How many social media platforms should my business be on?

Start with one or two and do them well. Being excellent on one platform beats being mediocre on five. For most Knoxville businesses, Facebook is the essential platform. Add Instagram if you're visual (restaurants, retail, contractors with impressive work). Add LinkedIn if you serve businesses. Expand only when you're consistently active on your current platforms.

How often should I post on social media?

Consistency matters more than frequency. A sustainable schedule you can maintain is better than posting daily for a month then disappearing. Minimum: 2-3 posts per week. Ideal: 4-5 posts per week. The key is maintaining whatever schedule you set—algorithms reward consistency.

Should I pay for social media advertising?

Organic reach has declined significantly on all platforms. If you're only posting organically, you're reaching a small fraction of your followers. Even small budgets ($5-10/day) can significantly extend your reach. Start by boosting your best-performing organic posts to people in your area.

What should I post on social media?

Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% value (tips, behind-the-scenes, team spotlights, customer features, local community content), 20% promotional (your products and services). Nobody wants to follow a business that only posts sales pitches. Provide value first, sell occasionally.

How do I grow my social media following?

Focus on engagement over follower counts. Respond to every comment. Answer DMs quickly. Engage with other local businesses and customers. Post consistently. Use local hashtags. The algorithm rewards engagement—engaged followers attract more followers. 500 engaged followers beats 5,000 silent ones.

Social Media Marketing Guide for Small Businesses (2026)

The Truth About Social Media for Local Businesses

Let's be honest: social media for small businesses isn't about going viral or becoming an influencer. It's about staying visible to your community, building trust over time, and being there when customers are ready to buy.

You don't need millions of followers. You need the right followers—people in your area who might actually become customers.

Choosing the Right Platforms

The biggest mistake small businesses make is trying to be everywhere. You don't need to be on every platform. You need to be on the platforms where your customers are—and do them well.

Facebook

Best for: Most local businesses, especially those serving customers over 30.

Facebook is still the most important platform for local businesses. It has the largest user base, excellent local targeting for ads, and features built for business (reviews, events, messaging).

If you can only be on one platform, make it Facebook.

Instagram

Best for: Visual businesses—restaurants, retail, salons, contractors with impressive work.

Instagram is all about visuals. If your business creates something people want to look at, Instagram can be powerful. If you're a B2B service provider with nothing visual to show, it might not be worth the effort.

Best for: B2B businesses, professional services.

If you sell to other businesses or provide professional services (law, accounting, consulting), LinkedIn is where your customers spend time professionally.

Google Business Profile

Best for: Every local business.

Technically not social media, but your Google Business Profile posts appear in search results. This is often overlooked but highly valuable for local visibility. Check out our complete GBP guide for optimization tips.

Content That Works

The biggest content mistake: making everything about selling. Nobody wants to follow a business that only posts promotions.

A good content mix:

80% value—educational, entertaining, community-focused
20% promotional—products, services, offers

Content Ideas for Local Businesses

Tips and how-tos related to your industry
Behind-the-scenes of your business
Team member spotlights
Customer success stories (with permission)
Local community events and news
Before and after transformations
FAQ answers
Industry news simplified for customers
User-generated content (resharing customer posts)

Consistency Over Perfection

Posting three times a week consistently is better than posting daily for a month, then disappearing for two months.

Find a schedule you can maintain:

Minimum: 2-3 posts per week
Good: 4-5 posts per week
Stories: Daily when possible (they're quick and ephemeral)

Engagement Matters More Than Followers

A business with 500 engaged followers beats a business with 5,000 silent followers. Focus on:

Responding to every comment
Answering DMs promptly
Asking questions in your posts
Engaging with other local businesses and customers

Social media algorithms reward engagement. More engagement = more reach.

Local Hashtag Strategy

For local businesses, hashtags help nearby users find you. Use a mix of:

Location tags: #Knoxville #KnoxvilleTN #EastTennessee
Industry + location: #KnoxvilleRestaurants #KnoxvilleRealtor
Community tags: #ShopLocalKnoxville #865

Avoid generic hashtags like #love or #instagood—your post gets buried instantly.

The Power of Video

Video content gets significantly more reach on every platform. You don't need professional production—authentic, helpful content works great.

Easy video ideas:

Quick tips (30-60 seconds)
Behind-the-scenes looks
Meet the team clips
Before/after reveals
FAQ answers

Paid Social Advertising

Organic reach has declined on all platforms. Sometimes you need to pay to reach your audience. Our paid advertising guide covers this in detail, but here are the basics.

Start small:

Boost your best-performing organic posts
Target people in your area
Start with $5-10/day to test
Track results and adjust

Facebook's local targeting is incredibly precise—you can target specific areas like Farragut, Maryville, or specific Knoxville neighborhoods. This lets you reach exactly the people most likely to become customers.

Tools That Save Time

Meta Business Suite: Free tool to schedule Facebook and Instagram posts
Canva: Easy graphic design for non-designers
Later/Buffer/Hootsuite: Scheduling tools for multiple platforms
Your phone: Most social content can be created with just your smartphone

What to Track

Don't obsess over follower counts. Better metrics:

Engagement rate: Are people interacting with your content?
Reach: How many people are seeing your posts?
Website clicks: Is social driving traffic?
Messages: Are you getting inquiries?

A Simple Weekly Plan

Here's a sustainable approach for busy business owners:

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

Daily: 10-15 minutes responding to comments and messages.

Related Resources

Continue learning with these related guides:

Content Marketing Guide — Create content worth sharing
Paid Advertising Guide — When you're ready to amplify with paid social
Google Business Profile Guide — Another channel for local visibility

Need Help?

Social media can feel like a time sink. Our social media marketing services help Knoxville businesses build their social presence without the time investment. If you want help creating a strategy that works for your business—or someone to handle it entirely—let's talk.

Social Media Guide for Local Businesses