The social media approval template.
Slow, messy approvals are where good social goes to die. Use this as a starting point: set the roles, the stages and the turnaround times, then trim it to fit your team.
01
The four roles
- Creator: writes and makes the post (copy, design, video)
- Reviewer: checks brand, accuracy and, where needed, legal or compliance
- Approver: gives the final yes. One named person, not a committee
- Publisher: schedules, posts, and does the post-publish check
On a small team one person wears several hats. The point is that every hat has a name.
02
The stages
- Draft: creator builds the post against the brief and content pillar
- Internal review: reviewer checks it within the agreed window
- Edits: one consolidated round of changes, not endless ping-pong
- Final sign-off: the approver gives a clear yes or no
- Schedule: publisher queues it for the planned slot
- Publish & check: confirm it went live correctly (links, tags, formatting)
Keep it linear. Every extra loop is a day lost.
03
What "approved" should mean
- On-brand: voice, look and tone are unmistakably yours
- Accurate: claims, stats, names and prices are correct
- Compliant: anything regulated has the right sign-off
- Complete: links work, accounts are tagged, captions and alt text are in
- Right time: it fits the calendar and nothing clashes
Agree this once so a yes always means the same thing.
04
Set turnaround times
- Agree a standard review window (e.g. 24 working hours) and hold to it
- Cap edit rounds at one or two so posts do not loop forever
- Silence past the deadline is a nudge, not a stall
- Give time-sensitive or reactive posts a documented fast lane
- Name a backup approver for when the main one is away
Most approval pain is not the steps, it is that nobody agreed the clock.
Work with NBK