This breakdown assumes you are following everything perfectly and consistently, based on both daily and weekly tasks, with each item adding up over time.
Daily Tasks Breakdown
1. Posting Content
- 1 Post per Day (Photo, Carousel, or Reel):
- Creation & Editing: 1-2 hours
- Writing Caption and Hashtags: 30 minutes
- Scheduling/Posting & Engagement (Replying to Comments): 15-30 minutes
Total time per post: 2-3 hours
Running Total: 2-3 hours daily
2. Engaging with Audience (DMs, Comments, and Replies)
- Replying to DMs and Comments: 1-2 hours daily
Running Total: 3-5 hours daily
3. Stories & Engagement
- 3-5 Stories per Day:
- Creation and Posting: 30-45 minutes
- Polls, Q&As, and Engagement: 30 minutes
Running Total: 4-6 hours daily
Weekly Tasks Breakdown
4. Instagram Reels (2-3 Reels per Week)
- Researching trends and recording: 1-2 hours per Reel
- Editing each Reel: 1-2 hours per Reel
- Caption writing & hashtag research: 30 minutes per Reel
Total time per Reel: 2.5-4.5 hours
Total per week: 7.5-13.5 hours (for 3 Reels)
Daily distribution: ~1-2 hours per day
5. Collaborations and Partnerships (Once per Week)
- Finding influencers/brands to collaborate with: 2-3 hours per week
- Planning and communication: 2 hours per week
Total time: 4-5 hours per week
Daily distribution: ~35-45 minutes per day
6. Analytics Review (Once per Week)
- Reviewing insights and metrics: 1 hour per week
- Adjusting strategy based on performance: 1 hour per week
Total time: 2 hours per week
Daily distribution: ~15-20 minutes per day
7. Planning Content in Advance (Batching Weekly)
- Planning & researching posts, captions, and hashtags: 4-6 hours per week
Daily distribution: ~45-60 minutes per day
Ad-Hoc or Monthly Tasks Breakdown
8. Giveaways or Campaigns (Monthly)
- Planning and promoting campaigns: 4-6 hours per month
- Engaging with participants: 2-3 hours per month
Daily distribution: ~15 minutes per day (when relevant)
Overall Time Summary and Daily Distribution
TaskDaily Time (hours)Weekly Time (hours)Monthly (hours) Posting (1x per day) 2-3 14-21 ~60-90 Engagement (DMs & Comments) 1-2 7-14 ~30-60 Stories (3-5 per day) 1-1.5 7-10.5 ~30-40 Reels (2-3 per week) ~1-2 7.5-13.5 ~30-50 Collaborations (weekly) 0.75 4-5 ~20 Analytics (weekly) 0.25 2 ~10 Planning Content (weekly) 1 4-6 ~20-24 Giveaways/Campaigns (monthly) 0.25 (as needed) ~3-5 ~10-15
Daily Time Estimate
- Daily: 6-8 hours
- This is a combination of posting, engaging, planning, and creating content every day.
Weekly Time Estimate
- Weekly: 42-56 hours
- This accounts for reels, collaborations, analytics, and other weekly tasks distributed throughout the week.
Monthly Time Estimate
- Monthly Total: ~170-240 hours
- This is based on adding up the daily, weekly, and occasional tasks, reflecting the overall workload.
How Much Time Over a Month?
If you follow everything perfectly:
- Daily Workload: 6-8 hours
- Weekly Workload: ~42-56 hours
- Monthly Workload: ~170-240 hours (depending on tasks and campaigns)
Is It Worth It?
Now, compare this time commitment with your expected income from brand partnerships, affiliate commissions, product sales, and Instagram monetization tools.
- Example Calculation:
If you spend 180 hours per month and make $3,000 in total, your hourly rate would be approximately: - $3,000 ÷ 180 = $16.66 per hour
This estimate helps you see if the effort aligns with your financial goals. If not, you can adjust the frequency of posts or other tasks to balance effort and income.
