Here's what usually happens with social media for local businesses: you post a few times, maybe a job photo or a team selfie, then you get busy and stop for three months. When you come back, the algorithm's forgotten you exist and it feels like shouting into the void. Sound familiar? The problem isn't social media — it's that nobody gave you a simple plan that actually fits around running a business. Let's fix that.
The biggest mistake local businesses make is trying to be everywhere at once. You don't need Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. You need one platform done well, maybe two. Here's how to pick:
The honest truth: Doing one platform consistently is worth ten times more than doing three platforms badly. Pick the one where your customers already hang out, and put all your effort there. You can always expand later once you've got a rhythm.
You don't need to be creative or funny. You just need to show people what you do and who you are. Here are the content types that consistently perform well for local businesses:
These are gold for any business where you physically change something — trades, cleaning, landscaping, beauty, fitness. People can't resist swiping. Take the "before" photo on your phone before you start, take the "after" when you're done. That's it. No editing needed.
A screenshot of a nice Google review with a quick "Thanks [name], glad we could help!" works perfectly. Even better if you can get a 15-second video testimonial from a happy customer. You don't need a film crew — a phone video in good lighting is all it takes.
People love seeing how things actually work. A plumber pulling out a tree root from a drain. A baker making the morning batch. A mechanic explaining what that weird noise was. This content builds trust because it shows you know what you're doing.
Share something useful that your customers would want to know. "3 signs your hot water system is about to die." "How to keep your lawn green through a Melbourne summer." "What to ask before hiring a builder." This positions you as the expert without being salesy.
People hire people, not logos. A quick photo of a team member with "Meet Dave — he's been with us for 8 years and he's our go-to for split system installs" humanises your brand. Local customers want to know who's coming to their house.
Sponsoring the local footy club? Did a charity job? Went to a community event? Post about it. This shows you're part of the community, not just a business trying to extract money from it. Local people love supporting businesses that give back.
Three to four times per week is the sweet spot for most local businesses. That's enough to stay visible without burning out or running out of things to say.
Here's the thing that matters more than frequency: consistency. Posting every day for two weeks and then going silent for a month is worse than posting three times a week, every week, for six months straight. The algorithm rewards accounts that show up reliably. Your followers do too — they start to expect and look forward to your content.
If three times a week feels like too much, start with two. The most important thing is finding a pace you can actually maintain long-term.
Here's a simple formula so you never have to stare at a blank screen wondering what to post. Split your content into four categories and roughly follow this mix:
If you're posting four times a week, that works out to roughly: two entertaining/behind-the-scenes posts, one educational post, and one that's either a testimonial or a promo. Rotate the fourth slot between positioning and promoting each week.
Why so little promotion? Because nobody follows a business account to see ads. They follow because the content is interesting, useful, or entertaining. When you do post an offer, it lands better because you've already built trust with the other 85% of your content.
Hashtags help people who aren't already following you find your content. But there's a right way and a wrong way to use them. Don't paste 30 random hashtags at the bottom of every post — it looks spammy and doesn't help.
Use 5-10 hashtags per post, and mix these three types:
On Facebook, hashtags matter less — but local group posts and shares are more important. On Instagram and TikTok, hashtags still play a real role in discovery.
Posting is only half the job. The other half is engaging — and this is where most local businesses fall short.
Social media rewards businesses that are social. It's in the name. Ten minutes a day responding to comments and engaging with local accounts is more valuable than spending an hour crafting the perfect post.
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) and your social media should work together, not in silos. Most business owners don't realise you can post updates directly to your GBP — and those posts show up when people search for your business on Google.
Here's how to connect them:
For a full guide on setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile, check out our Google Business Profile Setup Guide.
Don't jump into paid ads until you've got organic social working first. Here's why: if someone clicks your ad and lands on a social profile with three posts from six months ago, they're not going to trust you. Your organic content is the foundation that makes your paid ads believable.
Once you've been posting consistently for 2-3 months and you can see which posts get the most engagement, you're ready to experiment with paid social. Start here:
For more on when and how to run ads properly, see our guide on Meta Ads That Actually Convert.
We'll review your social media and build a content plan that works for your business. No jargon, no pressure — just a clear plan you can actually follow.
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