Standard Operating Procedure: Social Media Content Management on Monday.com

This SOP outlines the standardized workflow for managing, scheduling, and tracking social media content using Monday.com. By leveraging custom boards, automated notifications, and integrated dashboards, our team ensures a consistent brand voice, streamlines the creative approval process, and maintains visibility over upcoming campaigns. All team members involved in content creation, design, and community management are required to adhere to this protocol to minimize bottlenecks and ensure timely publishing.

Phase 1: Board Setup and Initialization

• Column Customization: Ensure your board includes essential columns: "Status" (Draft, In Review, Approved, Scheduled, Published), "Date" (Publish Date), "People" (Content Lead/Designer), "Platform" (Dropdown: IG, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), and "Asset Link" (File location).
• Automation Configuration: Enable the "Notify me when status changes to Approved" automation for the Social Media Manager and the "Set Date to Today when Status changes to Published" to track activity logs.
• View Creation: Create a "Calendar View" for high-level visualization of the month and a "Kanban View" to manage the workflow pipeline.

Phase 2: The Content Creation Pipeline

• Item Creation: Add a new item for every planned post. Use the item name for a working title or the core message.
• Asset Attachment: Upload copy drafts or design mockups directly into the "Files" column or link to the Google Drive/Canva folder to ensure version control.
• Assigning Stakeholders: Tag the copywriter and designer in the "People" column immediately upon item creation to establish ownership.
• Drafting & Editing: Utilize the "Update" section within the item to communicate feedback. Do not use external emails for revisions; all comments must remain within the Monday.com item card for auditability.

Phase 3: Approval and Scheduling

• Formal Review: Once the creative is finalized, move the "Status" column to "In Review." The Social Media Manager will be notified automatically.
• Approval Workflow: Once approved, the manager updates the status to "Approved." This acts as the green light for the Social Media Coordinator to schedule the content.
• Final Scheduling: After the post is queued in the native platform (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite, or Meta Business Suite), update the "Status" to "Scheduled."
• Verification: On the day of posting, verify the post went live, then update the "Status" to "Published."

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Pro Tip: Use the "Subitems" feature to break down complex projects, such as a multi-platform campaign, so you can track progress for each specific channel without cluttering your main board.
• Pro Tip: Create a "Template Item" for recurring content types (like Weekly Recaps) to ensure you never miss required fields like hashtags or alt-text.
• Pitfall: Avoid creating "Status" clutter. Stick to the 5 standardized statuses mentioned in Phase 1; adding too many nuances slows down the team.
• Pitfall: Never store final design files locally. Always link to cloud storage within the board to ensure the entire team has access if someone is out of the office.

FAQ

Q: What should I do if a post is rejected during the review process? A: Change the status to "Revision Required" and write a detailed note in the item's Update section explaining exactly what changes are needed. Tag the relevant contributor to ensure they see the notification.

Q: How do I handle last-minute "reactive" content? A: Use a specific "Reactive" label in your Category column. Create the item immediately, but notify the manager via an @mention so they can deprioritize scheduled content if necessary to accommodate the breaking news.

Q: How do we measure the success of the posts on this board? A: Add a "Performance" group of columns to your board (e.g., Reach, Engagement Rate, Click-Throughs). Update these manually 48 hours after publication to keep all historical data in one centralized location.