In a lot of small charities, social media belongs to one person. Sometimes it's a communications officer who also looks after the newsletter, the website and the annual report. Sometimes it's the chief executive, fitting posts in between funding bids. Sometimes it's a volunteer doing their best on a Sunday evening.

I've managed social media for national and regional health charities, and I've noticed the same pattern again and again. The work matters, the people care, and there's never quite enough time.

You can't add more hours to the week. But you can make your social media less dependent on one tired person finding inspiration. Here are five ways to do that.

1. Agree one or two clear jobs for your social media

When everything feels important, it's hard to know what to post. Pick one or two jobs for social media to do, and agree them with whoever signs off your work.

For example:

• Helping people who need your support to find you.

• Recruiting volunteers.

• Raising awareness of a cause or condition.

• Supporting a fundraising campaign.

A clear purpose makes every other decision easier. It also gives you a polite reason to say no when someone asks you to "just pop something up" that doesn't fit.

2. Choose one main platform and a rhythm you can keep

Most small charities don't need to be everywhere. Choose the platform where your supporters and service users already spend time, and settle on a rhythm you can keep up in a difficult month, not just a good one.

Two or three thoughtful posts a week, shared reliably, will do more than a burst of daily posts followed by silence. If you're not sure where to focus, my post on how to choose which social media platform deserves your time walks through it step by step.

3. Build a simple content calendar around your charity's year

Charities have a natural calendar: fundraising appeals, events, annual reports, awareness days and seasonal pressures on services.

Start with what your charity is trying to achieve this coming year, then spend one session mapping the dates that support it, so you're not discovering an awareness day on the morning it happens.

Leave plenty of gaps. Not every awareness day needs a post, only the ones that connect to your work.

4. Build a small bank of stories, with consent

The posts that land best for charities are usually real stories: a volunteer's first shift, a question a service user was nervous to ask, a member of staff explaining what their day involves.

Ask colleagues to send you one story or photo a month. Keep them in one shared folder, with a note of who has given permission and for what.

If your charity supports people in vulnerable situations or works with sensitive health topics, take extra care. Get clear written consent, check how people want to be described, and if in doubt, leave it out.

5. Share the load, even a little

Social media becomes fragile when only one person knows the passwords, the plan and the tone of voice. If they're off sick or on leave, everything stops.

A few small changes help:

• A second person who can post and check comments if needed.

• A short note on your tone of voice and what you never share.

• Simple templates for regular posts, such as events or volunteer thank-yous.

• A quick, agreed sign-off process, so posts don't sit waiting for days.

None of this needs a big policy document. A one-page note is enough to start.

Make it easy for people to take the next step

All of this works best when people know where to go next. If someone sees your post and visits your website, can they quickly find how to get support, volunteer or donate? My post on five small website changes that make it easier for people to enquire has some quick checks you can try.

Steady, not perfect

Your charity's social media doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be steady enough that the people who need you can find you, and gentle enough that the person running it can keep going.

That's what I mean by Sustainable Visibility: a way of showing up that fits the capacity you actually have.

For more practical ideas, download my free guide, Content Without the Crash. And if you'd like a second pair of eyes on your charity's social media, a Mini Visibility Audit is a gentle place to start.