What is a content calendar? (and a simple one for a home brand)
A content calendar is a plain schedule of what you will post and when, and a four-week grid with three posts a week keeps a home bakery organised.
What it is
A content calendar is a simple plan of what you will post, on which day and where. It can live on paper, in a notes app or in a spreadsheet. Its job is to answer one tired question before it arrives: "What do I post today?"
Without a plan, posting depends on mood and free time, and both are in short supply when you are also baking, packing and answering messages.
Why it helps a home brand
When you decide a month in one sitting, you can shoot photos in batches, write captions in one go and keep a healthy mix of posts instead of only selling. You also notice gaps, such as a week with nothing planned just before a festival.
A four-week grid for a home bakery
Here is a sample for a home baker who posts three times a week. Treat it as an illustration and change it to fit your life. I am not claiming that three posts a week is the right amount. It is simply a rhythm many busy people can keep.
Week 1 - Monday: a photo of this week's menu with prices. - Wednesday: a short reel of icing a cake. - Friday: a customer message or photo, with permission.
Week 2 - Monday: a behind-the-scenes shot of ingredients. - Wednesday: a "how to order" post with delivery areas and notice needed. - Friday: a reel of a finished box being packed.
Week 3 - Monday: a new flavour announcement. - Wednesday: a story-style post answering a common question, such as how long a cake stays fresh. - Friday: a weekend special with a clear order deadline.
Week 4 - Monday: a recap of your best-loved cakes this month. - Wednesday: a simple tip, such as how to store a cake. - Friday: a preview of next month's plan or an upcoming festival menu.
That is twelve posts, and you will notice they are not all selling. Some show process, some answer questions, some thank customers. Our post on how to keep an Instagram content calendar simple offers more ways to keep it light.
How to build your own
- Choose the days you can realistically post.
- List four or five types of post you can make, such as menu, process, customer, tip and offer.
- Give each slot a type, rotating them.
- Add dates you already know, such as a family function you are baking for, or festival menus. Leave exact festival dates to a calendar you trust, since they move each year.
- Write a draft caption beside each slot. Writing Instagram captions for your products can help.
Batch the work
Spend one afternoon shooting photos for the whole month, and another writing captions. Our post on how to repurpose one photo into five posts shows how a single shoot can feed many slots.
Be kind to yourself
A calendar is a guide, not a contract. If an order rush eats your week, skip a post and carry on. If a post does well, note it and make something similar later. At the end of each month, look at what people responded to and adjust the next one. Our a simple weekly marketing routine for a solo seller fits well beside it.
Keep the calendar small enough that you will actually use it. A modest plan you follow beats a beautiful one you abandon after a week.