HOW TO PLAN A MONTH'S WORTH OF INSTAGRAM CONTENT IN ADVANCE

 
Image shows author Kimberly standing at a table chopping vegetables, while filming herself with a phone on a tripod.

Feeling stuck about what to post on Instagram? If you’ve ever found yourself scrambling to throw something up on your feed — random snaps, half-hearted captions, or last-minute reels — just to keep your grid active, you’re not alone. The truth is, if you want to grow your audience, catch the attention of brands, and share content you’re genuinely proud of, planning out your Instagram content is EVERYTHING!

After more than a decade on social media and building my Instagram community to over 150K followers, I’ve seen firsthand how intentional planning not only helps you post with creative purpose, but also opens doors to real financial opportunities online.

So if your 2025 Instagram strategy feels a little hazy, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. In this post, I’m sharing my favourite Instagram content planning tips to help you map out a month’s worth of content - food photos, recipe reels, and carousel posts AKA the works! - with ease, confidence and maximum impact. Let’s get started, shall we!

 
 

1/ IDENTIFY YOUR CONTENT PILLARS!

Before you dive into planning your Instagram posts, it’s super helpful to define your content pillars. These are the main topics or themes you want to be known for — the building blocks of your personal brand and the foundation of your food photography, content creation or styling business. In short, your content pillars should reflect what you love sharing and what you want your audience to associate you with.

A good rule of thumb is to choose 3-5 content pillars. This gives your Instagram some variety and keeps things fresh, while still ensuring your audience knows exactly what to expect from you. I also recommend picking 1-2 core pillars to focus on more frequently - these might be the topics you’re most passionate about that perform best for you, or that directly support your creative business and income goals.

Once you’ve identified your content pillars, it’s time to set a posting cadence. Think about how often you can realistically show up for your audience over the next month, factoring in your work, family and personal commitments. I’d recommend looking at your calendar to identify creation and posting days/times and getting super granular to ensure you’re truly creating a plan you can stick to!

Consistency matters more than frequency — even posting 3 times a week can drive growth if you’re showing up with purpose and value. For example, you might decide to post Monday, Wednesday and Friday, alternating between your 5 content pillars and giving extra airtime to your 2 core pillars; in the example shown here food photography and educational content pop up most often as they form the core essence of my brand!

Action Step: Define Your Instagram Content Pillars and Posting Schedule

Task: Take 5-10 minutes to jot down your 3-5 content pillars. Highlight your top 1-2 core pillars, then decide how many times per week you’ll realistically aim to post. Write it out! This will become the foundation of your monthly Instagram content plan!

Image is a graphic of a grid with three boxes per week, each stating a theme for content.
 
 
Image shows some cocktails on a bar with low lighting

2/ REVIEW WHAT’S WORKED BEFORE

When planning your content for the month ahead, one of the easiest and smartest ways to start is by looking at what’s already resonated with your audience. Did a drinks reel recently go viral? Or maybe a carousel post about 'how to photograph a restaurant in style' received loads of engagement? If so, consider reworking those ideas or building on them - no need to reinvent the wheel every month!

My go-to first step when creating a new content schedule is to grab for the low-hanging fruit. This means leaning into what’s performed well in the past. Not only does this ease the pressure of having to come up with brand new concepts month after month, but it also boosts your confidence because if a similar post worked before, there’s a good chance it will work again.

So, with that in mind, when reviewing previous posts, I pay close attention to the following stats:

  • Likes

  • Shares

  • Comments

  • Saves

I then select the strongest performers that align with my content pillars and my goals, and either rework them by adding extra value or simply put a new spin on the original concept. And if something truly took off, I’ll turn it into a recurring series.

Finally, if I’m still short on ideas or craving a little creative spark, I’ll either reflect on what I feel compelled to share or I scroll through the posts I’ve saved on Instagram. These are often pieces that inspired or moved me; and while I never copy, I do use them as a jumping-off point to think about how I can create something similar in my own unique voice.

Action Step: Review Your Top-Performing Instagram Posts to Repurpose Winning Content

Task: Take 10 minutes to review your Instagram insights. Identify your top 3-5 posts from the past 3 months based on likes, saves, comments and shares. Jot them down and note which content pillars they fit into; these will become easy, proven content ideas for the month ahead.

 
 

3/ DIARISE YOUR CONTENT CREATION TIME

You’ve defined your content pillars and brainstormed ideas based on what’s worked before and what inspires you. Now it’s time for one of the most crucial (and often overlooked) steps: diarising your content creation and posting schedule.

Content creation isn’t just about coming up with ideas. Instead, it involves multiple moving parts. Be sure to block out time in your diary for:

  • Filming or photographing your content

  • Editing images and reels

  • Scripting voiceovers

  • Writing captions

  • Designing carousel posts with text and graphics

  • Creating eye-catching reel covers

  • Posting your content and engaging with your audience

I know this long list can feel overwhelming, but here’s the thing: one of the biggest reasons many food photographers, content creators and bloggers struggle with consistency is because they underestimate how much time content creation truly takes.

By mapping everything out in your calendar, you’ll get a realistic view of what’s actually doable and what you can confidently commit to. And because you’ve already planned your post ideas in advance, you’ll be able to hit the ground running on content days with less stress, a clear to do list and much better focus.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to factor in time for actually posting, replying to comments, and engaging with your community; this is a key part of growing your presence and building genuine connections online.

Action step: Plan and Block Time for Each Stage of Your Content Process

Task: Open your calendar and block out dedicated time over the next month for content creation, editing, caption writing and engagement. Be honest with yourself about how much you can realistically manage. For many creators, 2–3 quality posts a week is a sustainable, effective goal. Does that cadence feel doable for you too?

Image shows a person at a table writing a shopping list, a string bag with vegetables placed near the notebook.
 
 
Blog post image showing hands holding up a smartphone, taking a picture, the subject showing through the viewfinder.

Before you go…

I truly hope this blog post was helpful to get you pumped about planning our your content for the month ahead.

Now, if you’re serious about wanting to further improve your Instagram Reels strategy and take your recipe Reels to the next level, why not order my new book, How to Make Your Food Famous, join my Food Reels Course OR join the waiting list below for our brand new Instagram Growth Masterclass, launching this Summer!

 
 
 
food photography, food styling, Creative business, creativity, instagram tricks, food bloggingK J Espinel