Getting the Most Out of Social Media for Small Businesses: Key Strategies for Success

Amber Hollier • March 4, 2024

Getting the Most Out of Social Media for Small Businesses: Key Strategies for Success

Social media has become an indispensable tool for small businesses looking to expand their reach, and engage with new and potential customers. With billions of active users across numerous platforms, the potential for connecting with your target audiences is virtually limitless. However, effectively leveraging social media requires strategic planning and execution. Here are some of the best ways for small businesses to utilize social media to their advantage:


Define Your Goals: Before diving into social media marketing, it's essential to establish clear objectives. Whether it's increasing brand awareness or generating traffic to your website, having defined goals will guide your strategy and help measure progress.


Know Your Audience: Understanding your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them. Take the time to research their demographics, interests, and online behavior. This insight will inform the type of content you should create and the platforms you will decide to prioritize.


Choose the Right Platforms: With numerous social media platforms available, it's important to focus your time on the ones where your audience is most active. Keep in mind the factors such as demographics, industry relevance, and content format preferences when selecting platforms.


Create Compelling Content: Quality content is the cornerstone of successful social media marketing. Thoughtful images, informative videos, and engaging captions, work to provide value to your audience with every post. Experimenting with different types of content will help you to see what resonates best.


Be Consistent: Consistency is vital to maintaining a strong presence on social media. Work on developing a posting schedule and be sure to stick to it. Regularly sharing content keeps your audience engaged and helps build brand recognition over time.


Foster Engagement: Don’t just broadcast messages – actively engage with your audience. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Encourage conversations by asking questions, running polls, and soliciting user-generated content.


Utilize Paid Advertising: While organic reach is valuable, paid advertising can help amplify your message and reach a broader audience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer strong targeting options to ensure your ads are seen by the right people.


Analyze and Iterate: Regularly monitor your social media performance metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Pay attention to metrics such as your engagement rates, follower growth, and website traffic. Use these insights to refine your strategy and optimize future content.


Social media presents many opportunities for small businesses to connect with customers and grow their brands. By following best practices and remaining adaptable to changes in the digital landscape, small businesses can harness the full potential of social media and achieve their marketing goals. If you're looking for guidance in navigating the world of social media marketing, Triangle Printing and Marketing is here to help. We specialize in assisting small businesses in maximizing their online presence. We would be delighted to schedule a call to discuss how we can support your social media marketing efforts further.

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Why You’re Not Getting Google Reviews (and How to Fix It)

By Amber Hollier • June 17, 2025
Online reviews are as good as gold for any business. Google Reviews add to your credibility and directly impact how easily potential customers find you online. But here’s the hard truth: many companies struggle to collect reviews, even when they have plenty of happy customers. If your business isn’t getting the reviews you deserve, here’s why...and, more importantly, how to turn that around. 1. You’re Not Asking — Or Not Asking The Right Way It might sound obvious, but a huge reason companies don’t get Google Reviews is simply because they don’t ask. Many satisfied customers assume you don’t need their feedback unless you tell them otherwise. Even worse, if you only ask once and in an inconvenient way, customers are likely to forget. How to Fix It: Make asking for reviews a consistent, simple part of your customer communication. Train your staff to ask after a purchase or successful service. Include a polite, clear request in follow-up emails or invoices. A direct line like, “Your feedback means the world to us — would you mind leaving a quick review?” goes a long way. 2. It’s Too Hard to Leave a Review If your customers have to hunt for your business on Google, find the right link, and log in, you’re asking too much. The more steps involved, the fewer reviews you’ll get. How to Fix It: Create a direct link and/or generate a QR code that goes straight to your Google Review page. Google provides a special URL that takes customers directly to the review box. Add this link to your website, email signature, thank-you pages, front desk, and receipts. The easier you make it, the more likely people are to follow through. 3. You Don’t Follow Up People are busy. Even happy customers forget to leave reviews when life gets in the way. Many businesses ask once and never remind customers again. How to Fix It: Automate a gentle follow-up. Send a reminder a few days after your first request. Use simple, friendly language that expresses genuine appreciation for their time. Tools like email marketing platforms or CRMs can help you schedule this automatically. 4. You’re Not Showcasing Reviews Believe it or not, customers are more likely to leave reviews when they see others doing it. This is a lot like how customers are more likely to leave tips when they see a few dollars already in the tip jar. If your Google profile looks empty, people may feel their effort won’t make a difference. How to Fix It: Highlight existing positive reviews on your website, social media, and in-store signage. This builds trust with potential customers and encourages others to join in. 5. You Don’t Have a Company Culture That Values Reviews Sometimes the problem starts within the business. If your team doesn’t see reviews as a priority, they won’t remember to ask customers consistently. How to Fix It: Make reviews part of your company culture. Celebrate great feedback in team meetings and share positive reviews with your staff. Recognize employees who help generate the most reviews...a little internal competition never hurts! Start Growing! More Google Reviews means more trust, more clicks, and ultimately more business. By making it easy, asking consistently, and showing appreciation, your company can increase their online visibility and credibility. Need printed thank-you cards with a QR code that links straight to your Google Review page? We can help! Bring your happy customers into the heart of your marketing.