Social media lets small businesses show their personality, share their work and talk directly with customers. It can also swallow hours with little to show for it. This guide covers how to approach social media deliberately: choosing platforms, planning content and staying within the law.
This guide is general information written in our own words, based on the official sources listed at the end. Laws, regulator guidance and platform rules change, and how they apply depends on your business, so check the official source and get legal or professional advice where you need it. We don't recommend particular agencies, tools or platforms, and we never promise results.
Start with your customers
business.gov.au suggests choosing channels that suit your target market. Before opening accounts everywhere, find out where your customers actually spend time and what they use each platform for. A business-to-business service and a cafe may need very different approaches. Our know your customer guide explains how to research this.
Pick one or two platforms
It's better to do one or two platforms well than five poorly. Consider:
- Where your customers are.
- What kind of content you can create: photos, video, written posts.
- How much time you can realistically spend.
Plan your content
A simple content plan stops the "what do I post today?" problem. Mix different kinds of posts:
- Show your work: products, projects, behind-the-scenes.
- Be helpful: tips, answers to common questions, how-tos.
- Share news: new products, events, seasonal hours.
- Feature customers: with their permission.
Batch-create posts when you have time, and schedule them.
Engage, don't just broadcast
Social media is social. Reply to comments and messages promptly, thank people for sharing, and handle complaints politely, ideally moving detailed issues to a private message or phone call.
Advertising on social media
Most platforms offer paid advertising with targeting by location, interests and more. Start with a small budget, a clear goal and a simple offer, and measure results against your goals.
The law applies online
The ACCC says the Australian Consumer Law applies to social media advertising in the same way as other types of advertising, and businesses must not make false or misleading claims when promoting themselves. That includes claims in posts, ads, captions, images and comments you control. See our advertising law guide.
Influencers and sponsored posts
If you pay or give free products to people to promote your business, the ACCC expects the commercial relationship to be clearly disclosed. Our influencer guide explains what that means.
Competitions and giveaways
Social media competitions are popular, but check the platform's rules and any state requirements for trade promotions, and make sure terms are clear. If entrants give contact details, spam and privacy rules apply to any later marketing.
Protect your accounts
Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication, and make sure more than one trusted person can access business accounts.
Measure what matters
Likes are pleasant, but focus on measures that link to business results: enquiries, website visits, bookings and sales.
A weekly routine
A simple routine might be: plan and schedule a few posts at the start of the week, check and reply to comments and messages daily, share one piece of helpful content and one showing your work, and review results at the end of the month. Adjust based on what your customers respond to.
Handling negative comments
Respond calmly and politely, acknowledge the concern, and offer to continue the conversation privately. Don't delete genuine criticism simply because it's negative, and never argue publicly. Remove only content that breaches platform rules, such as abuse or spam.
User-generated content
Customers sharing photos of your products can be great marketing. Always ask permission before reposting someone's content, credit them, and don't edit it in a way that changes its meaning.
Try the email marketing checker
Our free email marketing checker asks six quick questions about consent, identifying your business, contact details and unsubscribing, based on ACMA's guidance on the Spam Act 2003. It shows what to fix if anything is missing. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you answer is sent anywhere.
Where our information comes from
Factual statements in our guides are based on official sources, including the ACCC, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), business.gov.au and Google Search Central. We link to each source at the end of the page and write everything in our own words. We don't publish invented statistics, benchmarks, case studies or testimonials.
Rules and platforms change
Consumer, spam and privacy rules are reviewed from time to time, regulators update their guidance, and digital platforms change their features and policies often. Treat our guides as a starting point, and check the official source, or get legal or professional advice, before making decisions that matter for your business.
Free official help
business.gov.au publishes free guidance and templates on marketing, advertising and online reviews, and can be contacted on 13 28 46. The ACCC, ACMA and OAIC each publish plain-language guidance for businesses on their websites. State small business commissioners and small business development centres also offer information, workshops and, in some cases, low-cost advice.
Marketing on a small budget
You don't need a big budget to market well. Many of the most effective activities for small businesses cost little except time: a clear, helpful website; accurate local listings; genuine reviews; a simple email list built with consent; consistent social media on one platform; and great service that earns word of mouth. Start with these, measure results and invest more where you see returns.
Working with agencies and freelancers
If you hire help, be clear about your goals and budget, ask for examples of similar work, agree what will be delivered and how results will be reported, and make sure you keep ownership of your website, accounts and customer data. Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed results. Remember that you remain responsible for what is published on your behalf.
Accessibility helps everyone
Making your marketing accessible helps more people use it. Use clear headings and plain language, add descriptive alt text to images, make sure text contrasts well with backgrounds, caption videos, and check that your website and emails work well on phones and with screen readers. Accessible marketing is usually clearer marketing for everyone.
Consistency builds recognition
Use the same business name, logo, colours and tone across your website, listings, social media, emails, signage and printed material. Consistency makes your business easier to recognise and remember, and helps customers trust that they've found the right business. A simple one-page style guide can help anyone who creates content for you.
Look after existing customers
It's often easier to win more business from existing customers than to find new ones. Thank customers, follow up after a sale, ask for feedback, and give them reasons to come back, such as useful updates or offers for regulars. Happy customers also tend to recommend you to others, which is some of the most valuable marketing there is.
A quick checklist
If you remember only a few things from our guides, make them these: know who your customers are; set goals you can measure; be helpful rather than salesy; make every claim accurate and provable; get consent before emailing or texting; never fake or manipulate reviews; disclose paid partnerships; and review what's working regularly.
Corrections and feedback
We review our guides against their sources and show the date each page was last checked. If you notice something out of date or incorrect, please tell us through our contact page. We read every message and correct mistakes promptly.
Key points
- Choose platforms based on where your customers are.
- Do one or two platforms well, with a simple content plan.
- Engage with comments and messages, not just broadcast.
- Consumer law applies to social media posts and ads.
- Disclose paid partnerships clearly.
Frequently asked questions
Which social media platform is best?
The one your target customers use. Research where they spend time rather than trying to be everywhere.
How often should I post?
Consistency matters more than frequency. Choose a schedule you can sustain.
Does advertising law apply on social media?
Yes. The ACCC says the Australian Consumer Law applies to social media advertising in the same way as other advertising.
Do I need to disclose paid partnerships?
Yes. The ACCC expects clear disclosure of commercial relationships in influencer and sponsored content.
Sources and further reading
Facts on this page were checked against these primary and official sources. Conditions change — confirm before you travel or buy.
