If you own a small business, you’ve probably spent at least a little time on social media marketing. With nearly 5 billion people active across all social media sites, these platforms are a vast resource for raising brand awareness and building an active audience.
And we’ve all heard stories of brands “going viral” from a well-timed tweet or a clever meme, selling out their inventory, or fully booking their client calendar seemingly overnight. That kind of success is elusive, but it’s worth a try.
Of course, brands that experience viral success — or even modest success — on social media don’t get those views by pure luck. It’s never an overnight accomplishment. These companies work hard to develop a sound social media strategy that attracts attention and drives engagement.
So can your business garner mainstream attention and build a strong social media game? Of course. Here are some of our favorite post ideas for small businesses to inspire you.
Why small businesses should have a social media strategy
Nowadays, almost every business, from multinational brands to mom-and-pop shops, is on social media. There are several reasons why all these companies have embraced this type of advertising, including the following:
- It’s cheap: Creating a social media account for your business is free, and it’s pretty easy to make professional infographics, photos, and blog posts for a relatively low cost.
- It helps you reach the masses: At any given moment, millions of people scroll through Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and other social media sites. Many of these users belong to your brand’s target audience, and social media marketing helps you meet those potential customers wherever they are.
- It’s effective: Market research company GWI reports that 49% of internet users say they’re likely to make a purchase based on ads they see on social media. Even if you don’t advertise products or services on social media, building an audience through your brand page impacts your business.
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5 social media content ideas for small businesses
After looking at the benefits above, most business owners would champ to start posting and growing their audience. But how can you ensure your posts garner the attention you want? Use these tips as you build your social media presence:
- Leverage AI for inspiration: If you want to post on TikTok but need help figuring out what to say, seek AI tools to get the ball rolling. These tools can tell you what content is popular on a specific platform. Ask the AI for suggestions, and you’ll get a few social media ideas to jumpstart your marketing.
- Consider running a contest or giveaway: If you want to spread the word about your brand quickly, hosting a contest or giveaway is a great way to do it. Most businesses require their audience to comment, tag a friend, or share a post to enter the contest, which inevitably increases engagement and drives viewers to your page — and, eventually, to your website.
- Feature clients and testimonials: Today’s consumers swear by customer reviews. Research shows that positive reviews can increase a brand’s sales by 31%. Post a positive review or testimonial from one of your previous clients to give your business the social media stamp of approval and make more users feel comfortable purchasing from you.
- Collaborate with creators: Social media creators exist for just about every niche you can imagine. If you find an influencer with an audience that suits your business, reach out and try to work with them. The right endorsement from a social media star can make a tremendous difference for your business.
- Get feedback and establish closer relationships with your community: Social media builds a bridge between companies and their customers. Here, users can ask questions, give feedback, and openly express their opinions about a business. You can use this communication as an opportunity to understand your audience better. Ask for their feedback on products or services, and learn what interests them. The more you foster a community with your audience online, the more loyal and enthusiastic your consumer base will be.
7 social media post ideas for more engagement
Engagement is essential on social media, especially for small businesses trying to promote their brand. If you want your posts to “go viral,” you need to release the right type of content, such as the following:
- Ask questions to encourage comments: Getting your audience talking is one of the best ways to drive social media engagement. If you post a video asking a question, users are likely to answer you — and engage with each other — in the comment section. Increasing audience engagement in this way will boost your post’s standing with the platform’s algorithm.
- Consider user-generated content (UGC): If a user posts something about your products or services on their page, simply sharing their content (with a caption giving credit, like “thanks for the photo, @user”) is a great move. Not only does this type of content promote your business and showcase a customer testimonial in one fell swoop, but it also opens an opportunity for the poster’s friends to check your page.
- Post tutorials or how-to videos: Tutorials, “how-to” videos, or instructional infographics appeal to many people online, so they’ll earn many likes and shares. These videos are also helpful for your brand’s reputation, as they prove that you are an expert in your industry.
- Highlight a team member or employee: This is excellent content for small businesses because it gives your company a personal feel. Giving your employees their virtual flowers shows that your business is compassionate and friendly, and it helps your followers feel like they know your team “IRL” (in real life).
- Share a motivational quote related to your business or industry: Motivational quotes attract a lot of engagement online, as users often repost them to share with their network. A sleek graphic with an inspiring quote that relates to your business can grab lots of positive attention — and once they look at your post, many users will find their way over to your social media page.
- Conduct a poll or survey: Social media gives you access to many users. So why not take the chance to get some feedback on your business? Posting a poll or survey on your social media page will drive engagement and help you gain valuable insight into what your audience wants from your company.
- Go behind the scenes: Social media users love peeking behind the scenes of their favorite brands. Whether you film yourself packing an order, tour your inventory space, or goof around in the office with your team, your audience will surely give this content a great big “like.”
Manage your business with Practice
Social media marketing is just one of the many balls you have to juggle as a small business owner. But with the right tools, you can stay on top of your content calendar, invoices, schedule, and everything else on your mind.
Visit Practice to see how a customer relationship management (CRM) tool can help you easily manage your small business or freelance services. Our Client Management Software, designed with small businesses in mind, allows you to receive payments, send invoices, and store files and contracts –– all in one place. Try it today.