You’ve just hit “publish” on your latest social media post. Now what? For most creators, the answer is: you close the app and hope for the best. You’ve done the work of creating the content, so now it’s up to the algorithm to do its magic, right? Not quite.
The truth is, the success of your post isn’t determined by what happens after you hit publish; it’s determined by the work you do in the hours and minutes leading up to it. The most successful creators don’t just post and hope; they follow a powerful pre-posting routine that primes their content for success. This isn’t about gaming the algorithm; it’s about showing the platform that you’re an intentional creator who is active and engaged with your community.
In this guide, we’re going to break down the six things you need to do before hitting “publish.” This isn’t just a simple checklist; it’s a powerful routine that will transform your content from a simple broadcast to a strategic tool for growth. Ready to stop hoping for the best and start preparing for success? Let’s dive in.
Part 1: The Strategic Foundation
Before you even think about hitting publish, you need to ensure your content has a strong strategic foundation. This isn’t about guesswork; it’s about being intentional with every single post. By checking these two things, you’re not just posting for the sake of it—you’re posting with a purpose.
1. Make Sure the Post Fits Your Strategy
Every piece of content you create should have a clear goal. Is this post designed to build trust? Drive traffic? Make a sale? If you don’t know the purpose of your post, your audience won’t either. Look back at your overall content strategy and confirm that this post aligns with it. It should fit within one of your content pillars and serve a specific purpose in your sales funnel. This simple check ensures that every post you publish is working toward your business goals.
2. Make Sure the Post Serves Your Audience Well
The best content is always about your audience, not you. Before you post, ask yourself: “Does this post solve a problem for my audience? Is it inspiring, educational, or entertaining?” Your audience is following you for a reason, and it’s your job to consistently deliver on that promise. If your post doesn’t offer them clear value, it’s not going to perform well. A quick check to ensure your post serves your audience’s needs is the key to creating content that people actually want to engage with.
Part 2: The Engagement Routine
Once your post is strategically sound, it’s time to build momentum. The algorithm loves a post that gets immediate engagement, and you can give your content a head start by performing a few simple actions before you hit publish. This is where you proactively prime your audience to engage.
3. Add 1-3 Stories a Few Hours Before Posting
Your stories are a great way to warm up your audience. A few hours before you publish, post a few stories that give a sneak peek of your upcoming content. You can ask a question, run a poll, or share a behind-the-scenes look at the content you’re about to post. This builds anticipation and gets your followers thinking about the topic, so when your post goes live, they’re ready to engage.
4. Engage with 5-10 Accounts in Your Community
The algorithm rewards creators who are active in their communities. Before you post, spend a few minutes genuinely engaging with 5-10 accounts who are already in your audience. Leave a thoughtful comment, answer a question, or share a piece of their content. This not only builds a stronger relationship with your community, but it also signals to the algorithm that you’re an active participant and a valuable member of the community.
5. Engage with 5-10 New Accounts in Your Niche
To get new followers, you need to engage with new people. Before you post, find 5-10 new accounts in your niche and engage with their content. Find people who are talking about the same topics as you and leave a thoughtful comment. This is a great way to put your brand in front of new eyes and build a relationship with people who might be interested in your content. This simple step is a great way to grow your audience and make your content more discoverable.
Part 3: The Final Check
You’ve created a strategically sound post and built momentum with your community. Now, it’s time for the final check—a simple but crucial step that ensures your post is primed for maximum discoverability. This is your last chance to make a few tweaks that can dramatically increase your reach.
6. Engage with 5 Relevant Hashtags in the Post
You’ve already done the work of engaging with other accounts, and now you need to ensure your content is easy to find. Before you post, add 5 relevant hashtags to your caption.
Don’t use a random string of 30 hashtags; instead, focus on a few highly relevant ones that will put your content in front of your ideal audience. The algorithm loves to see that you’re using hashtags to categorize your content, and it will be more likely to show your post to people who are following those hashtags.
Think about it this way: The pre-posting checklist isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about showing up as a strategic, intentional creator. By taking these few extra steps, you’re signaling to the algorithm that you’re an active, engaged member of the community. This simple routine is the difference between a post that gets lost in the feed and a post that gets a chance to shine.
Conclusion: Your New Secret to Success
You’ve just learned the difference between simply posting and a truly strategic content routine. By taking the few minutes before you post to complete this checklist, you can dramatically increase the performance of every piece of content you create. This isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about being an intentional creator who understands the rhythm of social media.
Remember, the success of your post starts before you hit publish. By ensuring your post is strategically sound and by proactively building momentum with your audience, you’re signaling to the algorithm that you’re an active, engaged member of the community. This simple routine is the difference between a post that gets lost in the feed and a post that gets a chance to shine.
It’s time to stop posting and hoping for the best. Start implementing this pre-posting routine and watch your engagement, reach, and community grow.