Hey, I wonder if this was your experience with promoting your small business on social media? You felt the thrill of posting the first video promoting your business. It was a beautifully crafted Reel, showcasing your best-selling product in all its glory. You waited eagerly for the likes and comments to roll in but nothing. It was a disappointing feeling, wasn’t it?
And here’s the thing: in today’s crowded online landscape, being authentic and posting Reels just isn’t enough anymore. With almost half of Gen Z glued to their screens 24/7, the competition for attention is fierce.
So, what’s a small business owner like you to do? Well, I’ve got some good news: you don’t have to sacrifice a goat (trust me, it won’t work) or follow the latest trends to stand out. Instead, try these Social Media Content Ideas for Small Business that will help your business shine in a sea of sameness.
1. Use Original Audio and Customer Content
To stand out online, small businesses need to be creative. One way to do this is by using original audio in videos. This can keep viewers engaged and showcase your brand’s personality. You can also use customer photos and videos to add authenticity to your content. Creating a series of educational or behind-the-scenes videos can help build excitement for a product launch or event.
Let’s say you own a small bakery called “Sweet Treats” and you’re launching a new line of vegan cupcakes. To stand out online and build excitement for the launch, you could create a series of videos showcasing the making of the cupcakes, using original audio and customer photos/videos. Here’s an example:
- Video 1: “The Making of Our Vegan Cupcakes” – a behind-the-scenes video showing your bakers preparing the ingredients and decorating the cupcakes, set to upbeat original music.
- Video 2: “Customer Favorites” – a video showcasing customer photos of your bakery’s best-selling cupcakes, with customers sharing their favorite flavors and why they love them.
- Video 3: “The Story Behind Our Vegan Cupcakes” – an educational video explaining the inspiration behind the new line, the ingredients used, and the benefits of vegan baking.
- Video 4: “Sneak Peek” – a teaser video showing a sneak peek of the new cupcakes, with a call-to-action to encourage viewers to share their thoughts and guesses about the flavors.
By using original audio, customer photos/videos, and creating a series of educational and behind-the-scenes videos, you’re showcasing your brand’s personality, building excitement for the launch, and adding authenticity to your content. This can help you stand out online and attract new customers to your bakery.
“Original audio and customer-generated content can be the secret sauce to making your brand stand out online.”
Lillian Smith, Director of Content at HubSpot
Also, making simple content like short tutorials or funny videos can be effective too. These types of videos can help you attract new followers and figure out what your audience likes. Using customer-created content can also help promote your products without being too sales-y.
Additionally, using humor and trending content can help your brand seem more relatable and fun. Just remember to keep it appropriate! Using memes and trending topics can help you gain new followers.
By using these social media content ideas for small businesses, you’re showcasing your brand’s personality, and if you’d like to expand your imagination with more examples check out this video.
2. Launch a Challenge or Contest
Launching a challenge with original audio is a good way to boost engagement and encourage user-generated content. Challenges can educate or inspire your audience and fill up your content calendar.
These days you can create challenges using stock photos from platforms like Tristetix to generate social media post ideas and save time on idea generation.
For example, Emma, the owner of a small yoga studio called “Zen Den”, launched a challenge called “30 Days of Zen” to boost engagement on her social media channels and encourage her followers to share their own yoga practices. She created original audio content, including guided meditations and yoga classes, which she shared on her social media channels.
Emma also used AI tools and stock photos to generate social media post ideas and save time on idea generation. Each day, Emma posted a new challenge, such as “Share a photo of your favorite yoga pose” or “Tell us about your favorite yoga benefit”. She encouraged her followers to use the branded hashtag and tag her studio’s social media handle.
As the challenge progressed, Emma’s followers started to share their own yoga practices, using the branded hashtag and tagging her studio. Emma re-shared some of the posts on her own social media channels, giving her followers credit and encouraging others to participate.
By the end of the 30-day challenge, Emma’s social media engagement had increased significantly, and she had collected a wealth of user-generated content that she could use to fill up her content calendar. She had also built a sense of community among her followers, who had connected with each other through the challenge.
Emma’s “30 Days of Zen” challenge was a huge success, and she planned to launch more challenges in the future to continue engaging her audience and encouraging user-generated content.
“Launch a challenge with original audio and watch your engagement soar, as it not only educates and inspires your audience but also fills your content calendar with fresh user-generated content.”
Hootsuite, “How to Create a Social Media Challenge That Drives Engagement
Also, similar to launching a challenge is running a contest. In doing this, keep in mind that people love free stuff! Give away a gift card or a product, and ask followers to like, follow, and comment, or share a photo or fill out a survey. Remember to keep the effort of entering the contest in line with the prize value.
Further more, featuring customer testimonials is also a powerful way to sell your products or services on social media. Share a testimonial or transformation story from a customer, either as a quote graphic or a short video interview.
Edit the video into multiple versions and share them across different platforms. Using a challenge or contest with customer stories is more impactful and versatile than written testimonials and will help you gain trust.
Therefore, after launching a successful online challenge you should have the emails of your customers. Which means you’ll need a good knowledge of email marketing. Check out this video to help you.
