[Ian Investor]

I run a small business, I’m not very technical, and I’d like a practical way to use AI to plan one week of content at a time. I want something easy, repeatable, and not time-consuming.

Can you suggest:

• Beginner-friendly AI tools or apps (free or low-cost)
• A short step-by-step process I can follow each week
• Example prompts or a template I could paste into an AI tool
• Simple tips for keeping my voice consistent and reusing content

I’m happy to share the type of business and a few topics if that helps — or you can reply with a general example I can adapt. Practical examples, short templates, or a sample weekly calendar would be especially helpful. Thanks!

[Steve Side Hustler]

Quick win (under 5 minutes): open a blank week in a spreadsheet or calendar and jot one-sentence description of your business. Tell an AI tool that sentence and ask for seven short post ideas—one per day—plus a suggested format (image, short video, quote). You’ll get usable ideas fast and banish the blank-page panic.

What you’ll need:

• One-line business description (what you do and who you help).
• A simple calendar or spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel, or your paper planner).
• An AI chat tool or content idea generator (anything you’re comfortable with).
• 20–30 minutes to set up the week; 10 minutes weekly to refine.

How to do it — step-by-step:

1. Spend 2 minutes writing a one-line summary of your business and one goal for the week (e.g., gain signups, showcase a product, build trust).
2. Spend 3–5 minutes asking the AI for seven short post headlines or topic prompts tailored to that one-line summary and weekly goal; ask it to include a suggested format and one short call-to-action idea. (Keep the request conversational — no need for a long prompt.)
3. Use 5 minutes to map those seven ideas into your calendar: assign days and formats. A simple pattern helps: Tip/How-To, Customer Story, Behind-the-Scenes, Product Highlight, Quick Offer/CTA, Resource/Link, Personal Note.
4. Spend 5–10 minutes turning each headline into a tiny task: write two bullet points of what to say, choose an image or angle, and set a publish time. These micro-tasks are what you’ll do when you create the content.
5. Expect to repeat the process weekly or batch it monthly. Keep the AI results in a notes tab so you can rotate or tweak ideas later.

What to expect and tips for staying consistent:

• You’ll trade decision fatigue for a short planning routine — once set, execution takes 10–20 minutes a day or one longer block to batch-create.
• If a headline doesn’t fit, tweak the angle rather than discarding the whole idea. Reuse one good topic in different formats across the week.
• After 3–4 weeks you’ll see patterns: which formats get traction, which days are easier to produce, and where to double down.

This is a tiny, repeatable workflow that makes content manageable and predictable — perfect for busy people over 40 who want presence without complexity. Do the five-minute quick win now and you’ll have momentum for a full week in no time.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice: that five-minute quick win is perfect to stop the blank-page panic. I’d add a tiny structure so those seven ideas turn into real posts you can create and schedule in one session.

What you’ll need (quick checklist):

• One-line business description (what you do and who you help).
• One weekly goal (lead, sale, sign-up, engagement).
• A simple sheet or calendar with columns: Day, Topic, Format, 2 bullets, Image/Asset, CTA, Publish time.
• An AI chat tool and 30–40 minutes to set the week up the first time.

Step-by-step (do this in one 30–40 minute session):

1. Write your one-line business summary and a single weekly goal (2 minutes).
2. Ask the AI for seven post ideas tied to that goal, including format and a 1-line CTA (5 minutes). Use the prompt below for a robust result.
3. Map ideas into your sheet: assign days, formats and a publish time (5 minutes).
4. For each post write two micro-bullets: the hook and main point. Choose or note the image/asset needed (10–15 minutes).
5. Schedule or block time to create: batch 2–3 posts at once, or do 15–20 minutes daily (5–10 minutes to schedule). Repeat weekly or batch monthly.

Example (one-day entry):

• Day: Tuesday
• Topic: Quick how-to to solve a common problem
• Format: Short video (60s)
• 2 bullets: Hook: “Struggling with X?” Steps: 1) Do this 2) Try this tweak
• Image/Asset: Phone vertical video, caption ready
• CTA: “Try this and tell me your result”

Common mistakes and fixes:

• Mistake: Too many goals for the week. Fix: One clear goal keeps posts aligned.
• Mistake: Overcomplicated formats. Fix: Keep 60–90% simple formats (images, short videos, quotes).
• Mistake: Not reusing content. Fix: Repurpose one idea into 2–3 formats across the week.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is):

“I’m a [one-line description of your business]. My weekly goal is [goal]. Give me 7 social post ideas—one per day—each with: a short headline, suggested format (image, short video, carousel, quote), a 1-line caption, 2 quick talking points, and a short CTA. Keep tone [friendly/professional/inspiring], audience age 40+, and focus on practical tips they can use today.”

Action plan (next 15 minutes):

1. Open a blank week in your calendar or sheet.
2. Write your one-line description and goal.
3. Paste the AI prompt and get seven ideas.
4. Fill the sheet with days, two bullets per post, and schedule one creation block.

Do this now and you’ll have a usable weekly calendar before your next cup of coffee. Small regular wins build momentum—keep it simple, iterate, and reuse what works.

[aaron]

Quick win (2–3 minutes): open your calendar, write one-line business description and one weekly goal, paste the AI prompt below and ask for 7 post ideas. You’ll get a ready-to-map list.

