Social media usage has only continued to grow over the last several years. As of 2024, over five billion people are using social media worldwide. With such a large user base and a landscape that is only growing, small businesses can’t afford not to have some kind of social media presence. But for new and experienced small business owners alike, social media can be an especially intimidating part of business marketing. So, it’s no surprise that we get many questions from small business owners about how to approach social media.
To help you get a better understanding of how to tackle socials, we answer some of our most asked small business social media questions below.
Do I need to post on every social media platform?
The long and short answer is no. You do not have to put your small business on every social media platform. The best social platforms for you to be on will vary depending on a few factors, including:
- Business type
- Target audience demographic
- Type of content you share
- The platforms your target audience is using
- Social media goals
These factors will be key to helping you narrow down what platforms to focus on for your small business. While it can be tempting to jump onto every social platform right away, this can ultimately be a bad strategic move if your audience isn’t on every platform. Remember that less is more, and you can maximize your time, effort, and content by focusing on a select few social media platforms that are most relevant to your business.
What type of content performs best on social media?
The best-performing content on social media is going to largely depend on two things: your target audience and the social platforms you’re using. For some platforms, visual content like photos and videos will perform the best, while text-based posts will perform better on others.
According to the Pew Research Center, YouTube and Facebook are two of the most widely used social media platforms in the U.S. alone as of 2024. And more than half of U.S. adults use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Each of these platforms will see a different type of content that performs best. For YouTube and TikTok, videos are the primary content type, while LinkedIn and X see traction with content like short text posts and blogs. For some platforms, a mix of content types will offer the best performance.
You can experiment on your own and with the help of RPR to figure out what formats work best for you.
What do I post?
Figuring out what to post involves several previously mentioned factors: your business type, target audience demographic, and the social platforms you’re on. These will be beneficial to keep in mind as you determine what to post. Whether you post photos, videos, blog posts, live videos, or infographics will largely depend on what platform you’re on, what information you’re sharing, and what your audience responds well to.
Remember that you’re a small business owner. You’ll want to share promotional content regularly that highlights your products and services, but you’ll also want to share posts that are funny, relatable, or informative to your customers. A variety of different content will keep your audience engaged.
For example, say your business has an ongoing sale, and your customers have been sharing photos of the products they purchase on Instagram. It would be beneficial to post about the sale in a promotional manner and highlight the customer posts on your social page. This helps enhance social engagement and increase your visibility. By using a variety of content, you can leverage your social media campaigns to their fullest.
How often do I post?
Posting frequency will vary from platform to platform. For example, Instagram recommends that users post a few times a week. And according to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Social Media Report, marketers post on platforms like TikTok and X a few times a day. You can also reference your direct competitors to get an idea of how often they’re posting on social media as well.
It’s also important to remember that posting frequency differs between large and small businesses. Larger businesses often have a full marketing team that can post frequently across all social media platforms. Small businesses like yours typically don’t have the time or resources to post as often—though you can seek the help of a PR team to build out your social media efforts further.
Ultimately, how often to post comes down to what works best for you. Keep industry insights and the size of your business in mind and experiment with posting frequency to see what you can maintain on the regular.
How do I measure my small business’s social media presence?
There are several different tools you can use to measure your social media presence—including analytics tools that are built directly into the platforms. Built-in analytics tools often display information like total followers, growth rate, audience demographics, and post impressions and reach. You can also use tools like Buffer, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite, which provide additional analytics features.
Another tool you can use to measure your social media presence is Google Analytics. This is a powerful tool that PR professionals often use to measure campaign success, but it can also be used to understand how your social platforms contribute to traffic and user behavior on your business website.
How can I grow followers?
Growing your followers can be achieved through a few methods. As discussed above, you’ll want to choose platforms where your target audience is. From there, you’ll want to optimize your small business social media profiles so that they’re recognizable. This is done by using branded imagery, linking to your website, filling each profile out completely, and incorporating targeted keywords relevant to your business and industry.
Posting consistently, both in frequency and the quality of your content, helps to grow followers as well. Be sure to post content that your audience can find engaging or helpful—use your social analytics to see what kind of content is performing best, or directly ask your followers.
Lastly, actively engaging with your audience shows potential followers that you’re communicative and keeps you in touch with the community you’re building around your business. Engage by responding to comments, answering questions, and sharing interactive content. Be sure to remain authentic to your small business, and don’t try to mimic other brands—your true brand, tone, and voice will resonate with your followers and help you grow.
Small business social media doesn’t have to be a solo venture
In today’s digital world, having a social media presence isn’t optional for small businesses—but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Now that you have a better understanding of the basics, you can start identifying the right platforms for your business, refining your content strategy, and leveraging tools to track your growth.
If you’re ready for a dedicated social media partner to handle the details, our team is here to help.
For expert guidance in creating a social media strategy tailored to your business, contact RPR today to schedule a discovery call.