
6. Review and Adjust
Finally, make sure to review and adjust your social media content calendar for online boutique regularly. You may find that certain types of content perform better than others, or that you need to adjust your posting schedule. Use analytics tools in your scheduler or in the platform to track your performance and make changes as needed. That’s where you’ll start to see real, consistent growth.
A social media content calendar can be an incredibly valuable tool for online boutique owners. By planning and organizing your social media content in advance, you can ensure that you’re consistently publishing engaging content that supports your business goals.
Follow the steps outlined above to create your own social media content calendar and start seeing the benefits for your boutique business.
Want a social media calendar for your online boutique that already gives you tons of ideas to reuse? Take a look at our simple content creation blueprint! ⤵️
