How to Market Your Business on Social Media? 15 Strategies

Last Tuesday, I watched a local bookstore owner nearly break down in tears when she saw her first viral social media post. After months of struggling with almost zero online engagement, her behind-the-scenes video hit 50,000 views overnight.

This isn’t unusual in my world. For five years, I’ve helped businesses transform their social media from ghost towns to thriving communities. The small café that couldn’t fill tables now has weekend waitlists. The handmade jewelry designer who couldn’t get noticed now ships internationally.

The local plumber who relied on word-of-mouth now books appointments weeks in advance. Here’s the truth: most people waste two hours daily scrolling. That’s your chance to grab their attention and turn it into real sales – even with a tiny budget.

The businesses that succeed aren’t always the ones with massive marketing departments; they’re the ones that connect authentically with their audience.

Essential Social Media Marketing Strategies for Businesses

My first client fired me after three months. I deserved it. I had them posting on six platforms without any real strategy. That painful lesson taught me something crucial: success comes from focused effort in the right places, not being everywhere at once.

Many business owners I meet are obsessed with follower counts, but what matters is quality over quantity. Sites like SocialPlug can help grow real X followers who actually engage with your content, but even the best tools fail without a solid strategy behind them. I’ve learned that authentic engagement from the right audience beats vanity metrics every time.

1. Make a Strong Social Media Plan

My neighbor Dave runs a fantastic pizza shop but posts on Instagram maybe once a month “when he remembers.” His exact words. The result? Crickets. Your social media needs structure – not rigid corporate planning, but a basic roadmap for what to post and when.

 When new clients come to me panicking about social media, my first question is always about their actual goals. A garden center I worked with didn’t need viral TikToks – they needed to drive local weekend traffic. Their plan looked completely different from my e-commerce clients.

2. Test Different Content Types 

Content variety matters for engagement. I posted only stylized product photos for a jewelry client for many months. Then we tried a casual unboxing video as an experiment. It received six times more engagement than our regular posts.

Most businesses have audiences who strongly prefer certain content types over others. You need to test different formats and styles to find what works best for your specific followers. Breaking out of content ruts can lead to surprising results and new opportunities.

3. Schedule Posts at Peak Times

Timing affects your social media results significantly. A family restaurant posted breakfast specials at 8 PM when customers were thinking about dinner options. We changed their posting time to 7-8 AM when people made breakfast decisions.

Their breakfast sales increased noticeably within two weeks of this simple change. Your analytics will show exactly when your followers are online and most likely to engage. This data helps you schedule posts for maximum impact and visibility.

4. Choose the Right Social Platforms 

I wasted my client’s money for three months trying to build their industrial supply company on Instagram. It was painful. When we switched focus to LinkedIn, they connected with actual decision-makers and landed three contracts in the first month. Not every platform works for every business – that’s just reality.

Instagram absolutely crushes it for visual products. My fashion and food clients thrive there. Facebook still dominates for local businesses and anyone targeting folks over 40. TikTok works wonders for reaching younger audiences with personality-driven content.

5. Master Instagram Marketing

Good lighting and clean backgrounds dramatically improve Instagram content quality. A florist took dark, cluttered photos that received little engagement. We created a simple white photo area near a window for natural light.

Their engagement tripled with this one change to their photography setup. Small improvements to visual quality can make a big difference in how your content performs on visually-focused platforms like Instagram.

6. Optimize Facebook Marketing 

Facebook’s algorithm rewards content variety and freshness. A vitamin shop alternated between educational posts, customer spotlights, product features, and conversation-starting questions.

Their reach grew steadily while competitors who posted only product promotions saw declining results over time. Mixing up your content types keeps both the algorithm and your audience interested in what you share. This approach prevents fatigue and maintains visibility.

7. Build Complete Social Profiles

Last month, a potential customer tried contacting a client’s business through Instagram but gave up because their profile lacked basic contact info. We completed their profile that afternoon, and three message inquiries came in the next day. These digital storefronts matter more than most businesses realize.

8. Create a Compelling Bio

“We sell coffee” versus “Serving small-batch, ethically sourced brews in downtown Phoenix since 2018.” Both tell people what you do, but one actually communicates value. A coffee shop I advised saw profile visits jump 35% after we rewrote their bland bio to highlight what made them special.

9. Select the Right Profile Images 

Profile pictures aren’t the place to get creative. When a bakery client kept changing their profile picture monthly, customers reported confusion about whether they were following the right account. We switched to their simple logo, and the confusion stopped immediately.

10. Show Your Brand’s Human Side

My most reluctant client was a shy accountant who refused to appear in his firm’s social media. When he finally agreed to a simple video explaining tax deductions in plain English, it became their most engaged post ever. People do business with people, not logos.

11. Share Customer Stories

A camping gear company I advised was struggling until we started featuring photos from actual customers using their tents and equipment in beautiful locations. These authentic posts consistently outperformed their professional product shots. Nothing sells products like seeing real people enjoying them.

12. Create “Day in the Life” Content 

My favorite social strategy is showing the unglamorous reality behind businesses. A chocolate maker client showed their 3am production process – hairnets, industrial mixers, and all. That post got more engagement than any perfectly styled product photo they’d ever shared.

13. Use Hashtags Effectively 

 Hashtag strategy isn’t rocket science, but it does require research. When a client’s competitors were all using generic tags like #fitness, we switched to specific tags like #marathontraining and #trailrunningshoes. Their posts started appearing higher in those niche searches, reaching exactly the right audience.

14. Run Targeted Social Media Ads

Organic reach isn’t dead, but it’s definitely limited. A struggling food truck I worked with invested just $75 in Facebook ads targeted specifically to people within 3 miles of their regular location. They tracked a 300% return on that tiny investment through new customers.

15. Build Custom Audiences

The smartest ad money goes toward people who already know you. A bookshop I advised created ads specifically for people who had visited their website but never purchased. The conversion rate was nearly 4x higher than their ads to cold audiences, with a much lower cost per acquisition.

Conclusion 

After working with dozens of businesses, I’ve noticed one common thread among those who succeed on social media: consistency beats perfection every time. The boutique that posts simple, authentic content three times weekly outperforms the shop waiting for perfect photoshoots.

Don’t chase vanity metrics like follower counts. My most successful client has only 2,300 Instagram followers but converts a higher percentage into paying customers than competitors with 50,000+ followers. Focus on engaging the right people, not just collecting followers.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1.Which social media platform is best for business?

There’s no universal answer. It depends entirely on your customers. I’ve seen professional services thrive exclusively on LinkedIn while visual brands crush it on Instagram. Start where your customers already spend time.

2.How often should businesses post on social media?

Quality beats quantity. Most businesses do better with 3-4 excellent weekly posts than daily mediocre content. Consistency matters more than frequency.

3.Do I need to pay for social media ads?

Eventually, yes. Organic reach has limits. Even small budgets ($50-100 weekly) can drive significant results when targeted precisely to your ideal customers.

4.How long does it take to see results from social media marketing? 

Be realistic – this isn’t overnight magic. Most businesses I work with see initial engagement improvements within 3-4 weeks, but meaningful business results typically take 4-6 months of consistent effort.

5.Should small businesses hire social media managers? 

If you constantly put social media last on your to-do list, get help. Many of my clients started with just 5 hours weekly of professional assistance and saw dramatic improvements in both content quality and business results.