I help women-led businesses grow with creative, data-driven marketing that makes an impact.
I’m going to make a bold claim—one I’ve witnessed hundreds of times both in my own agency and from my community of social media managers: chasing after content approvals is one of the biggest time-wasters in our entire profession.
If you’ve ever found yourself digging through scattered text messages, emails, and DMs trying to figure out if a client approved that carousel post for tomorrow, you’re not alone. The content calendar approval process is often consuming more time than the actual content creation itself.
Here’s the reality: Your clients hired you because they’re busy. They want expert help managing their social presence, but they still need a way to review content that fits into their already packed schedule. When approval systems are clunky or confusing, everyone suffers—missed deadlines, last-minute changes, and that sinking feeling when a client says, “I thought I told you to change that copy…”
Maybe you’ve experienced some of these all-too-familiar situations:
The good news? This doesn’t have to be your reality. After years of refining systems in my own agency, I’ve discovered what actually works—approval processes that clients will consistently use without constant reminders or frustration.
In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how to build content calendar approval systems your clients will actually use (and that won’t drive you to the brink of burnout). Whether you’re managing one client or ten, the right system can transform your workflow from chaotic to streamlined—giving you back hours of your week while delivering a premium experience your clients will appreciate.
“The reasons clients hire us is because they’re busy…they’re not the villains in this story—we’re all just trying to do our best here and get our work done.”
Before we dive into solutions, it’s important to understand why so many approval systems fall short. Recognizing these common pitfalls will help you design a system that actually works.
When feedback comes through multiple channels—some comments in email, others in text messages, and a few scattered across DMs—it creates a perfect storm of confusion. Not only does this make it nearly impossible to track what’s been approved, but it also leads to miscommunication about what’s actually ready to post.
In my experience, managing scattered feedback creates unnecessary complexity. I once worked with a client whose approval process involved multiple communication channels. This fragmented approach made it difficult to keep track of what was approved versus what still needed revisions. The solution wasn’t finding a better client—it was implementing a better system that channeled all feedback into one place.
The rule I now follow religiously: Only use one channel for approvals. When you allow feedback to flow through multiple streams, you’re setting yourself up for confusion, missed changes, and a paper trail that’s impossible to follow.
Many social media managers start by tracking approvals in spreadsheets. This is a common approach when starting out—meticulously color-coding cells to indicate “Draft,” “In Review,” “Approved,” and “Scheduled.” This works fine when you have one client, but quickly becomes unsustainable as your client roster grows.
The problem with spreadsheet tracking is twofold:
You end up spending precious hours updating cells, color-coding statuses, and manually following up—time better spent on strategy and content creation. As many social media managers have experienced, tracking systems can become a job unto themselves.
Some managers invest in sophisticated project management systems only to discover their clients are intimidated by the complexity. If your approval system requires a 20-minute tutorial or multiple logins, chances are your clients will default back to shooting you a quick text instead.
Remember: most clients aren’t as tech-savvy as we are, and they certainly don’t have time to learn complicated new systems. The perfect approval process is one that feels intuitive from the first use and requires minimal effort on their part.
After years of experimentation in my own agency—trying everything from Google Sheets to high-end project management software—I’ve found that any successful content approval system needs these three core elements:
65% of people are visual learners, and your clients are no exception. They need to see exactly how content will appear when published. This means displaying:
Abstract descriptions or disjointed pieces create confusion and lead to more revision rounds. When a client can see the complete picture of how their content will look to their audience, they can give more accurate and helpful feedback.
In our agency, we’ve found that providing visual context significantly reduces revision requests. When clients can see exactly how content will appear, they provide much more precise feedback upfront.
Your clients are busy professionals who hired you to make their lives easier, not more complicated. The best approval systems require minimal clicks and zero learning curve. Every extra step or confusing interface element reduces the likelihood they’ll engage with the system consistently.
When designing your approval process, ask:
The simplest approval systems have the highest compliance rates. Many clients have shared that a streamlined approval process is refreshing compared to complex systems they’ve used with other agencies.
Everyone—both you and your clients—needs visibility into what’s approved, what’s in revision, and what’s still pending. This transparency eliminates the “I thought you were handling that” confusion and creates natural accountability without you having to constantly follow up.
