How to Create a Social Media Plan in Less Than 10 Minutes

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:36:00 +1100

Social media planning sometimes feels overwhelming for association marketers.

You might find yourself struggling with two common challenges:

You don’t know what to post as you don't have content, time to create the content or ideas on what to post.
You have too much to post but don’t want to overwhelm your audience.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Many associations fall into the trap of sporadic posting with a heavy focus on event promotions—"Last chance to register!" or "New program announcement!" While these posts are important, they don’t create an engaging online presence. The truth is, the most engaging social media content is not promotions—it’s member stories. Social media is about being social, and people connect with real experiences, success stories, and engaging discussions more than just event reminders.

That’s why we created the MMS 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar—a simple framework to help associations post consistent, engaging, and balanced content. Whether you feel stuck or overloaded, this structured approach ensures that you always have relevant and valuable content to share.

Step 1: Set Aside One Day a Month

The key to consistent social media is planning ahead. Instead of starting your every morning wondering “What should we post today?”—plan it all in advance.

Block time in your calendar.
Choose a dedicated day each month for content planning. At Membership Marketing School, we do this on the 3rd Thursday of each month. You’ll need 2-4 hours, and trust me, this small investment of time will save you hours of stress later.

Pause for a moment and put this in your calendar right now.

By doing this, you’ll never be stuck staring at a blank screen, wondering what to post.

Step 2: Identify Your Content Pillars

To maintain a balanced and engaging feed, your content shouldn’t just be promotion-heavy. You need a mix of:

Selling – Membership benefits, events, programs
Informing – Industry updates, insights, resources
Storytelling – Member highlights, testimonials

In our MMS 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar, we identified seven key content pillars that help associations maintain a balanced and engaging social media presence. These pillars ensure that your content isn't just about event promotions but includes a mix of storytelling, engagement, and value-driven posts that build relationships with your audience. By incorporating these pillars into your strategy, you'll create a more dynamic and engaging feed that keeps members interested and involved.

Download Our 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar Template

The 7 Content Pillars for Associations

Here’s a breakdown of the 7 Content Pillars and how they can transform your association’s social media strategy:

1️⃣ Lead – Share insights, industry trends, and establish your association as a thought leader.

2️⃣ Promote – Highlight upcoming events, training, and valuable resources.

3️⃣ Grow – Expand your reach by attracting new followers and growing your email list. You need new people in your audience before you can convert them into members.

4️⃣ Convert – Turn engaged followers into members by showcasing exclusive benefits and creating FOMO (fear of missing out).

5️⃣ Tell a Story – Feature real member experiences, case studies, and event highlights. This is your most powerful content for engagement!

6️⃣ Engage – Get people talking! Use polls, quizzes, and interactive posts to invite conversations and encourage participation.

7️⃣ Spotlight – Recognise sponsors, partners, and collaborations. It’s important to show gratitude and highlight the people supporting your association.

Not every association will need all these pillars, so choose the ones most relevant to you and build your calendar around them.

Step 3: Plan and Schedule Your Content

In the video above, we demonstrate how you can pre-plan and pre-schedule your social media content to ensure a balanced and consistent presence across all seven content pillars. This approach helps you stay organised, save time, and reduce the stress of last-minute posting.

By mapping out your content in advance, you can:
✅ Ensure variety – Cover all key content pillars, not just promotions.
✅ Stay consistent – Maintain a steady posting schedule without scrambling for ideas.
✅ Maximise engagement – Space out posts effectively to avoid overwhelming your audience.
✅ Collaborate more easily – Work with different departments to gather content ahead of time.
✅ Stay flexible – Leave room for timely updates while keeping your core content planned.

With the right planning and scheduling tools, social media becomes less of a daily task and more of a streamlined process—allowing you to focus on meaningful engagement with your members.

Stay flexible.
We recommend scheduling 2-3 posts per week, allowing room during the month for urgent updates, industry news, and last-minute promotions. This flexibility ensures your content remains relevant and timely without overwhelming your audience. If you don’t have any urgent updates, simply fill the gaps with more engaging content, such as member stories, testimonials, or interactive posts. You can also use this space to boost high-performing promotional or lead generation posts, ensuring they reach a wider audience.

💡 A smart tip to save time:Pre-schedule content that doesn’t change often.

For example:

Pre-schedule posts, introducing your association, its purpose and values.
If you have 12 key member benefits, highlight one each month.
Schedule testimonial posts well in advance.
Create recurring posts for thanking sponsors or invitation to subscribe to your newsletter.

Step 4: Track, Adjust, and Improve

Once your content is live, monitor its performance to see what resonates with your audience.

Check engagement levels:

Which posts are getting the most likes, comments, and shares?
What type of content brings in new followers?
Are people clicking on your links and signing up?

Get Started Today!

Block 2-4 hours for your next content planning day.
Download the MMS 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar Template for some ideas and inspiration.
Check out our Template Shop for ready-made post templates covering essential content pillars.
Browse Membership Marketing School courses and events for expert training tailored to associations.

🔔 Remember: Consistency is key.

The more you post, the more engagement you’ll build. Start planning today!