How the calculation works
Creation time = weekly hours × (1 − share for replies) − 30 minutes of planning
Average time per post = (mix-weighted creation time) + adaptation time × (platforms − 1)
Sustainable posts per week = creation time ÷ average time per post (rounded down)
Planning time is fixed at 30 minutes a week for reviewing what worked and deciding topics. If your format mix does not add up to 100%, it is rebalanced proportionally.
Example
Four hours a week with 25% kept for replies leaves 3 hours, minus 30 minutes of planning: 150 minutes. With half single posts (30 min), a quarter carousels (75 min) and a quarter videos (90 min), an average post takes 56 minutes, plus 10 minutes to adapt it for a second platform: 66 minutes. That is two posts a week on both platforms, sustainably.
How often should a business post?
Consistency matters more than volume. Two useful posts every week for a year beat daily posts for a month followed by silence. Platforms reward accounts people engage with, and people engage with accounts that show up reliably with something worth their time. Our article how often should a business post on social media? covers platform-by-platform expectations.
Getting more from the same hours
- Batch: create a week or month of posts in one session. Switching tasks costs time.
- Repurpose: turn one long piece into several posts with the Content Repurposing Planner.
- Templates: reusable designs for recurring post types cut visual work in half.
- Fewer platforms, done well: two active platforms beat five neglected ones. The Platform Selector helps choose.
Once you know your number, plan it out with the Content Calendar Planner.