Lesson 9

When NOT to Post: Five Questions

Why it matters

A content week needs posts with a purpose. An empty day can protect trust when there is nothing useful to say; silence can also cost attendance when people need door times or a deadline. Decide from what the audience needs, not from a desire to fill the calendar.

What you will have

A decision for each day: publish, prepare a post for later, or leave the day blank, with a reason you can defend.

Before you start

Open the seven-day plan from Lesson 8. For each day, note what information is confirmed and whether a recent post already did the same job. If you do not have the plan, complete Lesson 8 first.

Five questions before you publish

1. What job does it do? Name a concrete purpose: give the time of a confirmed night, show a real performance, remind people of a deadline, or ask for one action. “Stay active” is not enough.
2. What new fact or value exists? Check the date, place, material, permission, and source. If there is nothing verified or useful for the audience, do not invent an announcement.
3. Has another post done that job? Compare it with the last post. The same photo and call to action without news can wear people out; a real update can justify posting again.
4. Does waiting cost anything? If doors open today or registration closes, publish the confirmed information in time. If nothing changes tomorrow, you can wait.
5. Can you explain why in one sentence? “Tuesday stays blank: nothing new is confirmed; Wednesday carries the verified schedule.” If you cannot explain it, revisit the first four questions.

Worked examples

Tuesday: no announced night, new material, or deadline; Monday’s post already covered the topic. Decision: leave Tuesday blank and prepare Wednesday’s material. Reason: another copy adds no information.

Friday: a confirmed night opens today and people need the door time. Decision: publish a reminder with verified time and place. Reason: waiting would stop someone from planning their arrival.

Wednesday: a performance photo arrives, but permission from recognizable people is missing. Decision: hold the photo; obtain permission or use approved material. Reason: the photo is real, but authorization matters too.

Steps for your week

1. In your Lesson 8 plan, select Tuesday.
2. Write the job a post would do that day.
3. Write the confirmed fact or new value it would offer.
4. Compare it with the previous post.
5. Record whether waiting would cause a specific loss.
6. Choose “publish,” “prepare,” or “leave blank” and write a one-sentence reason.
7. Repeat for the other six days.

Check that it worked

Every day has a decision and a reason. Every scheduled post has a job, verifiable information, and a reason to go out today. Every blank day avoids repetition or unconfirmed claims without hiding an urgent notice.

If it breaks

If you cannot decide what to post, return to the job and the new fact; preparing material without publishing today is work too. If an urgent change appears, run the five questions again and update the calendar. If permission or confirmation is missing, stop that post and choose authorized material.

Try without looking at the examples

Mark seven days. For each, write the decision, the fact behind it, and one sentence explaining why today.