So you just created your Facebook and Instagram accounts, but you haven’t the slightest idea of what to post. Fear not. The worst thing you can do is overthink it.

Here are some tips to help you get started posting like a pro:

• Create a schedule. This is vital to maintaining a social media presence. Set aside one day a month to create a month’s worth of content. Schedule it out using a program like Loomly or Hootsuite. This takes the daily guesswork out of posting, and gives you time to focus on other things (like running your business!).
• Use the 2-2-1 rule: Two posts about your business, two posts related to your field but not your business, and one fun post. You can read more about the 2-2-1 rule here.
• Use hashtags on Instagram! This is a huge way for your posts to be discovered — don’t neglect your hashtags! Make sure to use easily searchable terms, like #marketing or #contentmarketing rather than #marketingisagreatwaytoattractcustomers.
• Use the location option whenever possible. Tagging where you are helps your posts show up more easily on people’s feeds.
• Don’t be too long-winded, and make sure to use paragraph breaks. When you’re scrolling through social media, the last thing you want to see is a super long stretch of text. Make sure to make your text entertaining and educational, and use paragraph breaks (you can be creative and use asterisks between graphs, too!) to break up the writing.
• Tag people whenever possible (and relevant). Don’t just tag random people, but do your best to collab enough that tagging is a frequent practice. Tagging other businesses is a great way to expand your reach.
• Use video! Video is king. Text is a good addition, but don’t rely solely on text on any of your platforms except LinkedIn. Photos and video should make up the majority of your posts on most social media channels.
• Make sure your posts have value! Don’t post something just to stay relevant. Every post you share should have some value for your followers. When you’re creating content, make sure to ask yourself: How will this serve my customers and followers?

Key takeaways

If you remember nothing else, just remember to give your followers valuable content, interact well, schedule often and, most importantly, have fun! If you’re having fun, your followers will, too. Business profiles don’t have to be stuffy and boring. Make yours stand out!

For additional resources for your small business, check out our guides here!

Need help figuring out how to post like a pro? Give us a shout.