Digital Marketing Lesson Plan: Create a Social Media Content Calendar

Engage your high school students with this project-based digital marketing lesson plan. Students step into the role of a social media manager to rescue a fictional brand's online presence. This hands-on activity teaches them how to define a brand voice, establish content pillars, and build a complete one-week social media content calendar. Perfect for Career & Technical Education (CTE) or marketing classes, this lesson covers creating varied posts, writing engaging captions with calls-to-action, and presenting a cohesive social media strategy.

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Lesson Plan: Social Media Brand Rescue!

Materials Needed:

  • Computer or tablet with internet access
  • Access to a social media platform (like Instagram or Canva's free content planner)
  • Notebook and pen or a digital note-taking app
  • "The Pawsitive Bakery" Client Brief (included below)
  • Content Calendar Template (a simple 7-day grid, can be drawn or created in a document)

Subject: Career & Technical Education / Digital Marketing

Student: Madison (Age 15)

Time Allotment: 90 minutes

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Define a brand's "voice" and identify it in existing social media accounts.
  • Develop three "content pillars" to guide a social media strategy.
  • Create a one-week social media content calendar for a fictional client that includes varied post types and engaging captions.
  • Pitch your social media plan, explaining your creative choices.

2. Introduction: The Social Media Detective (15 minutes)

Hello Madison! Today, you're not just a student; you're a Social Media Detective and Strategist.

  • Your First Mission: Choose two of your favorite brands on Instagram (or another platform you like). Spend about 5 minutes scrolling through each of their feeds.
  • Detective Work: As you look, answer these questions in your notebook for each brand:
    • What kind of personality or "voice" do they have? (e.g., Funny? Serious? Inspiring? Edgy?)
    • What types of things do they post about most often? (e.g., their products, behind-the-scenes, customer photos, tips/tricks). These are their "content pillars"!
    • Which one of their posts from the last month is your favorite? Why do you think it works so well?
  • Share Your Findings: Briefly discuss what you discovered. Notice how successful brands don't just post randomly; they have a clear plan and personality. That's what you're going to build today!

3. Your New Client: The Pawsitive Bakery (15 minutes)

Congratulations, you've just been hired as the Social Media Manager for a new local business! It's time to read their client brief.

Client Brief: The Pawsitive Bakery

  • Who we are: A small, local bakery that makes healthy, gourmet dog treats with all-natural ingredients.
  • Our Mission: To make dogs happy and healthy, and to build a community of local dog lovers.
  • Our Target Audience: Dog owners in the local community (ages 25-55) who treat their pets like family. They value quality, health, and supporting small businesses.
  • Our Brand Voice: Fun, warm, caring, and trustworthy. We love dog puns! We want to sound like a friendly neighbor who is an expert on dog treats.
  • The Goal: Grow our Instagram following and get more local customers to visit our shop.
  • The Problem: Our current social media is... a mess. We post pictures of treats sometimes, but we don't have a strategy. We need your help!

Your First Task as Manager:

Based on the brief, your first job is to establish the Content Pillars. These are 3-4 main topics you will consistently post about. This ensures the content is always on-brand.

Let's brainstorm them together. How about these to start?

  1. Meet the Pups: Featuring photos of our happy dog customers (with their owner's permission, of course!).
  2. Bakery Sneak Peeks: Behind-the-scenes videos of us baking, decorating treats, or showing off our fresh ingredients.
  3. Canine Care Tips: Useful information for dog owners, like "5 Human Foods Your Dog Can Eat" or "How to Read Dog Body Language." This builds trust and provides value.

4. Main Activity: Build the Content Calendar! (45 minutes)

Now for the main event! Your goal is to create a one-week content calendar for The Pawsitive Bakery's Instagram account. Use your template (or just draw a 7-day grid) to plan one post for each day.

For each day, you must decide:

  • The Day: (e.g., Monday)
  • The Content Pillar: Which pillar does this post fit under?
  • Post Format: Will it be a single photo, a carousel (multiple photos), a Reel (short video), or a Story?
  • The Visual: Briefly describe the photo or video idea. (e.g., "A slow-motion video of a golden retriever catching our 'Pupcake' in its mouth.")
  • The Caption: Write the full caption. Remember the brand voice (fun, warm, puns!) and include a Call-to-Action (CTA) that tells the audience what to do (e.g., "Tag a friend whose dog needs this!," "Visit us this weekend!," "Comment with your dog's name!").
  • Hashtags: List 3-5 relevant hashtags (e.g., #dogbakery #gourmetdogtreats #yourcitydogs).

Example for Monday:

  • Day: Monday
  • Pillar: Meet the Pups
  • Format: Carousel Post
  • Visual: A series of 3 cute photos of a Corgi named Gus enjoying our "Peanut Butter Bites." The last photo is of Gus's owner smiling.
  • Caption: "Mondays aren't so 'ruff' when you've got Peanut Butter Bites! 🐾 Meet Gus, one of our favorite regulars who can't get enough. Look at that happy face! ❤️ What's your pup's favorite treat flavor? Let us know in the comments! 👇"
  • Hashtags: #thepawsitivebakery #dogsof[yourtown] #corgilove #happydog #dogtreats

Now, it's your turn to fill out the rest of the week! Be creative and have fun with it!

5. The Pitch & Wrap-Up (15 minutes)

It's time to present your plan to the client (me!). Walk me through your one-week content calendar.

  • Explain why you chose certain post formats (e.g., "I chose a Reel for Wednesday to show the baking process because video is really engaging.")
  • Read one or two of your favorite captions aloud.
  • Explain how you think your plan will help The Pawsitive Bakery meet its goals.

Self-Assessment Checklist:

  • [ ] Did I create a post for at least 5 of the 7 days?
  • [ ] Does each post clearly fit into one of the three content pillars?
  • [ ] Did I use a variety of post formats (not just single photos)?
  • [ ] Do my captions match the fun, warm, and caring brand voice?
  • [ ] Does each caption include a call-to-action?

6. Extension Activity (Optional)

If you enjoyed this, try one of these next steps:

  • Go Live: Use a tool like Canva to actually design one of the posts from your content calendar. Find a free stock photo of a dog and create the graphic exactly as you imagined it.
  • Client #2: Think of another type of business you find interesting (a vintage clothing store, a video game cafe, a custom skateboard shop). Create a new client brief and a 3-day content plan for them.