Effective tracking includes:
When both parties can easily see the status of each content piece, you’ll significantly reduce back-and-forth and create natural accountability in the process.
Now that we understand what makes an effective approval system, let’s explore two powerful options that have transformed workflows for hundreds of social media managers in our community.
Canva stands out as an excellent option if you’re managing 1-3 clients or are just establishing your social media management business. Here’s why it works:
Most clients already know how to use Canva, removing the learning curve entirely. There’s no need to teach them a new system—they can simply open a link and start reviewing content immediately.
Canva’s flexibility allows you to create custom color-coding and sticker systems that make status tracking intuitive. You can design pages that showcase content exactly as it will appear on social platforms, giving clients the visual context they need.
If you already have Canva Pro for design work (which most social media managers do), there’s no additional cost for using it as your approval system. This makes it an economical choice for new agencies or freelancers.
You can tailor the layout to match your workflow and client preferences. Whether you prefer organizing by platform, date, or content type, Canva gives you the flexibility to create a system that works for your specific needs.
“Canva works wonderfully if you’re just starting out or have a small client roster. It’s visually intuitive and most clients are already familiar with using it.”
To make a Canva approval system most effective, include:
Social media managers who have switched from email approvals to Canva systems often report significant improvements in client communication and feedback clarity.
If you want to implement this system quickly, check out our Client Content Review & Approval Calendar Template that hundreds of social media managers are already using with their clients.
As your client list grows or your team expands, ClickUp offers more robust features that save significant time through automation and advanced organization:
Manage every aspect of your content process—from strategy and creation to approvals and scheduling—in one comprehensive platform. This integration eliminates the need to jump between multiple tools.
Set up reminders, deadline alerts, and status updates that trigger automatically based on actions or time frames. This removes the burden of manual follow-up and keeps projects moving forward without your constant attention.
Create separate internal and client-facing workspaces that allow your team to collaborate behind the scenes while presenting a clean, streamlined interface to clients.
Track content by platform, type, goal, status, and more with a flexible tagging system that lets you filter and sort content based on your specific needs.
ClickUp particularly shines with:
Many social media agencies report significant time savings when they implement automated approval systems like ClickUp for their content workflows.
For a ready-to-use system, check out our ClickUp Client & Team Workspace Template that gives you the exact setup we use in our agency.
Whether you choose Canva or ClickUp, follow these steps to create a system that works for both you and your clients:
Before implementing any new system, take time to identify your existing pain points. Ask yourself:
Understanding these challenges helps you design a system that addresses your specific needs. For instance, if clients frequently forget to check their email for approval requests, you might need a system with automated reminders. If they struggle to articulate what they don’t like about an image, you might need better annotation tools.
I recommend tracking your current approval process for 2-3 weeks, noting each friction point. This audit becomes your roadmap for designing a better system.
Create your system with your least tech-savvy client in mind. If they can navigate it easily, everyone else will too. Consider:
The best client experiences are those that feel effortless. Focus on designing processes that respect your clients’ time and preferences.
Pro tip: Include visual examples of how to use the system within the system itself. For example, in Canva, we create a “How to use this calendar” page with screenshots and instructions that clients can reference at any time.
“Creating a personalized walkthrough video that shows clients how to use your system can significantly improve the onboarding experience.”
The key to successful adoption is proper onboarding. No matter how intuitive your system is, clients need clear guidance on how to use it and what to expect. Create a brief tutorial video walking clients through the approval process, and set clear expectations about:
Personalized walkthrough videos showing the client’s actual calendar (rather than generic examples) can significantly improve adoption rates, as clients can immediately see how the system applies to their specific content.
Include these expectations in your service agreement as well, so they’re documented and can be referenced if issues arise later.
While your approval system and your scheduling tool might be separate, ensure they work together seamlessly. Whether you use Metricool (as mentioned in my podcast), Sprout Social, Later, or another scheduler, establish a clear process for transitioning approved content to your publishing platform.
Many agencies choose not to use the built-in approval functions in scheduling tools because they prefer to keep all project management in one place, especially when they need a system that handles brainstorming, task assignments, client information, and SOPs—not just approvals.
Your process should include:
The goal is to create a seamless flow from approval to publication without introducing new opportunities for error.