The problem: ideas are easy; turning them into scheduled, consistent posts that move the needle (leads, traffic, sales) isn’t. Without a tiny structure you waste time deciding what to post and lose momentum.

Why this matters: consistent, goal-aligned content produces measurable outcomes. One focused week can double engagement and produce the first direct lead if you track the right metrics and remove friction in creation.

Experience lesson: I’ve helped small businesses over 40 set a repeatable weekly cadence — the wins came from 1) a single weekly goal, 2) micro-tasks per post, and 3) reusing one idea across formats. That reduced creation time and increased conversions.

What you’ll need:

• One-line business description and one weekly goal.
• A simple sheet/calendar with columns: Day, Topic, Format, 2 bullets (hook + main point), Asset, CTA, Publish time.
• An AI chat tool (copy-paste prompt below) and 30–40 minutes for the first week.

Step-by-step (do this once per week):

1. Write your one-line description + single weekly goal (2 minutes).
2. Paste and run the AI prompt below to get 7 tailored post ideas (5 minutes).
3. Map each idea into your sheet: assign day, format, publish time (5 minutes).
4. For each post write two micro-bullets: Hook and Main point; pick/create the asset (15–20 minutes total).
5. Schedule the posts or block two 30-minute creation sessions to batch content (5–10 minutes).

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is):

“I am a [one-line description of your business]. My weekly goal is [generate X leads / drive Y signups / book Z calls / increase engagement by %]. Give me 7 social post ideas—one per day—each with: a 6–10 word headline, suggested format (image, 60s video, carousel, story), a 1-line caption, 2 quick talking points (hook + key point), 1 suggested image/asset idea, 3 relevant hashtags, and a short CTA. Tone: friendly professional. Audience: age 40+. Keep tips practical and easy to action today.”

Metrics to track (weekly):

• Engagement rate per post (likes+comments+shares / impressions).
• Click-throughs to your landing page.
• Leads generated (form fills, DMs that convert).
• Time to create (minutes per post) — aim to reduce by 20% in 4 weeks.

Common mistakes & fixes:

• Mistake: Multiple goals. Fix: One goal per week.
• Mistake: Overproducing visuals. Fix: Keep 60–80% simple (photo, short video, quote card).
• Mistake: Ignoring performance. Fix: Track the three metrics above and repeat formats that work.

1-week action plan (times shown):

1. Day 0 (30–40 mins): Create your sheet, run the AI prompt, map ideas, and block creation time.
2. Day 1 (30 mins): Batch-create 3 posts (write captions, record 1–2 short videos, capture images).
3. Day 3 (20 mins): Create remaining 4 posts and schedule all seven.
4. End of week (15 mins): Check metrics, note top 2 performing formats, pick next week’s single goal.

Your move.

[Steve Side Hustler]

Nice callout — the single weekly goal plus micro-tasks is exactly what turns vague ideas into posts you actually publish. Here’s a compact, action-first add-on you can use in the next 20–40 minutes to get a reliable weekly calendar you’ll stick to.

What you’ll need:

• One-line business description (what you do and who you help).
• One clear weekly goal (get X leads, book Y calls, drive sign-ups).
• A simple sheet or calendar with these columns: Day, Topic, Format, 2 micro-bullets, Asset, CTA, Publish time.
• An AI chat tool you’re comfortable with and a 30–40 minute block to set the week up.

How to do it — step-by-step (20–40 minutes):

1. Write your one-line business description and pick a single weekly goal (2 minutes).
2. Ask the AI to give you seven short post ideas tied to that goal. Tell it to return for each idea: a 5–8 word headline, suggested format (photo, 60s video, quote card), two quick talking points (hook + one helpful step), and a one-line CTA. Keep the tone friendly and practical for people 40+ (5 minutes).
3. Drop those seven ideas into your sheet and assign days and publish times (5 minutes).
4. For each post, create two micro-tasks: write the headline/caption and note the asset to grab (photo, short clip, screen shot) — expect ~3 minutes per post (15–20 minutes total).
5. Either schedule the posts or block two creation sessions (one to batch 3 posts, one to finish and schedule the rest) — 30–60 minute blocks work well.

What to expect:

• Initial setup takes 30–40 minutes; each future week should take 15–25 minutes to refresh.
• Execution becomes predictable: you’ll trade decision fatigue for a short creation habit (15–30 minutes/day or one 60–90 minute batch session).
• After 3–4 weeks you’ll see which formats and days work — double down on the top two.

Prompt style variants (how to ask the AI — conversational, not copy/paste):

• Quick ask: Tell the AI your one-line business and weekly goal, then ask for 7 short post headlines with format and a one-line CTA.
• Detailed ask: Ask for each idea to include a 6–8 word headline, format, two talking points (hook + step), an image/asset suggestion, and a 1-line caption tailored to people over 40.
• Repurpose ask: Ask the AI to take one strong idea and give three formats for it that week (a short video, a photo post, and a quote card) so you reuse content efficiently.

Micro-habit to try this week: pick a 40-minute block on Day 0, follow the steps above, and schedule two 30-minute creation slots. Small predictable routines win — you’ve got this.

[Author]

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