Don't Know What to Post on Social Media? Start With Your Brand.
When I sit down with small business owners, one frustration comes up more than almost any other: "I don't know what to post on social media."
I heard it so often that I built a free workshop series around it. Over five sessions at Big Wave Coffee here in Folsom, I worked with more than 40 local business owners who all felt some version of that same stuck feeling.
Here's what I told every one of them: before you post on social media, you need to know your brand, your story, and your why. Once you know those, they're all you'll want to talk about.
The problem isn't the posting
Most owners treat "what should I post?" as a content problem. They look for templates, trending formats, or a posting schedule. Those tools can help, but they don't fix the real issue.
If you're not clear on what your business stands for, every post starts from a blank page. You end up posting whatever feels urgent: a sale, a holiday graphic, a reminder that you exist. It's exhausting, and it rarely connects with anyone.
When you know your brand, the blank page goes away. Every post becomes a chance to say something you already believe.
Branding isn't only for big budgets
A lot of small business owners assume branding means an expensive logo or a polished website. Those things can be part of it, but they aren't where branding starts.
Your brand is what people understand about you: who you serve, what you do differently, and why it matters. You can start defining that today without spending anything. And once you do, every dollar you spend on marketing later works harder, because it's all pointing in the same direction.
Three questions to answer before your next post
This is where we started in the workshops. Grab a notebook and give yourself 20 minutes.
1. What's your why? Why did you start this business, beyond needing an income? What problem did you see that you wanted to solve? Write it down in plain language, the way you'd say it to a friend.
2. What's your story? What happened along the way? Think about the moment you decided to start, the customers who shaped how you work, and the lessons you learned the hard way. Your story is what makes you different from the competitor down the street, even if you offer the same service.
3. Who are you here for? Picture the customer you love working with most. What do they worry about? What do they need to hear from you? The more specific you get, the easier it is to know what to say.
Turning your answers into content
Once you've answered those three questions, look back at what you wrote. You'll likely find a dozen post ideas already sitting there:
The moment you decided to start your business
A belief you hold that others in your industry don't
A customer you helped, and what changed for them
A behind-the-scenes look at how you do your work, and why you do it that way
A common mistake your customers make, and how to avoid it
None of these require a trend or a template. They just require you to know who you are.
When to bring in help
Some owners can work through these questions on their own. Others find it hard to see their own business clearly. That's normal, because you're too close to it.
If you'd like a partner in that process, that's exactly what my Brand Strategy Sprint is designed for. We dig into your why, your story, and your customers together, then turn it into a clear brand foundation you can build on for years.
And if you'd like to bring a workshop like this to your business group or community, let's talk. You can see more about the series in the Community Brand Workshops case study.