3. Use Partnerships and Testimonials
Partnering with content creators and influencers in online contests or challenges can help small businesses reach valuable audiences and gather high-quality content.
Micro and nanoinfluencers are a budget-friendly option and can be more effective than big creators in getting their audiences to take action.
Creator partnerships can also help small businesses stand out from their peers and deliver cost-effective campaigns.
Let’s say Emma’s Yoga Studio, wants to reach a wider audience and promote their new yoga classes. So, Emma partners with Sarah, a micro-influencer with 10,000 followers on Instagram, who is a yoga enthusiast and has a strong connection with her audience.
Sarah creates a sponsored post featuring Emma’s Yoga Studio, sharing her own experience with the studio’s classes and encouraging her followers to try it out.
The post includes high-quality photos and videos of the studio and its classes.
As a result of the partnership:
Emma’s Yoga Studio reaches a new audience of 10,000 potential customers who trust Sarah’s recommendations.
The studio gathers high-quality content (photos and videos) that they can use for future marketing campaigns.
The partnership helps Emma’s Yoga Studio stand out from its peers and delivers a cost-effective campaign, as Sarah’s influencer fee is lower than traditional advertising costs.
Sarah’s followers are encouraged to take action (try out the yoga classes) due to her authentic endorsement.
This partnership is a win-win for both Emma’s Yoga Studio and Sarah, as it helps the studio reach a new audience and generates content, while also providing Sarah with a new collaboration opportunity and content for her own audience.
“Collaborating with content creators and influencers can help small businesses tap into new audiences, generate high-quality content, and build credibility.”
Influencer Marketing Hub, “The Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing”
When you reach a new audience, there are certain skills required to turn that audience into a strong online presence. Find out in this video.
Also, a good strategy to explore is getting feedback from customers, which is crucial in building a sense of community and encouraging engagement. Asking for feedback on social media can deepen existing customer relationships and develop new ones.
Therefore, through customer feedback, small businesses can also share their best case studies to demonstrate their capabilities and build trust with potential customers. Case studies can help prospects understand a product’s key features in action.
Also, you can take it further by helping your local community in order to build trust and network with other local businesses.
Sharing community involvement on social media can tap into the Instagram Reels algorithm and make people feel good about shopping at the business.
By implementing these social media content ideas, small businesses can effectively engage with their audience and grow their online presence.
4. Promote Company Values
Partnerships and testimonials promote the quality of your product, but attracting top talent to your business will improve the value of your product and your business. Therefore, sharing your company culture with employee spotlights is a great way to attract top talent and showcase your business’s values.
By sharing open jobs and highlighting your company’s benefits, you can keep your business top of mind for potential employees. Use popular hashtags to increase your reach and make sure to offer great benefits to your team members.
For example, in the early 2000s, Patagonia, a outdoor apparel company, was struggling to find top talent to join their team. They realized that they needed to showcase their unique company culture and values to attract like-minded individuals.
Patagonia started an “Environmental Internship” program, where they hired interns to work on environmental projects, such as reducing waste and conserving energy. They shared stories and spotlights of these interns on their social media channels, highlighting their experiences and the impact they made.
They also used popular hashtags like #Sustainability and #EnvironmentalStewardship to increase their reach. As a result, Patagonia became a top destination for job seekers who shared their values.
By showcasing their company culture and benefits, Patagonia was able to attract top talent and establish themselves as a leader in environmental responsibility. Today, Patagonia is still known for their strong company culture and commitment to sustainability, and they continue to attract top talent from around the world.
This story illustrates the power of sharing company culture and values to attract top talent and establish a strong employer brand. By showcasing their unique culture and benefits, Patagonia was able to differentiate themselves and attract like-minded individuals who shared their values.
“Partnerships and testimonials are powerful tools to demonstrate social proof and showcase the quality of your product or service.”
Neil Patel, “How to Use Social Proof to Increase Conversions”
Also, starting a poll or asking a question on social media is a fun way to boost interaction and engagement rates. It makes your audience feel heard and valued, and you get to learn more about what they think and like. This can help you create better content in the future. Try sharing a vulnerable moment or asking a question that sparks conversation.
Another strategy is to use stock photos on Tristetix to celebrate social media holidays. This is a great way to tap into trending topics and showcase your brand’s fun side.
It makes your posts more relatable and can help you engage with your audience in a lighthearted way. Join in on holidays like #MotivationMonday or #ThrowbackThursday to boost your visibility and attract new followers.
Finally, sharing the latest industry news shows that you’re on top of the latest information, making you a go-to source for your followers. This helps build trust and can encourage more conversations and interactions, boosting your engagement rate and reach. Share exciting news and updates to keep your followers in the loop and establish your business as a thought leader in your industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social media content ideas for small business are endless, and the key is to find what works best for your brand and audience. From sharing employee spotlights to celebrating social media holidays, live video updates, and exclusive promos, there are numerous ways to engage with your followers, build loyalty, and drive sales.
By incorporating these ideas into your content strategy, you can create a strong online presence and reach new heights.
So, which of these social media content ideas will you try first?
