Social Media Strategies That Actually Work for Small Businesses

Marketing From X 2 Z: Digital marketing strategy and tips to help you grow your small business

Social media isn’t just a task. It’s a system. In this conversation, Mike (Gen X, branding/web) and Liz (Gen Z, social strategist) break down how small businesses can use social without letting it run their lives: what to ignore, what to focus on, and how to build a workflow that actually sticks.

You’ll learn

• Social ≠ personal: Your feed isn’t a journal; day-in-the-life works only when it serves a clear goal.
• Trends aren’t strategy: Virality is an outlier; preparedness + opportunity beats chasing gimmicks.
• The 4-day workflow: Plan → prep assets/briefs → produce/review → schedule to cut context switching.
• Pick platforms on purpose: Go where your audience behaves like buyers—and only where you’ll show up.
• Personal vs. company brand: Be human without making it a diary; build with your long-term plan in mind.
• From “billboard” to value: Stop posting only promos; use process, case studies, and before/after stories.
• Short-form that works: Beginning–middle–end with useful VO; use licensed audio (no ripping trends).
• Organic → paid: Let organic winners inform Meta ads to lower costs and increase relevance.
• Metrics that matter: Tie KPIs to goals—awareness (reach/impressions), consideration (interactions), interest (profile visits/link clicks).
• Community > spikes: Consistency and repetition (those 7–12 “touches”) create steady results.

Quick wins you can do this week

• Audit your bio: Who you help, how, where you are, and how to contact—clean, clear, and current.
• Block the month: Put four dates on the calendar—plan, prep, produce/review, schedule.
• Repurpose a winner: Take your best recent post and remake it as a clip, carousel, or text overlay.
• Focus your effort: Choose one primary channel; claim handles elsewhere and pause the rest.
• Set success metrics: Pick 1–2 KPIs that match your goal and review them weekly.