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04 — Workflow & Approval

Purpose

This SOP defines the approval workflow, timelines, and posting/scheduling process. It ensures content is reviewed in a predictable way and published on time.

Scope

Context Applies to
Client engagement All social media management engagements
Own channels Ganguly Consulting's channels

Definitions

Term Definition
Approval cycle Time from draft submission to final approval
Revision round One pass of feedback and changes
SLA Service level agreement; response or delivery time
Scheduler Tool used to schedule posts (e.g. Buffer, Later, native)

Context: Client vs Own Channels

Aspect Client engagement Own channels
Approver Client (or designated stakeholder) Internal owner
Revision policy Per 06 Communication & Roles Internal; 1–2 rounds
Cycle time Typically 48–72 hrs 24–48 hrs

Approval Workflow & Timelines

Flow

Draft → Internal review → Client review → Revise (if needed) → Approve → Schedule → Publish

Stages

Stage Owner Action
Draft Content Lead Create; self-check against brief
Internal review Project Lead (optional) Quick sanity check
Client review Client Review; provide feedback or approve
Revise Content Lead Address feedback; resubmit
Approve Client Sign off
Schedule Content Lead Add to scheduler
Publish Scheduler / Content Lead Publish at scheduled time

Timelines

Task Client engagement Own channels
Draft to client 48–72 hrs before planned publish 24–48 hrs
Client feedback 48 hrs (or per SOW) N/A
Revision round 24–48 hrs 24 hrs
Final approval Before schedule deadline Before schedule deadline

Posting & Scheduling Process

Procedure

  1. Confirm approval — Content is approved before scheduling.
  2. Add to scheduler — Date, time, platform, captions, assets, hashtags.
  3. Verify — Check preview; confirm timezone.
  4. Publish — Auto-publish or manual at scheduled time.
  5. Monitor — Check post goes live; note any errors.

Best times (guidance)

Platform Typical range
Instagram 11am–1pm or 7–9pm (local)
LinkedIn 8–10am or 5–6pm (weekdays)

Test and stick to what works for the specific audience.

Tools

Tool Purpose
Scheduler Buffer, Later, Hootsuite, or native
Shared drive Approved assets, final versions

Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)

Deliverable Content Lead Project Lead Client Lead Client
Submit for approval R I I I
Internal review C R I I
Approve content I I A A
Schedule & publish R I I I
Monitor publish R I I I

Escalation

Trigger Action
Client misses feedback deadline Remind; if repeated, escalate to Client Lead
Approval blocked by conflict Escalate per 08 Governance
Scheduler or platform error Resolve; post manually if needed; log incident

Version & Approval

Field Value
Last updated February 2025
Approver —