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Social Media Checklist: Daily, Weekly and Pre-Publish

By PostMediaAI5 min read

Short answer: a useful social media checklist has five parts — a pre-publish check for each post (copy, links, visuals, tags, time), a short daily routine (replies and monitoring), a weekly planning list, a monthly review, and a one-time setup list for new accounts. Copy the lists below into your team handbook or project tool and adjust them to your channels.

1. Pre-publish checklist (every post)

Run this before a post is scheduled. It takes a minute and prevents the errors that take an hour to fix after they go live.

Copy

  • Spelling, names and product names are correct.
  • Every fact, number, date and price is current.
  • The first line works on its own (it is often all people see).
  • Length fits the network; see Social Media Character Limits (2026) for Every Network.
  • One clear call to action.
  • Tone matches your style guide.

Links and tags

  • Link opens the right page on mobile.
  • Tracking tags (UTM parameters) added if you use them.
  • Mentions point to the right accounts on this network (handles differ between networks).
  • Hashtags are relevant and suit the network.
  • Sponsored, gifted or affiliate content is clearly disclosed; in the US, see the FTC’s guidance (ftc.gov).

Visuals

  • Correct size and crop for this network and format; see Social Media Image Sizes: Official Specs by Platform.
  • Text in images is readable on a phone.
  • Alt text added where the network supports it.
  • Video has captions or on-screen text for sound-off viewing.
  • You own or have licensed every image, clip and music track; people shown agreed to appear.

Timing

  • Scheduled in the audience’s time zone, not just yours.
  • Nothing nearby on the calendar clashes or repeats it.
  • Someone is available to reply after it goes out.
  • Still appropriate given today’s news.

2. Daily checklist (15–30 minutes)

  1. Reply to comments and messages from the last 24 hours.
  2. Check that today’s scheduled posts went out and look right.
  3. Glance at mentions and tags of your brand.
  4. Pause anything scheduled that no longer fits events.
  5. Add new ideas or customer questions to the backlog.
  6. Engage briefly with a few accounts in your community.

3. Weekly checklist (about an hour)

  1. Note last week’s results on the calendar: best and weakest post per channel.
  2. Set this week’s goal and fill the calendar from your pillars.
  3. Batch-create and adapt the week’s posts (method.
  4. Run the pre-publish check and schedule.
  5. Leave at least one open slot for timely content.
  6. Confirm who is on reply duty each day.

4. Monthly checklist

  • Compare this month with last on a few metrics per channel.
  • List the top three posts overall and what they had in common.
  • Check bio links, pinned posts and profile details are current.
  • Plan key dates for next month: launches, events, holidays.
  • Refresh or retire evergreen posts that are out of date.
  • Once a quarter, run a full audit instead (How to Do a Social Media Audit (With a Free Template).

5. Setup checklist for a new business account

  1. Choose a handle that is consistent across networks where possible.
  2. Use a business, creator or page account type where the network offers one; these typically unlock analytics.
  3. Add a recognisable profile image and a banner sized for the network.
  4. Write a bio that says what you do, for whom, and what to do next.
  5. Add a working link, contact details and location if relevant.
  6. Set up two-factor authentication and record who owns the login.
  7. Give teammates their own access rather than sharing one password.
  8. Publish three to five posts before promoting the account, so new visitors see something.
  9. Pin a “start here” post.
  10. Connect the account to your scheduler and analytics.

6. Launch or big-announcement day checklist

Days with a launch, event or major announcement deserve their own short list, because more can go wrong and more people are watching.

  1. The destination page is live, fast on mobile and has been tested by someone other than its author.
  2. All announcement posts are adapted per channel and scheduled in the right order and time zone.
  3. Routine posts that would distract from the announcement are moved to another day.
  4. Answers to the five most likely questions are written and ready to personalise.
  5. Extra people are on reply duty for the first few hours.
  6. Team members and partners know when the posts go out and what to share.
  7. Someone checks every channel within minutes of publishing and fixes problems fast.
  8. A contingency is agreed: who pauses the remaining posts if something breaks.

For planning the weeks around the announcement, see How to Plan a Social Media Campaign (With a Template).

How to make a checklist people actually use

  • Keep each list short enough to finish; move rare items to the monthly list.
  • Put the pre-publish check where posts are scheduled, not in a separate document no one opens.
  • Assign the daily list to a named person each day.
  • Update the list when a mistake slips through — that is what checklists are for.

Mistakes the pre-publish check catches most often

  • A link to a page that was moved or an old campaign URL.
  • A caption written for one network pasted into another, with hashtags or mentions that do not work there.
  • An image cropped badly in a vertical or square format.
  • A price, date or opening time that changed after the post was written.
  • A time scheduled in the wrong time zone.

Using the checklist with PostMediaAI

PostMediaAI handles several items for you: one calendar shows every draft, scheduled post and published post, so clashes and gaps are visible; you can publish one post to the channels you choose at the times you set; AI rewrites (such as “Shorter” or “For LinkedIn”) help adapt length and tone per channel before you edit; the Advanced Picture Editor and media library keep visuals in one place; and analytics support the weekly and monthly lists, with coverage depending on what each network shares (postmediaai.com). The checks that need judgment — facts, rights, tone, timing against the news — stay with you. See the pricing page for plans and Social media scheduling guide: workflows, timing, and fewer mistakes for the wider workflow.

FAQ

What should I check before posting on social media?

Copy (facts, spelling, length, call to action), links and tags, visuals (size, readability, alt text, rights), and timing (audience time zone, clashes, news context).

What does a social media manager do daily?

Typically replies to comments and messages, checks that scheduled posts went out correctly, monitors mentions, pauses anything inappropriate, and collects ideas. Planning and creation are usually batched weekly.

What is a social media checklist for a new business?

A one-time setup list: consistent handles, business account types, profile image, bio, link, security, team access, a few launch posts and a pinned “start here” post. See section 5 above.

Should I use a printable social media checklist or a digital one?

Whichever your team will actually open. Many teams keep the daily and weekly lists as recurring tasks in their project tool and put the pre-publish check next to where posts are scheduled, so it is in front of them at the moment it matters. A printed copy by the desk works well for solo owners.

Related guides: Free Social Media Content Calendar Template (Sheets & Excel), 20 Time-Saving Tips for Social Media Managers and Evergreen Content for Social Media: Ideas and Reposting.

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