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Adapted from playbooks Simon Campbell wrote for his own businesses in October 2026, with the business-specific parts removed. Platform rules change, so check the linked official help pages.
Social media can bring customers at almost no cost, but it can also eat every evening you have. This playbook helps you pick the few platforms that are worth it for your business, set up a routine of a few hours a month, and measure whether it's working.
1. Assess each platform with four questions
For each platform you're considering (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Nextdoor, X and others), score it on:
- Audience fit: are your actual customers there, and in a buying frame of mind?
- Format fit: does your work suit the format? Before-and-after photos suit Instagram; how-to videos suit TikTok and YouTube; B2B expertise suits LinkedIn; ideas and products suit Pinterest.
- Low-touch: can you keep it going with batched, scheduled posts, or does it need constant live replies and trend-chasing?
- Rules risk: does the platform restrict what you sell, or limit links and promotions? Local groups often ban adverts outright.
2. Give each platform a verdict
| Verdict | Meaning | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Where most of your customers are. Post regularly and reply quickly. | Weekly |
| Professional | Keep a complete, accurate profile (often LinkedIn) because people check you out there. | Monthly |
| Value-only | Only share genuinely helpful content where the community allows it; never spam. | Occasional |
| Not now | Park it. Claim your business name if you like, but don't spread yourself thin. | None |
Most new businesses do best with one or two core platforms. Add another only when the first is running smoothly.
3. Write one brand-facts sheet
Create a single document with your business name exactly as it appears on signage, your one-sentence description, a 150-word description, service area, phone, email, website, opening hours, logo files and brand colours. Copy from it every time you set up a profile, so every platform says the same thing. Consistency builds trust with customers and helps search engines connect your profiles.
4. Set up profiles properly
- Use a business account or page, not your personal profile.
- Add a clear profile photo (logo or your face) and a cover image showing your work.
- Fill in every field: category, area, hours, contact button and website.
- Turn on two-step verification and give a second trusted person admin access, so you're not locked out.
5. Plan content in themes
Pick four or five themes and rotate them, for example:
- Show the work: before-and-after, behind the scenes, a product being made.
- Help: answer a question customers often ask.
- Proof: real customer feedback, shared with permission.
- People: you and your team, why you started.
- Offer: what you sell and how to book or buy, no more than about one post in four.
6. Batch and schedule
Once a month, block out one or two hours. Take or choose the photos, write all the captions, and schedule them using the platform's own free scheduler (for example Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram) or a scheduling tool. Then you only need a few minutes a day to reply to comments and messages.
7. Tag your links so you can measure them
Add UTM parameters to links you share, for example ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring. Your website analytics will then show exactly which platform and post brought visitors and enquiries.
8. Stay within the rules
- Social posts are advertising when they promote your business, and the CAP Code applies: ASA: The CAP Code.
- Clearly label paid partnerships, gifted items and affiliate links as ads.
- Only share customer photos, names or reviews with their permission; see our data protection and licences guide.
- Don't buy followers or reviews, and don't offer rewards for reviews.
- Follow each group's rules about promotion.
9. A monthly scorecard
| Measure | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiries and sales from each platform | Ask every new customer; UTM data in analytics | The only number that pays the bills |
| Website clicks | Platform insights and analytics | Shows interest beyond a like |
| Messages received | Inbox | Often where local jobs start |
| Reach and saves or shares | Platform insights | Shows which content travels |
| Time spent | Your diary | Keeps effort proportionate |
Every three months, look back. Drop the platform or theme that brings nothing, and do more of what brings enquiries.
Next steps
- Read our Google Business Profile playbook.
- See our marketing overview and marketing on a small budget.
Handling comments and complaints
Reply to questions publicly where it helps others, and move anything personal (addresses, account details, complaints) into private messages. Stay polite, even when a comment isn't. Delete spam and abuse, but don't delete genuine criticism. A calm, helpful reply often wins more trust than the criticism loses.
Official sources
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Last checked 29 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.