A Simple Social Media Strategy You Can Map Out in One Morning
If social media has ever felt like a chaotic jumble of “post more, show up more, do more,” I want you to know this: you don’t need more. You need a simple plan that actually fits your life and business.
The truth is, most small business owners don’t need a complicated, corporate-style strategy. You need something you can sketch out with a cup of coffee, glance at during the week, and actually follow through on.
In this post, I’ll walk you through a simple social media strategy you can map out in one morning—no marketing degree or 20-page document required.
By the end, you’ll know what you’re posting, why you’re posting it, and how to tell if it’s working.
What “Social Media Strategy” Really Means (for Small Biz Owners)
When I say “social media strategy,” I’m not talking about a thick binder or a 30-slide PowerPoint.
For a small business, your strategy is simply a plan that answers four questions:
- Who am I talking to?
- What am I saying?
- Where am I showing up?
- How often am I going to do it?
That’s it. If you can answer those four things, congratulations—you have a strategy.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Goals
Before you touch a single content idea, pause and ask:
“What do I actually want social media to do for my business?”
A few examples of real goals:
- Get more client inquiries or bookings each month
- Build local awareness so people recognize your name
- Grow an email list with potential future clients
- Build trust and authority in your niche
Try to pick 1–2 main goals, not seven.
For example:
- “I want 5 new client inquiries per month from social media.”
- “I want people in my area to know who I am and what I do.”
- “I want to move my most engaged followers onto my email list.”
Those goals will guide what you post and how you show up.
Step 2: Know Who You’re Talking To
Next, let’s zoom in on who your posts are really for. “Everyone” doesn’t count.
Think about one real person:
- What are they worried about?
- What are they trying to figure out?
- How busy are they?
- What do they wish someone would just explain clearly?
You can use a simple sentence like:
My posts are for [type of person] who wants [result] but struggles with [problem].
For example:
“My posts are for busy small business owners who want to show up on social media consistently but feel overwhelmed by what to post and how often.”
When you can picture this one person, your content becomes clearer, more specific, and a lot easier to write.
Step 3: Choose Your Main Platforms
You do not have to be everywhere. Read that again.
Choose 1–2 main platforms where you’ll focus most of your energy. Base it on:
- Where your ideal people already hang out
- What you actually enjoy using (or at least don’t hate)
Examples:
- Local service-based biz → Facebook + Instagram
- Online coach/educator → Instagram + email list
- B2B-ish or more professional → Facebook + LinkedIn
If a platform constantly drains you and your people aren’t really there… it doesn’t deserve “main character” energy in your plan.
Step 4: Pick 3–5 Content Pillars
Now we’re answering the “What do I post about?” question.
Content pillars are the 3–5 main themes you talk about over and over. They keep your content focused and on-brand.
Some common pillar ideas:
- Education: Teach something related to your offer
- Behind the scenes: Show your process, day-to-day, and personality
- Client stories/testimonials: Proof and real results
- Promotions/offers: How people can work with you
- Relatable/lifestyle: Values, stories, and “me too” moments
Ask yourself:
“If someone scrolls my page for 9 posts, what 3–5 things do I want them to clearly understand about my business?”
Those are your pillars.
Step 5: Decide on a Realistic Posting Schedule
Notice I said realistic, not ideal.
It’s better to show up consistently 3x a week than to sprint for 10 days and then vanish for a month. Do know that life happens – to all of us…we just casually and meaningfully carry on. Be honest with your people, they will appreciate that more than you know.
A simple starting point:
- 3 feed posts per week
- A few stories on 2 of those days
Think about:
- Your current season of life
- Other responsibilities (clients, family, life)
- Your actual energy
Build your strategy for real-life you, not the ultra-productive version that shows up every once in a while. Future-you will thank you.
Step 6: Create a Simple Weekly Plan (in 4 Boxes)
Here’s where it all comes together in a structure you can repeat every week.
Grab a notebook, planner, or Google Doc and make four little sections:
- Goal for the week
- Posts for the week
- Engagement focus
- Next step for your followers
Example:
Goal:
Get 3 new inquiries about my [service].
Posts:
- Mon – Educational: “3 signs you’re ready for [service]”
- Wed – Story/Behind the Scenes: “Why I started doing this work”
- Fri – Soft Promo: “What working with me looks like (simple breakdown)”
Engagement focus:
10 minutes per day replying to comments and commenting thoughtfully on 5 ideal client posts.
Next step for followers:
“DM me the word ‘INFO’ if you want details on how this could look for you.”
You do not need to script everything perfectly in advance. This is about giving yourself a clear path so you’re not starting from zero every time you sit down to post.
Step 7: Decide How You’ll Measure “Is This Working?”
Let’s retire “Did this go viral?” as the main question.
Instead, ask:
- Did this post get comments or DMs from real humans?
- Did anyone save or share it?
- Did it lead to an inquiry, booking, or sale?
- Did someone say, “This really helped me”?
For small businesses, the metrics that matter most usually look like:
- Saves and shares
- Real comments and conversations
- DMs and inquiries
- Clicks to your site, booking page, or link in bio
Pick 2–3 metrics you’ll keep an eye on weekly or monthly, and let those guide your tweaks—not just the like count.
And if you’d like a guided place to track this, there’s a simple “Is This Working?” section inside my Simple Social Media Strategy Workbook that helps you notice wins and patterns each week—without drowning in numbers.
Your One-Morning Strategy Checklist
Here’s your “sit down with coffee and get it done” version:
- Choose 1–2 main goals for social media.
- Write 1–2 sentences about who you’re talking to.
- Pick 1–2 platforms to focus on.
- Choose 3–5 content pillars.
- Decide on a realistic weekly posting schedule.
- Sketch out a simple weekly plan (goal, posts, engagement, next step).
- Pick 2–3 metrics you’ll use to check if it’s working.
That’s your strategy. It doesn’t need to be prettier or more complex to be effective—it just needs to be used.
Want Help Mapping This Out Step-by-Step?
If you’re thinking, “Okay, this feels do-able, but I’d love someone to walk me through it in order,” that’s exactly why I created the Simple Social Media Strategy Workbook.
Inside, we go deeper into:
- Who you’re really talking to (in normal-people language)
- What makes your brand you (so your posts don’t sound like everyone else’s)
- Your content pillars, talking points, and a simple content plan
It’s designed to feel like I’m sitting beside you, asking the right questions and giving you space to brain-dump and organize as you go.
You can grab the Simple Social Media Strategy Workbook from my Gumroad store below and use this blog post as your companion while you work through it.
P.S. If you sit down and map out your simple strategy after reading this, I’d love to hear about it. Send me a DM or comment and tell me your 3–5 content pillars—I’ll happily cheer you on.
