Picture this: the kids are down for a nap. You now have a few hours to knock out some work. With a hot cup of coffee in hand, you sit down at the kitchen table to start checking things off your to-do list. Then… ding. Someone’s sent you a message on Instagram.

Thirty minutes later, you catch yourself scrolling.

We’ve all been there, girlfriend.

Social media is distracting. Even when you’re focused, scrambling to create content and engage with your followers can be exhausting. But you know what? Social media shouldn’t be that way.

You might be wondering how to break the cycle of being tied to your phone while still running effective social media pages. Lucky for you, Melanie Mitro has shared some of her best social media strategy tips with us.

Social Media Strategy #1: Have a weekly planning session with yourself

At the beginning of every week, take some time to check in with your goals. Do you need to make 10 more sales to meet your quota? Bring on 3 new clients? Are you preparing for a launch the next week that you want to start talking about now?

Make sure to define your goals. This will keep all of your efforts- whether on or off social media- on track.

Social Media Strategy #2: Plan out what social content will support your goals

In your weekly planning session, make an outline of what social media content you want to create for that week. The Make Chic Happen Planner is a great resource for this! What pictures will you need? What stories will you tell?

You don’t have to write every post now, but by developing an outline, you won’t be throwing together social media posts last minute any more. You will know exactly what needs to be posted every day.

Social Media Strategy #3: Pre-schedule what you can

Do your hair and makeup on Sunday night. Have 2 or 3 outfits that you can quickly change in order to snap a few pics. Pump out some social copy. Schedule what posts you can using Later or Plann. And just like that, you now have most of your social content for the week ready to go.

Don’t be afraid to put a few hours in on the weekend. A little bit of prep work at the beginning of the week will take a lot off of your plate.

Social Media Strategy #4: Have a game plan every time you open your phone

It’s no secret that you do have to manage your social media in order for it to be successful. And we get it, responding to comments and answering messaging can be a time-suck. The best way to combat this is to have a game plan every. single. time. you go on your phone.

Do you only have 30 minutes to engage with your followers? Block out that time in your schedule, spend those 30 minutes doing nothing but social engagement, and then get off.

There should be a purpose every time you go on social media so you stay focused, get the job done, and then move on to the next thing.

That’s it, sister. Taking the time to plan your weekly goals, outlining and scheduling social media content around them, and being laser-focused every time you open Instagram are sure ways to incorporate thought, strategy and intention behind every move you make on social media.

Hear more tips from Melanie on the Make Chic Happen Podcast!

Don’t forget to join the Chic Community where you’ll receive a weekly training on topics such as navigating social media, branding, identifying your niche, growing your engagement, creating sales from your audience and MORE!