Many small businesses feel overwhelmed by social media, believing they need to be active on every platform and post multiple times daily. The reality? Strategic, focused content on 1-2 platforms yields better results than scattered efforts across many.
Choose the Right Platforms
Not all social channels are created equal for your business:
- Facebook: Best for local businesses targeting 35+ age groups
- Instagram: Ideal for visually-driven businesses (retail, food, travel)
- LinkedIn: Perfect for B2B services and professional expertise
- TikTok: Effective for reaching under-30 audiences with creative content
Resist the urge to maintain profiles on every platform. A neglected account can harm your brand more than having no presence at all.
Content That Engages Local Audiences
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Behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand by introducing team members and showing your workspace. A bakery might share early morning preparation or a craftsperson could demonstrate their technique.
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User-generated content builds community while providing authentic social proof. Encourage customers to tag your business in photos and share their experiences, then (with permission) reshare their content.
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Local relevance increases engagement dramatically. Reference local events, weather, news, or landmarks in your posts to signal community connection.
Having a good sense of humor can go a long way. A lighthearted post can break the ice with new followers making them more likely to engage with your business.
Measure What Matters
Beyond likes and followers, some more meaningful metrics are things like:
- Engagement rate (interactions divided by followers)
- Click-throughs to your website
- Direct messages and comments
It's more important as a local business to have high impact on fewer people, than low impact on a greater amount of people. Small businesses succeed on social media through consistency and quality, not quantity. Start with a manageable approach you can sustain long-term.