Social media isn’t “new” anymore, but how to leverage this medium for your small business can often be a bit of a mystery. How do you know what to post? Is there a magical time for a post to go live? How do you know if social media is working? Let’s dive in!

Where Did Social Media Come From?

While there is some debate about the origins of social media, many consider an early site called Six Degrees, launched in 1997, as the first recognizable social media platform. Created by Andrew Weinreich, Six Degrees allowed users to create profiles, list their friends, and surf friends’ lists. It was named after the “six degrees of separation” theory, which posits that everyone is six or fewer social connections away from each other.

Six Degrees was significant because it laid the groundwork for the social networking features common today, such as creating personal profiles, sending messages and forming groups based on common interests. Although Six Degrees shut down in 2001, it set the stage for the development of future social media platforms.

Today, social media has grown abundantly. While you may be most familiar with Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, countless other platforms are emerging regularly, with some coming in and out of vogue almost as quickly as they appear. For example, have you heard of BeReal, Yubo or Lemon8?

What Is the Best Social Media Platform for Your Store?

With so many platforms to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find areas of focus. The answer to this question is simple: use the platform that your customers use the most. Don’t know? Ask.

Gaining data and insights on your consumers is a critical task for any business owner. Having a regular survey of your customers to determine which media platforms to invest in is always a good idea.

Creating a survey doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Create a simple 8.5×11 Word document and list all the possible social media platforms. Consider asking about local media (e.g., how many subscribe to the local newspaper or what morning news show they prefer). Give this out at checkout and offer them $5 off their next purchase. Spending $5 on an insight about your customers is far less costly than spending $5 on media that your customers will never see.

If you don’t want to keep tallying forms yourself, many low-cost and free survey platforms are available online. Check out Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, and Typeform. As an added bonus, ask the consumer to opt-in for your store emails and SMS text message campaigns!

OK, But Really … What Platform Is Best for My Store?

For most stores, it will be a combination of Facebook and Instagram. They have the most robust audience bases for your typical customer. TikTok is an excellent add-in if you can produce engaging video content, as it reaches the next-generation audience quite well.

Generally speaking, Facebook users are particularly strong in the 25-34 demographic, with usage among older adults (55+) also significant. Instagram leans younger, popular amongst 18-29. Twitter/X is strongest among 18-29 with a considerable user base in the 30-49 range, but has grown divisive lately. TikTok is a strong mover for teens and young adults between 13-24 but is growing in popularity among users in their 30s-40s. Pinterest is popular for a wide age range but has its strongest user base between 30-49. YouTube has strong engagement across all age ranges.

How Do I Build Out My Social Media Strategy?

Professional social media managers build out robust content calendars based on the seasonality within a given community of users. Often, they will have regular themes throughout the year that reflect the values of the business they represent.

Many years ago, in a previous career, I taught saxophone lessons. I averaged around 40 students each week who took private lessons at a local music store in Grand Rapids, MI. When I first started teaching, I did what many teachers do—I taught the fundamentals. With each new student, we’d jump right into music theory—how to read music, understand key signatures, and much more. I watched my students get more and more frustrated.

Then, I changed tactics. Instead of jumping right into reading music, we spent the first three months focusing on getting a good sound on the instrument. My theory was that if a new musician sounded good, they’d be far more likely to continue learning. If they sounded like a dying animal, it wouldn’t matter if they could read music or not; they would get frustrated and ultimately quit.

The gamble paid off. Almost immediately, and most exceptionally in my adult students (adults are far harder to teach than children as they get rapidly self-conscious and expect faster results), I saw my students gain a lot of motivation. Because they had better tone and could hone their ear, after three months they were eager to start learning how to read music.

It’s a long analogy, but this directly parallels teaching marketing to small businesses. It is very easy to get overwhelmed with building content calendars, obsessing over which hashtags to use, and getting overly worried about what time of day to post. The lesson here is that the best way to develop a social media strategy is to start producing content. Get content out in the world and see how your audience interacts with it.

Creating a Culture of Experimentation

Modern marketing is becoming more data-driven every day. Marketers in large businesses today are fixated on collecting as much consumer data as possible. But for what purpose?

In marketing, we look for insights to build campaigns around. In some cases, we refer to these insights as “signals.” These signals are unique learnings about our customers that help us infer the right message or delivery vehicle for that message.

