Social media advice often comes from people marketing to national or global audiences. But if you’re a Knoxville business serving local customers, a lot of that advice doesn’t apply.

You don’t need millions of followers. You don’t need to go viral. You need to connect with people in your community who might actually become customers.

Here’s how to use social media effectively for local business growth.

Think Local, Not Global

The biggest mindset shift: you’re not trying to reach everyone. You’re trying to reach people in Knoxville and the surrounding areas.

This actually makes things easier:

You don’t need massive reach
You can create hyper-relevant content
You can build real relationships with followers
Your competition is other local businesses, not national brands

Choose the Right Platform

For most Knoxville local businesses, Facebook is still king. It has the largest local user base, excellent community features, and robust business tools.

Add Instagram if your business is visual (restaurants, retail, salons, contractors with impressive work).

Add LinkedIn if you’re B2B or offer professional services.

Don’t spread yourself too thin. One platform done well beats three platforms done poorly. Read our guide on which social media platform is right for your business for help deciding.

Local Content That Works

Community Content

Share local events and happenings
Celebrate Knoxville sports teams (go Vols!)
Post about local causes you support
Share content from other local businesses

This shows you’re part of the community, not just a business trying to sell things.

Behind-the-Scenes Content

Introduce your team members
Show your workspace or process
Share your morning coffee routine
Post about your workday

People want to know the humans behind the business.

Educational Content

Tips related to your industry
How-to guides
Answers to common questions
Myth-busting posts

This positions you as an expert and provides real value.

Customer Content

Share testimonials (with permission)
Repost customer photos
Celebrate customer wins
Thank customers publicly

This is social proof that builds trust.

Promotional Content

New products or services
Sales and special offers
Available appointments
Job openings

Keep this to about 20% of your content. Too much promotion drives people away.

Engage Like a Neighbor, Not a Corporation

Social media is social. That means:

Respond to everything. Every comment, every message, every mention. Respond quickly and personally.

Use your real voice. You’re not Coca-Cola. You don’t need corporate-speak. Be authentic, be human, be yourself.

Ask questions. “What’s your favorite Knoxville restaurant?” “Any weekend plans?” Questions invite engagement.

Support other local businesses. Comment on their posts. Share their content. What goes around comes around.

Use Local Hashtags

Hashtags help local users find you. Use a mix of:

Location hashtags:

#Knoxville
#KnoxvilleTN
#KnoxvilleBusiness
#EastTennessee
#DowntownKnoxville

Industry + location hashtags:

#KnoxvilleRestaurants
#KnoxvilleRealtor
#KnoxvilleWedding

Community hashtags:

#ShopLocalKnoxville
#SupportLocalKnoxville
#865 (area code)

Don’t overdo it—5-10 relevant hashtags is plenty.

Join Local Facebook Groups

Knoxville has dozens of active Facebook community groups. These are goldmines for local businesses.

How to participate without being spammy:

Join groups where your customers hang out
Be helpful first—answer questions, give advice
Only mention your business when directly relevant
Follow group rules about self-promotion
Build relationships, not just leads

Run Targeted Local Ads

Organic reach only goes so far. A small ad budget can significantly expand your local visibility.

Start with:

Boosting your best-performing organic posts
Targeting people within 15-25 miles of your location
Targeting by relevant interests and demographics

Facebook’s local targeting is incredibly precise. You can reach exactly the people who might become customers.

Track What Matters

Don’t obsess over follower counts. Instead, track:

Engagement rate — Are people interacting with your content?
Reach — How many people are seeing your posts?
Website clicks — Is social driving traffic?
Messages/inquiries — Is social generating leads?
Mentions — Are people talking about you?

These metrics tell you if social media is actually working for your business.

Here’s a sustainable weekly plan for most local businesses:

Monday: Educational tip or how-to Wednesday: Behind-the-scenes or team spotlight Friday: Community content or customer feature As needed: Promotional posts (max 1-2 per week)

Daily: Check comments, messages, and mentions. Engage with your community.

Weekly: 15 minutes engaging with local accounts and groups.

That’s it. Consistent, valuable, sustainable.

The Bottom Line

Local social media marketing isn’t about going viral or building a massive following. It’s about:

Being visible to your community
Building trust over time
Providing value consistently
Being there when customers are ready to buy

Do those things consistently, and social media will become a valuable part of your marketing mix.

Need help developing a local social media strategy for your business? Learn more about our social media marketing services or let’s talk.