The Honest Truth About Social Media
Let's start with some realism: social media marketing isn't magic. It won't transform your business overnight, and you don't need to be on every platform.
But done sensibly, social media can help small businesses find customers, build trust, and compete with bigger companies—without a marketing department or big budget.
According to Ofcom's Online Nation 2024 report, 57 million UK adults use social media. Your customers are there. The question is how to reach them effectively without wasting time.
Which Platforms Actually Matter
You don't need to be everywhere. Pick 1-2 platforms where your customers actually spend time.
- 44 million UK users (Statista, 2024)
- Best for: local businesses, services, events, community building
- Audience: broad, but strongest with 25-54 age group
- Good if: you serve local customers or have a physical location
- 32 million UK users (Statista, 2024)
- Best for: visual businesses (food, fashion, beauty, design, travel)
- Audience: 18-44 primarily, growing older
- Good if: your products or work photograph well
- 37 million UK members (LinkedIn, 2024)
- Best for: B2B businesses, professional services, recruitment
- Audience: professionals, decision-makers
- Good if: you sell to other businesses or offer professional services
TikTok
- 23 million UK users (Statista, 2024)
- Best for: entertainment, reaching younger audiences, viral content
- Audience: primarily under 35, but growing across all ages
- Good if: you can create entertaining video content
X (Twitter)
- 18 million UK users (Statista, 2024)
- Best for: news, commentary, customer service, tech audiences
- Audience: news-focused, younger skew
- Good if: you have opinions to share or need real-time customer service
How Much to Post (Really)
Ignore advice telling you to post multiple times a day. For small businesses, quality matters far more than quantity.
Realistic posting schedule:
- Facebook: 3-5 times per week
- Instagram: 3-5 posts per week, stories more frequently if you have time
- LinkedIn: 2-4 times per week
- TikTok: 3-5 times per week minimum for algorithm favour
According to Hootsuite's 2024 Social Media Trends Report, businesses posting consistently 3-4 times per week see better engagement than those posting sporadically every day. Consistency beats frequency.
Time investment reality:
- Creating decent content: 30-60 minutes per post
- Responding to comments: 15-30 minutes daily
- Total: roughly 4-8 hours per week for one platform done well
If that sounds like too much, it probably is. Either commit the time, hire help, or accept that social media won't be a primary marketing channel for your business. That's fine—it's not right for everyone.
What to Post (Without a Content Team)
Small businesses have an advantage: authenticity. Big companies spend millions trying to seem human. You actually are.
Content that works:
Behind the scenes
Show your workspace, your process, your team. People love seeing how things are made or how businesses really work.
Customer stories
Share how you helped customers (with permission). Real results beat marketing claims.
Useful information
Teach something related to what you do. A plumber sharing winter pipe protection tips. A bakery sharing a simple recipe. Value builds trust.
Your personality
Opinions, humour, interests—the things that make you human. Small businesses can be personal in ways big companies can't.
Offers and announcements
New products, special deals, events. But not too often—if every post is selling, people stop paying attention.
Content that doesn't work:
- Stock photos with generic captions
- Constant sales pitches
- Copied content from other businesses
- Anything you'd scroll past yourself
Paid Advertising: Is It Worth It?
Organic reach (people seeing your posts without paying) has declined dramatically. According to Hootsuite, average organic reach on Facebook is now under 5% of your followers.
Paid ads can work for small businesses, but be strategic:
When to advertise:
- You have a specific offer or event to promote
- You've tested what content your audience responds to
- You have a way to measure whether it's working
- You can afford to lose the money while learning
Realistic budgets:
- Testing: £50-100 to learn what works
- Ongoing: £100-500/month for local businesses
- Campaigns: £500-2,000 for specific promotions
What works on a small budget:
- Boosting posts that already performed well organically
- Local targeting (people within 10-25 miles)
- Retargeting (showing ads to people who visited your website)
- Simple objectives (website visits, messages) rather than complex funnels
The Facebook Ads Manager looks complicated, but start simple. Boost a popular post to people in your area. See what happens. Learn from there.
Measuring What Matters
Most social media metrics are vanity metrics—they look nice but don't mean much for your business.
Metrics that matter:
- Website clicks (people taking action)
- Messages and enquiries (potential customers)
- Sales you can trace to social media
- Email sign-ups from social traffic
Metrics that matter less than you think:
- Follower count (quality matters more)
- Likes (easy engagement, low commitment)
- Reach (seeing isn't buying)
According to the UK's Data & Marketing Association, only 31% of small businesses track social media ROI effectively. Don't obsess over metrics, but do track whether social media is actually generating business.
Simple tracking:
- Ask new customers how they found you
- Use unique discount codes for social followers
- Check Google Analytics for social media traffic
- Track enquiries that mention social posts
Common Mistakes
Trying to be everywhere
Two platforms done well beats five done poorly. Focus.
Inconsistent posting
Disappearing for weeks, then posting daily, then disappearing again. Algorithms and audiences both prefer consistency.
Ignoring messages and comments
Social media is social. If someone comments or messages, respond. Quickly if possible.
Only posting about yourself
The best social media accounts provide value beyond promoting their business. Share useful content, engage with your community, support other local businesses.
Expecting instant results
Building a social media presence takes months, not weeks. If you need customers this week, social media probably isn't the answer.
Buying followers
Fake followers don't buy anything and damage your credibility. Never worth it.
Tools That Help
You don't need expensive software, but some tools make life easier:
Free:
- Canva (graphics): Create professional-looking images without design skills
- Meta Business Suite (Facebook/Instagram): Schedule posts, see analytics
- Later (scheduling): Plan and schedule posts across platforms
Paid (worth considering):
- Buffer (from £5/month): Simple scheduling across platforms
- Hootsuite (from £89/month): More comprehensive management
- Canva Pro (£10/month): More templates and features
For most small businesses, free tools plus 1-2 cheap subscriptions are plenty.
Getting Started: Week by Week
Week 1: Choose and Set Up
- Pick 1-2 platforms based on where your customers are
- Create or update business profiles with good photos and descriptions
- Complete all profile information (hours, location, contact details)
Week 2: Plan Content
- Brainstorm 10-15 content ideas
- Take photos and videos of your business
- Create a simple posting schedule you can stick to
Week 3: Start Posting
- Begin with 3 posts in the first week
- Respond to any engagement immediately
- Note what gets the best response
Week 4: Review and Adjust
- What content performed best?
- When are your followers most active?
- Adjust your approach based on real results
Ongoing:
- Maintain consistent posting schedule
- Experiment with different content types
- Review monthly: is this generating business?
The Bottom Line
Social media can work for small businesses, but only if you approach it realistically. Pick the right platforms, post consistently, provide value beyond selling, and measure what actually matters for your business.
If you can commit 4-8 hours per week and maintain consistency for at least 6 months, you'll likely see results. If that's not realistic for your situation, consider whether other marketing channels might be more effective.
The businesses that succeed on social media aren't necessarily the cleverest or the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that show up consistently, respond to their community, and treat social media as a genuine conversation rather than a broadcast channel.
That's something any small business can do.
