I have recently completed some social media training with local High Street businesses to help them gather ideas for their social media content plans, specifically focusing on brand and location awareness.
I thought this was blog worthy to share some of these content ideas that you can easily apply to your own business (High Street or other). So here we go!
Behind the Scenes
Behind-the-scenes content helps humanise a business and builds trust with your audience. People enjoy seeing the process behind the products or services they buy, as it makes the business feel more authentic and relatable.
Examples of behind-the-scenes content:
- A quick look at your workspace or studio
- Preparing a customer order
- Setting up a shop display
- Designing a new product
- Preparing for an event or market
Example caption:
“Ever wondered what happens before our products reach the shop floor? Today we’re busy preparing new stock and setting up our latest display. It’s one of our favourite parts of the job!”
Why it works:
It shows the personality of the business and helps customers feel connected to the people behind the brand.
Customer Stories
Customer stories provide powerful social proof. When potential customers see real people enjoying your products or services, they feel more confident about buying from you. People by from people!!!
Ideas for customer stories:
- Share a review from a happy client
- Post a photo of a customer using your product
- Share a short testimonial
- Highlight a long-term client relationship
- Celebrate a customer success story
Example caption:
“We love hearing how our customers use our products. Jane recently told us how our design service helped refresh her shop window and attract more customers. Thank you for sharing your experience!”
Why it works:
Customers trust other customers more than advertising.
Meet the Team
Introducing your team helps people connect with the faces behind the business. This is especially useful for service businesses where relationships are important.
Ideas for staff posts:
- Meet the team introductions
- A short biography of a staff member
- Favourite part of their job
- Their favourite product or service
- A fun fact about them
Example caption:
“Meet Sue, part of the Catch Designs team. Sue specialises in social media strategy and loves helping small businesses feel more confident online.”
Why it works:
People like to know who they are dealing with, especially in local businesses.
Top Tips
Tip posts provide useful value to your audience and position your business as an expert in your field. These types of posts are often saved and shared and make your followers see you as the conduit of this sector-led content.
Examples of tip content:
- Practical advice
- Quick “how-to” posts
- Simple solutions to common problems
- Industry insights
- Helpful tools or resources
Example caption:
“Struggling with what to post on social media? Try sharing a quick tip related to your business. Helpful posts build trust and often get more engagement than sales posts.”
Why it works:
Providing useful information builds authority and encourages followers to return for more advice.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions are great content because if one person has asked the question, many others are probably wondering the same thing. If you have already created these for your website, then well done, you have already done the hard work, you can repurpose this content and create individual social posts from these, how about a carousel post showing the Question and the Answer?
Ideas for FAQ posts:
- Answer common customer questions
- Explain your process
- Clarify pricing or services
- Explain how long something takes
- Share what customers should expect
Example caption:
“FAQ: How often should a small business post on social media?
A good starting point is two to three times per week. Consistency is more important than frequency.”
Why it works:
It saves time answering repeated questions and provides useful information to new customers.
New Products
New product posts create excitement and encourage customers to check back regularly to see what’s new. Show them off (or even asking questions pre-design – use social media as market research!)
Ideas for new product posts:
- Product launches
- Seasonal items
- Limited editions
- New service announcements
- Sneak previews
Example caption:
“We’re excited to introduce our latest design service package, created especially for small businesses who want professional social media without the stress.”
Why it works:
Newness captures attention and encourages engagement.
Events
Events are great opportunities to generate interest and engage with your community. Social media helps build anticipation before the event and extend the impact afterwards. Vital if you need bums on seats.
Ideas for event posts:
- Upcoming workshops
- Local markets
- Community events
- Live demonstrations
- Event preparation
Example caption:
“We’ll be hosting a social media training workshop next month designed specifically for small businesses who want to improve their online presence. Send me an email to secure your place.”
Why it works:
Events give followers a reason to engage with your business offline as well as online.
Before & After
Before and after posts clearly show the value of your work. They demonstrate the transformation your product or service can provide.
Examples:
- Website redesigns
- Retail Shop windows
- Shop display changes
- Product restorations
- Branding refreshes
Example caption:
“Before: inconsistent social media posts with little engagement.
After: a clear content plan, consistent branding, and regular engagement.”
Why it works:
Visual transformation posts are highly engaging and easy to understand.
Local Partnerships
Collaborating with other local businesses helps extend your reach and strengthen community connections. Just being part of the same community enables your brand to be seen in lots of places around the social media platforms.
Ideas:
- Highlight another local business
- Collaborate on an event
- Share cross-promotions
- Partner for a giveaway
- Recommend complementary services
Example caption:
“We love supporting other local businesses. Today we’re highlighting a fantastic café in town that serves amazing coffee and cakes, often enjoyed at our workshops!”
Why it works:
Local partnerships help businesses reach new audiences and build community goodwill.
Promotions
Promotional posts encourage customers to take action. These should be used strategically alongside more helpful content. If you have additional budget to spend, maybe consider having a little ad spend behind them?”
Ideas:
- Special offers
- Seasonal promotions
- Limited time discounts
- Package deals
- Early booking incentives
Example caption:
“Special offer this month: Book a social media training session and receive a free content planning guide.”
Why it works:
Clear promotions with deadlines encourage customers to act.
Final Top Tip for small businesses:
A good social media balance is:
- 50% helpful content
- 30% engaging or storytelling content
- 20% promotional content
This keeps your feed interesting while still promoting your services.
Useful, we hope so! If you want to find out more about how I can help support/train your business with this kind of information, bespoke for your business sector, please drop me a line at [email protected]
