It can be hard to come up with content ideas at times for your small business. With more and more businesses utilizing social media to create content, more ideas and variety of content is always better. Before I go into the list, I’d like to suggest that you re-use the content on all the platforms that you have.
If you have Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube – you can simply re-use the same content on all 4 by tweaking a few things here and there. Some of these can also be automated such as content that you post on Facebook can be posted on Instagram at the same time if you choose to use those settings and vice versa. This way you are not spending all your time just creating new content for each platform.
Additionally, there are various platforms out there, like SocialBee and Pallyy, that allow you to schedule your content – same content on various platforms. This makes it easier to just post on one and schedule and let it do it’s thing!
So, with that, let’s go over some content ideas that you can use for your small business:
Customers love to know, personally, the brands they are shopping for or thinking of shopping from. A story, as you may know, can do wonders! When your audience listens to a story, their brain waves actually starts to synchronize with yours making them extremely valuable because they give people a reason to connect with your brand. This also may result in your audience giving your product a try even when they may not be familiar with your brand. \
Now, this is also a great marketing technique. Let’s say you sell yoga pants (fitness niche) and another small business that you know sells yoga books or maybe gives yoga classes – your business is separate but they complement each other. You can collaborate with the business and post about them and why you decided to collaborate with them. Perhaps they share the same values as your business? Try to find and connect the dots and you will be able to get exposure to an additional set of audience / potential customers.
3. Gratitude. Say Thank You.
A no brainer, eh? But, some businesses don’t spend a lot of time thanking their customers unless it’s a special event like thanksgiving. This can be done by sharing a testimonial for example, and then sharing a story along with it. For example: a customer said they purchased something from your shop for your daughter’s 5th birthday and she loved it. You can share a story of when your father bought you something on your 5th birthday. Emotions! Emotions and story can do wonders for your business as audience love when brands are able to build connection with them.
You can make the meme relatable to your business / niche and share it. Humor is something that plays a huge unconscious (and conscious) role when it comes to persuading your audience. Also, a humor is good for everyone, so why not? 🙂
5. Do a survey and offer a discount in return.
If it’s been a while since you received feedback from your customers, post a survey and request responses by offering a discount or something similar in return. Small businesses can really use feedback to improve their business. Sometimes we don’t see what others do and feedback is a great way to engage and listen to your customers.
Similar to your brand story – what are your goals? Does your customers know your goals and what actions you have been taking to achieve them? Remember, goals may be short term or long term but sharing them initially, mid-point and when you achieve them can keep your customers engaged as they see you as a trustworthy and committed brand.
This may be something related to your niche that you might be invested in or supporting. For example: you are a clothing brand that is against fast fashion or human trafficking. This is another great way to get your customers to think about these causes and issues.
8. Ask for opinion
You could do a game of “This or That” or perhaps you are thinking about launching a new product and need opinions on things like color or pattern. This way your audience feels like they are part of your business as they are making decisions. Even if decision may not be in everyone’s favor – the fact that they are able to contribute to the decision makes them feel empowered.
9. Season – Summer/Fall/Winter Favorites
Just like how we change our home decor, clothing, accessories, and so on during different seasons – brands sometimes introduce seasonal products. Even if you don’t, you can still change things up with different decor that you use to show your products and relate it to the current season. For example: Lip gloss product in water during summer while the same pictured in snow during winter.
10. Your Best Seller Product And Why It Stands Out
There’s a reason a best seller is a best seller – everyone loves it! It’s probably what got your started or something that kept you going. Share why it’s loved by so many along with testimonials and perhaps even a story behind it.
11. Vacation – How You Used Your Products In Your Free Time?
Now, hey, take your well-deserved vacation! But, if you can, take pictures – don’t post them yet if you’re off of social media. But, take them and store them if you can along with your products that you sell if possible. Then, when you are back or perhaps during vacation, share them. Customers love to see different ways that a product can be used and this can be really helpful to demonstrate the usability of your product.
12. Collage Of Multiple Customer Reviews
Once you start collecting feedback or reviews for your products, create a collage or a story of reviews and share it. You can make it as fancy as you’d like or even feature them on your website and share a snapshot on your feed.
13. Cause That You Support
Is there a cause that your business supports? Share about that cause with your customers, why your support it and how their purchase or contribution helps with the cause.
14. “Ask me/us anything”
Dedicate a time where the customers can ask you anything and share each response with everyone. Instagram has this feature on stories and you can get creative with this on other platforms as well. Let your audience be in control!
15. 5, 10, or 30-day challenge
This challenge can be anything using your products. Let’s take the yoga example again, let’s say you sell yoga mats and challenge yourself to practice a headstand for 5 days. You can post about it so other’s can join and perhaps also do a giveaway using this.
16. “A Day With Me”
Being owner(s) of the small business, you can share your entire day’s journey with your customers. Let your followers know in advance that you will be doing this so they are aware and then share your day’s journey with them. It’s always exciting to see a business owner’s daily routine!
17. FAQ
Sometimes businesses have FAQs on their websites and they assume customers would read them. Next thing you know, you get an email with one of the same question. So, take time to share some of these FAQs along with answers with your followers, you can share a few a day or all in same day. For example: FAQ: Do you ship worldwide? A: Yes, we offer worldwide shipping. Also, shipping is always FREE!
18. Educational Videos
Try going on YouTube or just google about your product along with keywords such as “tutorial”, “educational”, “course”, etc. You will find a lot of ways that your product is being used if you ever run out of ideas. Share some educational videos with your followers so they see you not only as a seller but also as an authority in that niche. These videos can be through a collaboration, they can be all yours, just words, or perhaps some video that you found useful related to your product.
Sometimes it good to just talk about ‘feelings’ – no products, no selling … just an informal “How are you”. Your customers / potential customers will appreciate this and you will be amazed at the amount of engagement that you will receive.
20. Quote
Share a quote, how you feel about it or why you shared it and ask your followers if they agree or have any thoughts about it.
21. Give Them Something To Think (or Fear) About
What is your customer missing about when they are not using or buying your product? Make them think. For Example: if you sell vegan skincare products, share how their skin (preferably via a video) AT PRESENT is being hurt or damaged by products they may be using instead and then how your product solves that problem and then an after of what their skin may look like or how the transformation eventually will happen.
22. Ingredients / Materials Used
A lot of times small business owners only share keywords like “organic” or “handmade” but don’t really go into the detail. As a small business owner, you may be able to take things up a notch by talking about some of these ingredients or materials and their benefits. For example: if you sell soap that is made of turmeric, share the benefits of turmeric. Perhaps your cream is only made using 3 ingredients, instead of saying “Organic”, say “3 simple ingredients” and share the benefits of them.
23. Quick Tips
Share quick tips related to your product or niche. This can be related to usage of product, ingredients, etc.
There was a brand that sold meditational stones and once in a while they would share apps, websites, blogs or podcasts that offer free and paid meditations. You can be creative here and think about what resources are relevant to your niche and share those with your audience.
Your inspiration can be a person, an event in your life, a cause or something else. Share your inspiration behind your product, your brand, or why you started and/or what keeps you going.
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that I may earn a small commission from, at no additional cost to you.
