As a small business owner, you juggle countless responsibilities – marketing, finance, operations, and more. With limited time and budget, managing social media can feel overwhelming.
Having worked with small businesses for over five years, I’ve helped optimize their budgets and content strategies, reaching millions of people in the process.
Here’s our guide to making every second count on social media, helping you reach your audience effectively without breaking the bank.
Planning, planning, planning
Content pillars
Identify a few key values of your brand and commit to showcasing them on social media. For example, at Quill, we love our customers and we love office supplies. So, our social media posts reflect those values by showcasing our loyal customers and highlighting office products.
Check out our latest Instagram post featuring Peninsula Behavioral Health, a nonprofit organization who uses Quill rewards to improve their community.
Scheduling
Effective planning is essential. Create a content calendar and schedule several posts per week, ideally mapping out a month’s worth of content. Here are some tips to get started:
- Important dates: Identify and mark dates relevant to your business, such as new product launches, national holidays, and other significant events.
- A coffee shop could plan posts around the launch of a new drink.
- An accounting firm might focus content around tax season.
- With the Olympics approaching, consider creating content that ties into sports or friendly competition to engage with the broader social media conversation.
- Quill was able to celebrate Small Business Week on Instagram with this engaging graphic
By organizing your content in advance, you can ensure consistent and timely posts that align with key events and trends.
Creating engaging content
Think about the types of content you enjoy on social media. Businesses often miss the mark by posting content that feels like an ad. Instead, brainstorm ways to deliver your message in a manner that offers value to your audience – whether through education, entertainment, or emotional connection.
Types of content to shoot
Behind-the-scenes content
Social media originated as a platform to showcase the “behind-the-scenes” of real life. Some of the most successful content provides a glimpse behind the curtain. Here are some ideas:
- Restaurant: Rather than just posting, “Our new handcrafted sandwich is 20% off this week,” take your audience behind the counter and show them how you create it.
- Veterinary office: Film a checkup from start to finish, highlighting how you make your patients and their owners feel safe and comfortable in your office.
In a recent series on Instagram, Quill was able to show off our expert Sales Team, with videos of sales calls with customers.
Interview content
Engage with real customers by posting screenshots of positive reviews or conducting interviews about their experiences. Here are some other ideas:
- Restaurant: Chat with the head chef about how they came up with your newest dish.
- Retail store: Interview loyal customers about their favorite products and why they keep coming back.
Educational content
Create content that educates your audience. Try some of these:
- Law firm: Make videos explaining quirky or lesser-known laws in your state.
- Dentist’s office: Walk the audience through a healthy dental hygiene routine.
- Food bank: List housing, medical, and other support resources available in the community.
For example, Quill was able to offer small business owners support with tax filing in a recent post.
By focusing on these aspects, you can create content that resonates with your audience and stands out on social media.
Capturing high-quality content
You don’t need fancy camera equipment to create great content for social media – an iPhone will do just fine. The beauty of social media is that lo-fi, realistic-looking content often performs best. At Quill, we have the simple tools small business owners need to elevate content.
By using these tools, you can enhance the quality of your videos and photos, making your content more engaging without the need for expensive equipment.
Posting content
Scheduling your posts
Take advantage of scheduling features on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to plan posts in advance. This is ideal for busy entrepreneurs who need to maintain a consistent online presence.
Repurposing content
Operating on a budget often means you can’t film new content every day. Instead, repurpose existing content across different platforms. For example, share Instagram Reels on Facebook and YouTube Shorts to reach a broader audience.
Increasing reach
Buyers today often use social media as a search tool. Make your content easily discoverable by following these tips:
- Location: Include your business location in your bio and post captions to make it easier for local customers to find you.
- Hashtags: Use a few (3-5) relevant hashtags in your captions. For instance, if you run Telly’s Tires, use hashtags like #tellystires, #Chicago, #automotive, and #newtires.
- Interacting with other channels: Social media is all about being social. Engage with your audience by replying to comments, liking their posts, and asking questions. This interaction not only boosts your posts’ visibility but also builds long-lasting relationships with your customers.
Follow us on social
Social media is essential in today’s digital landscape, but it doesn’t have to be as challenging as it seems. By following these simple tips, you can easily take your social media presence to the next level.
Follow Quill on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay updated with our latest content and see how we implement these strategies.
Keep up with more business resources on the Quill Blog.