Short answer
- Pick one or two platforms where your customers are, and do them properly.
- Post consistently, at a pace you can keep for a year, rather than in bursts.
- Show real work and real people. It beats polished stock content for local businesses.
- Reply to comments and messages quickly. Social media is a customer service channel too.
- Measure enquiries, not likes. Calls, bookings and messages are the numbers that matter.
Get the foundations right
Before posting anything, make your profiles do their basic job: tell a visitor what you do, where, and how to contact you.
- Same name everywhere. Use your business name exactly as it appears on your Google Business Profile and website.
- A clear bio. What you do, the area you serve, and one reason to choose you. "Family-run plumbing, Austin and suburbs, same-day repairs" beats a slogan.
- Working contact buttons. Phone, booking link or website. Test them on a phone.
- Hours and location that match your Google profile.
- A recognisable profile image: your logo, or your face if you are the business.
Posting rhythm you can keep
The most common pattern I see: a burst of daily posts for three weeks, then silence for three months. A page that went quiet in March looks closed in June.
| Your situation | Realistic rhythm |
|---|---|
| Owner doing it alone, very busy | 1–2 posts a week, plus stories when something happens |
| Someone on the team helps | 3 posts a week, with one short video |
| Outsourced or managed | 3–4 posts a week, planned monthly |
Batch the work: take photos during the week, write captions in one sitting, and schedule them with the free tools built into the platforms, such as Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram.
The content mix that works
For local businesses, I use a simple mix. Over a month, aim for something like this:
| Type | Examples | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of work | Before and after, finished jobs, new menu dishes, a fresh fade | Shows quality better than any claim |
| People | Meet the team, the owner explaining something, a customer (with permission) | Local customers buy from people they recognise |
| Helpful tips | "3 signs your AC needs service", "how to keep your gel nails longer" | Builds trust and gets saved and shared |
| Offers and news | Seasonal deals, new services, holiday hours | Gives followers a reason to act now |
| Behind the scenes | Prep, tools, setup, a normal day | Makes the business feel real and approachable |
For more ideas by business type, see Social media post ideas.
Replies and community
- Reply to comments within a day, ideally faster. A thank-you or a short answer shows the account is alive.
- Treat messages like phone calls. Many people message instead of calling. Set up instant replies with your hours and booking link so nobody waits in silence.
- Handle complaints calmly and publicly once, then move the details to a private message or a call.
- Engage locally: comment on and share posts from nearby businesses and community groups you genuinely work with.
When to add paid ads
Organic posting builds trust; it rarely fills a calendar on its own for a new local business. Paid ads make sense when you have an offer people can act on, capacity for more customers, and a page that converts. Start by boosting your best-performing post to people nearby, then move to proper campaigns with tracking. See Facebook & Instagram ads and Meta ads targeting & bidding.
Safety, access and legal basics
- Own your accounts. The business page and ad account should be in your name. Give staff or agencies role-based access, never your personal password.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for every admin.
- Ask permission before posting customers, their homes, cars or kids.
- Only use music you're allowed to use. Business accounts often have a restricted music library; use the platform's licensed library or royalty-free tracks.
- Be clear about paid partnerships. If someone is paid or gets free products to promote you, it must be disclosed (see the FTC's guide for influencers).
What to measure
Platforms show many numbers. These are the few I'd track monthly:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Messages and calls from social | Whether social is producing customers |
| Website clicks from profile and posts | Whether people want to learn more |
| Saves and shares | Which content people find genuinely useful |
| Reach of your best posts | Which topics and formats to repeat |
Ask new customers "how did you hear about us?" and write the answer down. It's still the most reliable attribution a small business has.
A 30-minute weekly routine
- 5 minutes: reply to every comment and message from the last week.
- 10 minutes: pick 2–3 photos or clips from the week's work.
- 10 minutes: write captions with one clear point each and schedule them.
- 5 minutes: check which post did best last week and note why.
If even that doesn't fit your week, that's the point where handing it off makes sense. I offer Social media management at $199 a month for 12 posts on Facebook and Instagram, built from your own photos.