7 social media tips for small business success

A whopping 82.8% of the UK uses social media - that’s 56.2 million people! You are probably one of them. Though you might be a seasoned social media pro in your personal life, if you aren’t leveraging it for your business, you could be missing a trick.

Social media can be a rewarding and exciting way to engage with your customers and community, build awareness and market your business. Here are a few top tips to help your business shine on social.

1. Start with the why (and set expectations)

Before jumping in, define your goals and choose the best platforms to support them. For example, you might want to build brand awareness, drive sales, attract new customers, build a network or community, keep customers informed or offer customer support. Once you have an idea of what you want to achieve, research and explore the different social media platforms to find which ones fit the bill - but try to avoid the temptation to be active everywhere. It’s better to pick one or two social media platforms and do them well.

“Choosing which social media platforms to use for your business can be very overwhelming. Think about where your audience is, whether that’s TikTok or LinkedIn, and focus on those platforms,” explains Jennie Adams, FreeAgent’s Senior Social Media & Outreach Manager.

2. Carve out time

If you’ve ever got caught in a scrolling loop, you’ll know how easy it is to lose track of time when you’re on social media. To stay productive, decide how much time you can dedicate to creating content and managing your social media platforms. Then, plan how best to use that time wisely. Whether it’s 30 minutes per day or an hour a week, try to block off space in your work schedule - you can even set yourself reminders to help build it into your routine.

It’s worth using some of your dedicated social media time for planning as well as posting. A social media plan (even if it’s a basic, high-level one) will give you the structure to make sure your activities align with your goals, so it’s worth making space for that before you jump right in. Don’t worry about having all the answers to start with: once you have something on paper, you can iterate on it over time to make sure it works for you.

It’s also worth remembering that you don’t have to be spontaneous with social media - a lot of the content you see from businesses on social media is planned in advance. “There are lots of free social media management platforms, such as Buffer, that can help make life easier by allowing you to schedule posts and see some analytics as to how they’re performing,” says Jennie.

3. Think about quality, not quantity

We’re all inundated with information and online content daily, so be intentional with the content you post on social media. Make your best effort to stay active, but try to avoid posting on social media for the sake of it. The content you share should always add value to your followers - whether it’s informative, helpful or entertaining - and align with your social media plan.

If driving engagement and attracting followers are key objectives for you, then metrics are a helpful way to assess your content. There are lots of third-party social media management and reporting tools, but don’t worry if you don’t have the budget. All social media platforms provide organic analytics for businesses, e.g. Facebook Insights and LinkedIn Analytics. You can use these dashboards to assess which posts are performing well and which aren’t. From there you can make informed, data-driven decisions to optimise your social media plan.

4. Tap into patterns and trends

Mark Twain wasn’t talking about social media when he said there was “no such thing as an original idea” but he definitely could have been. Your competitors, others in your industry and any social media account that grabs your attention can be a source of inspiration. Experiment with different styles and types of content to find out what feels right for you, and what connects with your followers.

Trends can also be a great opportunity for businesses on social media, so keep your eye out for viral trends or styles of posts in your feeds and get involved when you feel like it’s a good fit for your business. You can also check out or subscribe to social media marketing news and thought leaders to keep up with what’s new and popular.

5. Be your (business) self

When you’re using social media for your business, remember: you’re in control. You can set the tone of your profiles and how they represent your brand. Social media platforms offer a valuable opportunity to showcase your business’s personality and unique voice. So remember to communicate in a way you would in person with existing and potential customers: be responsive, engaging, and true to your business self.

6. Don’t panic

The social media world moves fast - from rebrands to new features and even entirely new platforms that rapidly grow in popularity - and it can feel daunting trying to keep up. Our best advice? Don’t try to do it all. Whether you post regularly across multiple platforms, are a keen early adopter of what’s new or only post once per week on a dedicated platform, what’s most important is to make social media work for you.

That said… when it comes to emerging new social media platforms, whether you’re keen to be an early adopter or still on the fence, it can be worth signing up to secure your business’s social handle early on. Once you have it in the bag, you can take some time to make the call about whether to get involved.

7. Spread the word

Growing your following and increasing engagement on social media takes time, but there are a few things you can do on and offline to encourage it along. Consider adding linked social media logos to the header or footer of your website and your email signature, and include your social handles on business cards and marketing materials.

Let people know your business is active on social media and encourage folks to follow or connect with you. Be sure to mention you’re on social media when you’re meeting with clients, customers or suppliers - or even when networking at events.

We know how much time and effort it takes to wear the many hats of a business owner, which is why FreeAgent is here to give you a bit of breathing space by making it as stress-free as possible to manage your business finances.