Your Business Social Media Toolkit: Where (and How) to Show Up

Fifteen years ago, World Social Media Day was established to recognise the increasing influence of social platforms on how we connect, communicate, and consume information. Since then, social media has transformed from a novelty into a non-negotiable business tool, revolutionising how brands engage with customers across the globe.

For businesses today, your social media presence is more than just a marketing channel; it is your digital shop window, a sense check, your employer brand, and in many cases, the first place prospective clients, customers, and future hires will look to learn about you. In many ways, your profiles have become the new “Google”: a window into your culture, values, expertise, and credibility.

So where should you begin? Which platforms should you prioritise? And how can you ensure your social strategy delivers real results?

Here’s a practical checklist to help your business navigate the modern social media landscape.

Phase 1: Foundations & Strategy

Before diving into platform specifics, it’s essential to lay the groundwork:

• Allocate Resources: Decide who will manage your social media, whether that’s an internal team, a dedicated person, or an external agency. It’s better to start small and scale up.
• Define Your Goals: Be clear about what you want to achieve, whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, customer support, talent acquisition, or community building. Example: Increase brand awareness by 20% in six months.
• Identify Your Target Audience: Understand who you are trying to reach, including their demographics, interests, and online behaviour. Creating audience personas can help guide your content.
• Research Competitors: Learn from what others in your industry are doing, both the successes and the pitfalls.
• Establish Brand Voice & Visuals: Define how you want your brand to sound and look online. A consistent tone of voice and visual style will strengthen your presence.

Phase 2: Picking the Right Platforms

LinkedIn: The Professional Network

Why use it:

LinkedIn remains the essential platform for B2B marketing, professional services, and employer branding.

What it’s great for:

• Building professional relationships
• Generating leads and driving B2B sales
• Attracting and recruiting talent
• Sharing thought leadership and industry expertise

Tips:

• Optimise your company page with clear messaging and visuals.
• Encourage employee advocacy, your team’s networks can extend your reach.
• Share a mix of thought leadership articles, behind-the-scenes posts, company news, and culture content.
• Engage in relevant industry groups and conversations.

Example:

PwC uses LinkedIn to showcase its expertise through thought leadership articles, industry reports, and video content. It also highlights its corporate social responsibility work and company culture, helping to attract both B2B clients and prospective employees. Their blend of professional insight and human stories makes their page highly engaging and trusted.

Instagram: The Visual Storyteller

Why use it:

Instagram is ideal for brands that benefit from visual storytelling and aesthetic appeal.

What it’s great for:

• Building brand awareness and community
• Showcasing products and services
• Sharing your company culture in an authentic way

Tips:

• Use high-quality imagery and video to build a cohesive visual style.
• Leverage Stories and Reels for behind-the-scenes content and quick engagement.
• Encourage user-generated content (UGC) and share it to build trust.
• Use relevant hashtags to expand your reach.

Example:

Beauty brand Glossier built its business largely through Instagram. It uses the platform to spotlight new product launches, share tutorials, and promote user-generated content from its highly engaged community. The visual style is consistent and polished, creating a distinct brand identity.

Innocent Drinks takes a light-hearted, humorous approach on Instagram, sharing quirky captions and playful visuals that reflect its brand voice. It uses Instagram to build community, humanise the brand, and drive engagement far beyond just product promotion.

Facebook: The Community Hub

Why use it:

Facebook is valuable for reaching broad audiences and building local communities.

What it’s great for:

• Community building and interaction
• Customer service and support
• Paid advertising for targeted reach

Tips:

• Keep your business page up to date with consistent branding.
• Use Groups to engage niche communities.
• Share a variety of content: videos, articles, live streams, polls.
• Leverage Facebook’s ad platform to target key audiences.

Example:

Tesco uses its Facebook page to engage customers directly, share deals, and handle customer service.

TikTok: The Trendsetter

Why use it:

TikTok is a fast-moving platform that rewards creativity and authenticity.

What it’s great for:

• Rapid brand awareness, especially among younger audiences
• Showcasing the human side of your business
• Participating in trends and cultural moments

Tips:

• Embrace short, creative, and authentic content; perfection is not required.
• Participate in trending formats and sounds in a way that feels true to your brand.
• Feature employees or teams to humanise your business.

Duolingo has built a cult following on TikTok by using its owl mascot in humorous, self-aware videos that tap into viral trends and internet culture. By creating content that feels native to the platform rather than promotional, the brand has driven huge engagement and built strong affinity with younger audiences.

YouTube: The Video Authority

Why use it:

YouTube is an excellent platform for building long-term brand visibility and trust.

What it’s great for:

• In-depth educational content and tutorials
• Long-form storytelling
• SEO visibility – it’s the second largest search engine

Tips:

• Prioritise high production values where possible, good audio and video matter.
• Optimise content for search with relevant keywords and metadata.
• Use YouTube Shorts to repurpose longer content into quick, engaging videos.
• Incorporate strong calls to action to drive engagement beyond the video.

Example:

SEMRush uses YouTube to provide valuable marketing tutorials that position them as industry experts.

Phase 3: Best Practices for Success

Once your platforms are live, follow these universal best practices:

• Consistency is crucial: Use a content calendar and post regularly.
• Engage, don’t broadcast: Foster two-way dialogue, respond to comments and messages.
• Humanise your brand: Share team stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and company values.
• Focus on quality: Prioritise valuable, high-quality content over volume.
• Leverage analytics: Use platform insights to guide your content strategy.
• Stay agile: Be ready to experiment with new trends and formats.
• Cross-promote: Integrate your social profiles across other marketing channels.
• Listen actively: Monitor what your audience is saying and use those insights to inform your approach.
• Encourage UGC: Showcase real customers and their experiences.

Social Media is the New “Google”

Your social media presence has a direct impact on how your business is perceived by both potential clients and future employees.

For prospective clients and customers:

• Build trust through transparency and responsiveness.
• Share valuable insights, case studies, and customer testimonials.

For employer branding:

• Highlight your company culture authentically.
• Feature employee stories and values in action.
• Use social media to attract and engage top talent.

Final Thoughts

Social media is no longer just part of your marketing mix; in many ways, it is the mix. The brands that thrive today are those that take a focused, authentic, and audience-first approach to social channels.

By using this checklist and tailoring your strategy to the platforms that suit your goals, your business can build a compelling presence that drives growth, trust, and talent acquisition, not just on World Social Media Day, but all year round.