Social Media Decoded: Episode Summary
Episode Title: How I Batch Content in Under 90 Minutes a Week (Yes, Really)
Host: Michelle Thames
Release Date: April 18, 2025
Introduction
In this insightful episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames delves into the art of content batching, a strategy that promises to streamline your content creation process, save precious time, and enhance the consistency and effectiveness of your social media presence. Geared towards entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners, Michelle shares her proven system to batch content efficiently within 90 minutes a week, making it accessible even for those juggling multiple responsibilities.
The Power of Batching Content
Michelle begins by highlighting the significant benefits of batching content. She explains that creating content in real-time daily can be draining, leading to inconsistent posting and a reactive rather than strategic approach. Batching, on the other hand, offers a proactive solution that conserves mental energy and ensures a steady flow of content.
"Batching content is your best friend. It saves you hours each week, gives you space to focus on other areas of your business, and helps you stay consistent and strategic." [00:43]
Supporting her claims, Michelle references a study by CoSchedule, revealing that marketers who document and batch their content are 313% more likely to report success. This staggering statistic underscores the effectiveness of batching in achieving marketing goals.
"Marketers who document and batch their content are 313% more likely to report success." [00:43]
Step-by-Step Content Batching Process
Michelle outlines her four-step content batching process, designed to be both efficient and manageable within a 90-minute weekly timeframe.
1. Weekly Content Focus (20 Minutes)
Michelle emphasizes the importance of intentional planning. She begins by defining the weekly content focus, determining what to promote and setting clear goals—be it generating leads, increasing sales, or boosting brand awareness. Understanding what the audience needs ensures that the content is both relevant and impactful.
"What am I promoting this week? What's the goal? Is it leads? Is it sales? Is it brand awareness? What does my audience need to hear from me right now?" [00:43]
She recommends outlining three to five content themes, including:
- Valuable Tips
- Personal Stories
- Authority-Building Posts
- Call to Action Posts
- Fun and Engaging Content
These themes provide a balanced mix that caters to various aspects of audience engagement.
2. Writing with ChatGPT (30 Minutes)
In the second step, Michelle leverages the power of ChatGPT to generate content ideas and draft captions. By feeding the outlined topics and specific prompts into ChatGPT, she efficiently creates compelling captions, hooks, and post ideas.
"ChatGPT is your assistant, not your voice. I tweak, edit and add my flavor to every piece of content that it helps me create." [05:46]
Michelle shares a sample prompt:
"Write an Instagram caption about why batching content saves time for online business owners. Make it witty and call to action and make it sound like Michelle Thames." [05:46]
This approach allows her to produce three to five drafts in about 30 minutes, setting a solid foundation for her content.
3. Recording Content (30-40 Minutes)
With the written content ready, Michelle moves on to the recording phase. This step is particularly focused on reels or video content, which she can accomplish in a single session by:
- Setting up her phone or recording device
- Changing outfits or backdrops to add variety
- Utilizing trending sounds when relevant
- Recording multiple short-form videos in one go
"I am not aiming to be perfect. I'm aiming for done and impactful." [05:46]
This method ensures that her video content is ready without the need for perfection, prioritizing efficiency and effectiveness.
4. Scheduling and Posting (5-10 Minutes)
The final step involves scheduling the pre-created content using tools like Later or Meta Business Suite. Michelle uploads her content, inserts the previously drafted captions, adds relevant hashtags, and schedules the posts for the week.
"I love using schedules like Later or Meta Business Suite to upload my content, to write captions that are already done, add hashtags and then go ahead and schedule it." [05:46]
By setting aside just a few minutes, she ensures that her content is consistently posted without daily manual intervention.
Recap and Conclusion
Michelle wraps up the episode by recapping her streamlined 90-minute batching system:
- Plan the week's content with intention
- Draft content using ChatGPT
- Record all video content in one session
- Schedule and post using automation tools
"We do not need more time. We just need strategic systems." [09:34]
She acknowledges that maintaining consistency can be challenging, sharing her personal experience of occasionally falling off track. However, her recommitment to batching serves as a motivational reminder that anyone can regain their momentum with the right system in place.
Michelle encourages listeners to adopt her batching method to achieve daily visibility without the overwhelm, emphasizing that it's about working smarter, not harder.
"Go ahead and batch that content like a boss. You got this." [09:34]
Final Takeaways
- Batching Content Saves Time: By dedicating a specific time each week to create all content at once, you reduce daily decision fatigue and increase efficiency.
- Maintain Consistency: A strategic system ensures that content is posted regularly, enhancing brand visibility and audience engagement.
- Leverage Tools: Utilizing platforms like ChatGPT for drafting and scheduling tools for posting streamlines the entire process.
- Adapt and Persist: Consistency may wane, but having a reliable system helps in regaining and maintaining momentum.
Connect with Michelle Thames:
- LinkedIn: Michelle Thames
- Facebook: Michelle Thames
- YouTube: Michelle Thames
Support the Show:
- Buy Me a Coffee: Buy Me a Coffee Link
"Go ahead and buy me a Matcha or coffee at my Buy me a Coffee link in the Show Notes to help keep this podcast thriving." [09:34]
By implementing Michelle's batching strategy, entrepreneurs and creators can reclaim their time, enhance their content quality, and achieve consistent growth without the associated burnout.