Ultra.
There’s no denying that being a content creator is hard work. According to our article on the best times to post on Instagram, the app recommends one post per day, four to seven reels per week, and stories throughout the day. Even if you don’t have other responsibilities like work, school, or kids, it’s a tall order. That’s why more creators are turning to batch content creation to get the job done.
What is content batching?
The idea behind batch content creation is simple. Rather than snapping a photo or shooting a reel for Instagram every day, you’ll create all of your content for the week (or two weeks, month, etc.) in one go. By having your content ready, you simply need to upload it to Instagram (or schedule it in advance to streamline your process even further). Some creators talk openly about batch content creation on their channels and how they use it to post consistently while on vacation or to prepare for big events like “Vlogmas.”
What are the Benefits of Batch Content Creation?
Lots of creators are jumping on the batch content creation bandwagon and it’s easy to see why. Let’s take a look at how this technique can help you.
Save Time
Instead of setting up your lighting equipment each day or struggling to come up with a new post idea, you’ll do everything at once. Rather than switch between smaller tasks, batch content creation allows you to focus on one big chunk at a time. Many creators find they can “get in the groove” of filming multiple videos back to back one day and writing their captions the next.
Upload Consistent Content
The combination of a content calendar and batch content creation will allow you to upload consistently, a crucial element when it comes to growing your Instagram. Some creators go hard at content creation only to burn out a few months later. The goal of batch content creation is to find a steady pace that works for you and your lifestyle.
Improve Page Cohesion
Instagram pages with a cohesive theme tend to perform better. When you plan everything ahead of time, it’s easier to visualize how your content will look. This foresight will help you create content that is consistent with your branding and page aesthetics.
Reduce Procrastination
Coming up with new ideas every day can be really overwhelming. With the content calendar and batch content creation method, all of your content is ready to go. You can simply hit “publish,” then go about the rest of your day.
How to Batch Create Content for Instagram
So now that you know what batch content creation is all about, you might be wondering how to get started. We’ll outline the basic steps but feel free to make changes to fit your needs and schedule.
Plan Your Content Calendar
A well-made content calendar will be the biggest determining factor for your success at batch content creation. As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Our article on how to create a content calendar can help get you started. Though it’s targeted towards YouTubers, the steps are mostly the same. Since creating a good content calendar is such an important step, feel free to devote several days to this task.
Decide a Week’s Worth of Content
We’re using a week as an example but plenty of creators do a month or more. Remember to work time for filming, editing, and posting into your calendar. For example, you might decide to film, edit, and write your captions over the weekend so that your posts are ready to go for the following week. Buckling down for one or two days should allow you to relax for the rest of the week and focus on other things.
Get Your Equipment and Materials Ready
Set up your tripod and lighting equipment and gather everything you plan on photographing. If you’ll be appearing on camera, you can have a few wardrobe changes ready (though plenty of influencers skip this step).
Begin Filming
Take all of your photos and videos for the week. Recruit a friend or family member if you want someone to film you (though we do recommend a good tripod). If you have a friend who wants to batch create content as well, you can get together and make a day of it.
Make Edits and Write Your Captions
Depending on how you’re feeling after filming, you can call it a day or move onto the post production phase. Here’s where you’ll edit your photos, add graphics, decide what filters to use, etc. Take some time to write your captions and decide what hashtags to use. You can save your posts as drafts in Instagram for easy posting later.
Upload or Schedule Posts
Once you’re finished creating your posts, the last step is to upload them according to your content calendar. Since Instagram doesn’t have the option to schedule posts ahead of time, creators will either upload their posts manually or use scheduling software. You can check out our post on social media management tools to learn more about scheduling software.
Note: As of November 2022, Instagram allows users with professional accounts to schedule posts up to 75 days in advance.
Final Tips
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In order to further reduce the amount of time it takes to create content, we have a few tips for how to get the most bang for your content creation buck.
- When photographing an outfit, product, scene, etc. try to capture three to four different photography styles. You can add these items to your content calendar to use weeks or months down the line. For example, if you’re a Bookstagram influencer and want to photograph a new release, you can take a flat lay, a selfie, an artistic photo, a lifestyle photo, and even film yourself doing a mini synopsis or review. This will produce at least five pieces of content in one sitting.
- Recycle your content across all of your social media channels. Any photos you post on Instagram will easily translate to a blog and content made for Instagram Reels can be transferred to TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
- Reuse your old content by putting a different spin on it or adding more information. Old photos with nothing but “#ThrowbackThursday” in the caption are only cute up to a certain point. Try doing before and after images for a more interesting post or combining several old images into a collage. Be sure to add an interesting caption reflecting on how you have changed (or stayed the same).
Hopefully you have a good idea of what batch content creation is and how it can help you improve your workflow. Creating your content ahead of time with the help of a content calendar will save you time and help your Instagram posts be more consistent and cohesive. Try batch creating content to see if it’s a good fit for you and your brand with the tips we outlined for you today. Happy creating!