Maintaining an active social media presence for your child care business can seem daunting. Using a content calendar to organize and outline your posts in advance can help you post more efficiently. There are lots of social media content calendars available to download online. A simple Excel document, printed calendar or bulleted list all work well too.
For an awesome social media presence that impresses potential families and helps you communicate with your current parents, use these content calendar tips.
Before You Begin Scheduling Posts
Before entering a single post idea into your content calendar, evaluate your current social media platforms and posting frequency. This will help you decide which social media platforms are worth your time and how many posts per week you should be planning within your new content calendar.
For most child care businesses, three or four posts per week is plenty. This gives you room in your posting schedule to share time-sensitive topics that may come up after you’ve planned content without overwhelming or annoying your followers.
Many small business owners find that scheduling content all at once a few weeks in advance helps them plan more efficiently. Start by laying out a schedule with an even mix of links, photos and statuses for each of the platforms you use.
Share Important Updates
First and foremost, social media is a tool to help you communicate with prospective and current families. Your first priority is to let parents know about important information they need to know, including upcoming holidays, lunch menus, weekly learning objectives and new family tour dates. Comb through your monthly newsletter to find ideas.
Fill in the Blanks
Most months, you won’t be able to fill each space in your social media content calendar with news about your center, and that’s okay. Fill in the blanks with curated content from a mix of reliable sources. Start with your latest blog posts, share community events and post links to resources parents will find useful.
If you’re consistently having trouble finding enough content to keep up with your posting schedule, decrease the number of weekly posts you’re scheduling. Your social media profiles should be helpful and informative for parents and community members, so sharing high-quality, relevant information is a must!
