Moving to a new location or changing your hours? Are you getting ready to release a new service or product?

These are the kind of updates and announcements your customers need to know about, and social media is the perfect place to share this kind of information.

Show your appreciation to your top-performing and long-established employees by giving them a shout out on social media.

This is a great way to let your employees know just how much you appreciate what they do day in and day out, but this is also super shareable content that your employees’ friends, family and loyal customers will like, comment on and share.

Reviews are some of the most powerful content there is about your business. What your customers say about you has a lot more weight than what you say about yourself.

When someone gives you a glowing, five-star review, make it go further by posting it on your social media timeline.

Creating content on a consistent basis is an important part of making sure that your website is more visible on search engines, like Google and Bing. And one of the best ways to do that is through blogging.

When you share your blogs on social media, you’ll get more eyes on them. Plus, you’ll create more links pointing to your website, which will also help with your organic visibility.

Social media isn’t a one-way channel, which is part of the reason why it’s such a powerful tool for small businesses. However, not all content is equally engaging.

If you want more likes, comments and shares, focus on creating content designed for people to engage with it, like social media contests.

One reason why social media marketing has become such an important piece of the small business marketing puzzle is that it gives your customers a more personal look at your business.

Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business or team in action puts faces behind the name and helps customers see your human side. This helps to lead to stronger, more loyal customer relationships.

As I mentioned, what you say about yourself doesn’t carry nearly the same amount of weight as what your customers are saying about you. User-generated content is another form of that.

When someone posts a comment about your business, tags your restaurant in a picture of themselves and some friends or posts a picture of your product, share that content on your own timeline! This is free, highly impactful advertising for your business.

Your social media timeline should not be all business. People like to laugh and be entertained by social media content, as evidenced by some of the most outlandish (and hilarious) social media accounts, like Slim Jim, Denny’s or Wendy’s.

Using memes and gifs that are relevant (even if they’re only loosely related) to what you have to offer is a great way to make your followers laugh, get more engagements and even grow your following.

If a picture says a thousand words, a video says millions. Video is, by far, the most engaging, eye-catching form of content for your social media timeline, and it’s a great medium for introducing your brand.

Brand videos are a great way to show your followers what your brand is all about. Whether you’re telling the story of how you were founded or explaining your mission, video is the perfect format.

Videos are not only a wonderful way to tell your customers and followers who you are and what you do, but it’s also the perfect option when you want to showcase your products.

Demonstrate how to use a product in real life, or share a video on how to maintain the product or the benefits of using it. When it comes to product videos, the sky’s the limit, and they’re a wonderful tool for making sales.

When you’re deciding what to post on social media, it’s important to consider the kind of content that people want to see on social media. And, high on most people’s list is content that inspires and motivates them.

Whether or not an inspirational quote is directly related to your brand or products is not as important as how much engagement you get on social media. And inspirational quotes are a perfect example of shareable social content.

Your customers expect you to be an expert in your industry, which means that you need to demonstrate that you stay up to date with industry trends and news.

Share industry-related news stories that your customers might be interested in. Local businesses can also show their support for their communities by sharing community-related news.

Are you getting ready to launch a new product or add some new items to your menu? Are you expanding your services or opening up a new location?

Make your social followers feel as though they are insiders in your business by giving them exclusive sneak-peeks of anything you’re launching or changing in the near future.

If one person has a question about your products or services, chances are, more of your customers have had that same question at some point or another.

Educate and inform your customers by using your social media timeline to answer their common questions or address their common concerns. This is exactly the kind of proactive customer service a small business needs to stand out.

Sometimes, people have negative (or just unimpressive) experiences with certain products because they don’t know how to use them properly or how to make the most out of them.

The better you can educate your customers on how to get the most out of your offerings, the happier they will be and the more likely they will be to spread the word and become repeat customers. Share tips and advice on your timeline.