Can You Plan 30 Instagram Posts in 5 Minutes?

Have you been told that you can create 30 posts in 5 minutes? That you can smash it out and have a months’ worth of content ready to go? 

I’m seeing this splashed all over socials lately, so I’m here to spill the tea.

I’ve worked in marketing for 10 years and unless all the stars and planets align for some magical moment, creating 30 posts in 5 minutes is very unrealistic. Not only is it very hard, but it also set’s you up to fail. Not just with the quality of posts that you can churn out in superspeed, but that 5 minutes turns into 5 hours and before you know it you’ve lost all the precious time you didn’t think you needed for your marketing.

You’ll feel flustered, overwhelmed, time poor and say eff it when it comes to social media.

So, let’s talk the truth: 

How long does it truly take to make one piece of content?

There are many variables involved that determine the outcome:

⚡️Market Research: knowing who you are speaking to
⚡️Strategy: do you have a plan
⚡️Branding: is this clearly defined
⚡️Tone: are you speaking in a way that reflects your brand

 ⚡️Copy: writing the caption
⚡️Visual: creating reels, images, graphics
⚡️Wifi: how fast is your connection - I feel like technology is what slows me down

And so many more.

Total time spent = NOT 30 MINUTES!

What can you do in 30 minutes?

I wish I could tell you a magic answer, but the truth is this depends on how easily you can come up with ideas, how well you know your market, how in tune with your branding you are, etc.

Even when I’m in creative flow I can’t create 30 posts in 30 minutes from start to finish. I can brain dump my ideas and plan. But so much goes into content.

We’re all about quality over quantity too. Spending time creating one good quality post is more beneficial than churning out 10 iffy posts for the sake of it.

But, luckily, with the introduction of AI your content creating time just got quicker. You can use Chat GPT to help you in so many ways, and then go over it with a fine tooth comb to make sure it’s in your branding tone of voice!

Creating one post now might take a few minutes to a few hours. It honestly depends on what you are creating and if you have ticked all the other boxes.

Like with anything though, the more you do it, the easier it gets. And the quicker you’ll be. 

-Ela xx