Even the best systems sometimes hit snags. Here’s how to address common approval challenges:
If a client repeatedly misses approval deadlines despite your best efforts, try these alternative approaches:
Social media managers often find that customizing the approval process to match each client’s working style dramatically improves compliance rates.
Help clients provide better feedback by:
Sometimes clients struggle to articulate what they don’t like about content. Giving them language and structure for providing feedback can transform vague comments like “I don’t love this” into actionable feedback like “The image doesn’t match our brand colors and the heading should be more direct.”
“For clients who aren’t tech-savvy, having options is important. Part of your role is finding the system that matches their communication style.”
Remember that different clients have different communication preferences. Some love leaving detailed comments in a project management system, while others prefer talking through changes on a quick call. The best approach is often a flexible one that adapts to individual client needs.
Creating an effective content calendar approval process isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about delivering a premium experience that makes both you and your clients’ lives easier. The right system transforms approval from a dreaded chore to a seamless part of your workflow.
Remember the three essential components: visual context, simplicity, and clear tracking. Whether you choose Canva for your small client roster or ClickUp for your growing agency, implementing these principles will dramatically reduce the time spent chasing approvals and allow you to focus on what really matters—creating exceptional content that drives results.
Your content approval system should grow with your business. Start with what works now, knowing you can always evolve as your needs change. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s creating a process that removes friction and lets you focus on creating stellar content instead of managing approval chaos.
Getting content approved shouldn’t be the hardest part of your job as a social media manager. With the right system in place, you can reduce back-and-forth, clearly track what’s approved, and deliver content on time without the stress of last-minute changes.
Ready to transform your content approval process? Grab our ready-to-use templates for both Canva and ClickUp at shop.sugarpunchmarketing.com and implement your new system today. Whether you’re managing one client or building an agency, these templates give you the foundation for a streamlined approval process that both you and your clients will appreciate.
Q: What is the best tool for client content approvals?
A: The “best” tool depends on your business size and client tech comfort. Canva works well for 1-3 clients, while ClickUp offers more automation for larger client rosters. The right tool is one that both you and your clients will consistently use.
Q: How do I get clients to approve content on time?
A: Set clear expectations during onboarding, build approval reminders into your system, make the process as simple as possible, and consider scheduling regular review calls for clients who struggle with asynchronous approvals.
Q: Can Canva really work as a content calendar?
A: Yes! While not designed specifically for this purpose, Canva’s flexibility makes it an excellent content calendar option for small client rosters. Use color coding, stickers, or labels to track approval status and organize content by platform and date.
Q: How many clients can I manage with a Canva content calendar?
A: Most social media managers find Canva works well for 1-3 clients. Beyond that, the manual tracking becomes time-consuming, and it’s worth considering a more robust system like ClickUp.
Q: How do I transition from spreadsheets to a proper approval system?
A: Start by mapping your current workflow, then implement your new system with one client as a test. Create tutorial videos for your team and clients, run both systems in parallel for 2-4 weeks, then fully transition once everyone is comfortable with the new process.
Q: What about scheduling tools with built-in approval features?
A: Many scheduling platforms like Metricool and Later include built-in approval functions, but in my agency, we’ve chosen not to use these because we prefer to keep all project management in one place. Evaluate whether these built-in features meet all your needs or if you’re better served by a dedicated approval system.
Q: How detailed should my content calendar be?
A: Your content calendar should include everything a client needs to make an informed approval decision: full captions with hashtags, all images in the correct order, posting dates and times, and clear platform indicators. The more complete the preview, the fewer revisions you’ll need to make.
Q: What’s the ideal approval timeline for social content?
A: For most businesses, requesting approvals 5-7 business days before posting provides enough buffer for revisions and scheduling. For more agile industries or news-based content, you might need a faster system with 48-72 hour turnarounds.
Hi, I’m Shanté! I built Sugarpunch while raising two young children as a single mom, giving me firsthand perspective on the value of time and efficient systems. This experience directly influenced our streamlined processes and commitment to ethical, inclusive marketing.
I believe everyone deserves marketing that respects both creator and audience while delivering measurable results. We focus on sustainable strategies that build genuine connections rather than chasing trends or using manipulative tactics.
Sugarpunch Marketing is a woman-owned, multicultural agency committed to ethical, inclusive marketing practices.