Small businesses can and should leverage data about their customers as well. Your POS system is likely a wealth of insights, and loyalty programs are critical for the future health of your business. Other providers like SPINS can give you additional insights. It is quite healthy to be data-obsessed when it comes to a retail business.

If you can get better at collecting data about your customers and store this data in a way that is easily accessible and mined for insights, you can add value to your business. Not only will your marketing be more effective, but you will also make your business more attractive to future buyers should you ever wish to sell.

As it applies to social media, experimentation is key to success. Consider developing a series of content tests to see what works with your audience.

For example, you can test different types of content: photos, videos, text-based posts, etc. Then, for each, consider a series of variations. For example, a photo of your store, a photo of your staff, a photo of a product, a post about a product without a discount, a post about a product with a special discount if you mention the post during checkout, or a coupon. Maintain a simple tracker. What gets the most comments? Likes? Shares?

Were you taught the scientific method in grade school? The same methodology applies here. Create a series of hypotheses and design experiments to test those ideas. Collect data. Make conclusions. One of the biggest misconceptions of marketing is that it is always creative—in fact, the best marketers often think like scientists.

Once a month, review the results of these tests and use that to inform what you will post more or less of for the following month.

Do I Need a Big Budget to Make My Social Media Effective?

No, but you do need some budget.

Many stores mistakenly believe that simply posting means your followers will automatically see your content. This is not true. A very small percentage of followers will organically see your content, but most will not.

Each social media platform is unique in how you can spend money to reach more customers. Most will use words like “boost,” “promote,” or the rather obvious “advertise.”

If you are posting on social media but not boosting, you are wasting your time. Every post should have a base budget of at least $5 (I prefer $20 as a minimum today if you can afford it).

When you go to promote a post, you’ll first be asked about your goals. These can range from getting more comments, to having the content shared more, to having people message your store. When the advertising goes live, the platforms will then serve that content to the people most likely to activate on your goal. For example, we all know individuals who love to comment on everything, or have that special friend who is obsessed with sharing stories. The social platforms know this as well.

You’ll also be asked about targeting your ads. Make sure to focus your advertising on consumers in close proximity to your store. You don’t need to advertise in Reno, NV if you store is in Tampa, FL. You may also focus the advertising even more based on the age and gender demographics of your customers.

What Are Some Simple Ways to Get Started?

If you’re just getting started with social media, one of the questions I often ask store owners is, “What do you have in your store today that people get really excited about?” Fresh blueberries or flowers. A seminar or workshop. A new supplement from Enzymedica. Anything is fair game!

Take that topic and build out a series of posts about it. For example, if it is a supplement, create a short video showing where to find it in the store. Then, create another about the benefits you’ll feel from that supplement. Create a third post where you talk about the science of that supplement.

Any topic can usually be talked about in multiple different ways. These are typically referred to as content series and are almost always more effective than single posts. For example, if you are bringing a new item into the store, create “teaser” content to educate your audience that something new is coming, and then create additional content when it first arrives to showcase the promotion for that product.

I always suggest taking the subjects of those posts and making sure they are in a prominent place in your stores so that there is a link between the social media and in-store experience. Some stores even maintain social-media-centric endcaps with your featured items.

Consider additional content that showcases your values. Why are you in business? Do you have a mission? Share your story with your customers.

Are There Any Stores Doing This Well?

There are many! Three standout stores are:

• Erewhon (Erewhon.com): One of the top trend-setting natural retailers in America, packed with celebrities and social media influencers.

• Nutrition World (NutritionW.com): With more than 86k followers, this Chattanooga, TN independent is a leader with phenomenal photography, education from wellness experts and videos with founder Ed Jones.

• Nuts ‘n Berries (Nutsnberries.com): Owner Mari Geier is a marketing maven. This Atlanta, GA independent has mastered social media with multiple clever content series, including taste tests of new products, Groundhog Day costumes and more!VR

Ryan Sensenbrenner leads marketing at Enzymedica, Inc. With extensive expertise in various marketing fields, including retail and e-commerce, he places a special emphasis on branding and customer centricity. Sensenbrenner has collaborated with retailers nationwide, enhancing their marketing strategies to boost revenue and brand recognition in their communities. He serves on SENPA’s Board of Directors, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Grand Valley State University and is an Executive Scholar and Certified Chief Marketing Officer from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.