It doesn’t cost anything to create a social media profile or start posting. But, it does take time, and for a busy small business owner, time is an incredibly precious resource. The last thing you want to do is waste it on a platform your prospective customers aren’t using.

For most local businesses, Facebook is the most important social media platform to be active on. The other platforms you use will depend on your industry and target audience. For example, if your customer base is mostly younger people, Instagram and TikTok are great options.

In order to build a strong social media presence for your local business, you need to post consistently. However, even if you post every day, you won’t get very far if you only post promotional content about your business.

Build strong connections within your community by posting community-centric content. Post about the local sports team’s upcoming games or give shoutouts to local athletes. Post about community events, like festivals or art walks. Highlight local nonprofits or charities that are making a difference in your community.

These are the types of posts that people in your community want to see — and that will get lots of likes, comments and shares from people in your area.

Speaking of local charities and nonprofits, one of the best ways to show your commitment to your community is by giving back to the organizations that support and help your community the most.

Give your employees a day off to volunteer at a local charity. Or, sponsor and promote a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. Whatever you do to give back, make sure that you post about it on social media.

Not only will this show people in your area how much you care, but it will also help to highlight the causes you care about.

Part of what makes social media marketing such a powerful marketing tool for local businesses is the fact that it’s social. Social media is a two-way street, and if you’re just using it to talk at your followers, you’re missing out.

When people engage with your social content by liking, sharing and commenting on it, it gives your social content legs. In general, the more engagement your social content gets, the more people will see it.

Post content designed for engagement, like polls and questions. And, when people do comment on your posts, make it a point to reply to them!

Social media is where people go to connect with friends, family, co-workers, people they played rec softball with, old school mates and more — many of whom are also a part of your community.

If you can get your followers to post about your business, it becomes visible to all of their community connections.

Encourage social media users to create content for your brand by running contests or quizzes, offering incentives or utilizing hashtags. And, when they do post user-generated content about your brand, make sure that you share it on your timeline!

Effective hashtag use is a key part of building a successful social media presence. And, they’re also a great way to ensure that people within your community will actually see your social content.

Lots of people follow local hashtags to stay in the know about what’s going on in their community. Using relevant local hashtags when you post on social media means that lots of people will see your posts.