Social media is one of those things that sounds simple until you’re the one trying to keep it going.

You post a few times. You get a couple of likes from mates. Maybe an old customer comment. Then a busy week hits, and the whole thing goes quiet again.

If you’re running a business around Sydney — or out towards Wollongong, the Central Coast, or Newcastle — you don’t need to “go viral”. You need a steady flow of the right people finding you, trusting you, and reaching out.

That’s the job.

This article walks through a practical way to do it without turning your week into a content treadmill.

What social media marketing actually is (in normal words)

Social media marketing is just the work you do on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to:

1. Show what you do

2. Build trust with people who don’t know you yet

3. Make it easy for someone to enquire or book

It’s a mix of posts, replies, and (sometimes) paid ads.

It’s also not magic.

People usually scroll past your content, forget about it, then remember you later when they’ve got a problem to solve. That’s why consistency matters more than “perfect” posts.

One line that helps: social should support your sales process — not replace it.

Why “local” matters more than people think

Sydney isn’t one big market. It’s lots of little ones stitched together.

What works in the Inner West doesn’t always land the same way in the Shire. And a business doing jobs across the Central Coast will often need a different angle again.

Local customers want quick answers:

1. Do you service my area?

2. Have you done this kind of job before?

3. Will you show up when you say you will?

If your content doesn’t help with those questions, it tends to drift into the background.

Start with the result you want

Before you think about what to post, decide what you’re trying to get out of it.

For most Sydney-area SMEs, the goal is one of these:

1. More enquiries for services

2. More bookings

3. More walk-ins (if you’re local retail, hospitality, or clinics)

4. More repeat business

5. More trust, so you’re not constantly haggling on price

Pick one main goal and one “nice to have”.

That’s it.

If you try to chase everything at once, you’ll end up with a feed that looks busy but doesn’t move the needle.

A quick truth: likes are not the goal. They’re a side effect.

The simple content mix that usually works

Most small businesses do best when their posts fall into three types. You don’t need fancy names for them, but it helps to keep the balance.

Proof (show you’re the real deal)

This is the stuff that makes someone think, “Yep, they know what they’re doing.”

1. Before/after photos

2. A short video of a job in progress

3. A customer message (even just a screenshot with names removed)

4. A quick run-through of how you work

People don’t need production quality. They need clarity.

Helpful answers (reduce the hesitation)

A lot of customers don’t book because they’re unsure. They don’t know what it’ll cost, how long it takes, or what happens next.

Posts that help:

1. “What affects the price?” (not necessarily exact numbers)

2. “What to do before we arrive”

3. “How long does this normally take?”

4. “Common mistakes people make”

These posts feel boring when you write them… but they tend to bring in the best enquiries.

Clear next steps (ask for the enquiry)

Not every post needs a call-to-action, but some should.

1. “Got questions? DM us, and we’ll point you in the right direction.”

2. “Bookings open for next week — message to lock in a time.”

3. “If you’re in [area] and need help with [problem], here’s what to do first.”

If your feed never asks for an action, people will assume you’re “just posting”.

Step 1: Pick one main platform and stop spreading yourself thin

If you’re trying to do Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube all at once, it’ll fall apart.

Choose one main channel that suits how your customers behave:

1. Facebook + Instagram: local services, clinics, hospitality, home services

2. Instagram: visual businesses (beauty, fitness, retail, design, venues)

3. LinkedIn: B2B services (accountants, consultants, commercial trades)

4. TikTok: if you can commit to quick videos regularly without hating your life

Then choose one support channel where you repost the same content.

That’s enough to start.

One calm approach beats six messy ones.

Step 2: Set up a content routine you can actually keep up

If your plan relies on motivation, it won’t survive month one.

Keep it simple:

1. Choose 2–3 topics you want to be known for

2. Rotate 4–6 post styles

3. Pick a weekly rhythm you can handle

A realistic rhythm for many businesses is 3 posts a week plus quick replies.

You don’t need to post every day.

You do need to show up often enough that someone visiting your profile thinks, “Yep, they’re active.”

Here’s a low-effort rotation that works:

1. Monday: proof post (job photo / before-and-after)

2. Wednesday: FAQ/tip

3. Friday: service post with a clear next step

Then repeat.

Operator experience moment (what I’ve noticed on the ground)

The accounts that get steady enquiries usually aren’t the most polished. They’re the ones that feel real. You can tell who’s behind the business, what they do day-to-day, and that they actually work in the area they say they do. Also, when businesses reply quickly and clearly (even with short messages), they win more jobs than they realise.

Paid social: the bit people either overdo or avoid completely

Paid social can work well for local businesses, but it’s not a band-aid.

If your profile is messy, ads just send more people to a confusing page.

Before spending anything, check three basics:

1. Your bio clearly says what you do and where you service

2. Your last 9–12 posts show real work or real advice

3. It’s easy to contact you (call, form, message, booking link)

If those are sorted, paid can help you get in front of more of the right people.

For most local businesses, the best starting point is:

1. retargeting (ads shown to people who’ve engaged with your page or visited your site)

2. a small local campaign for one clear service or offer

My personal take: retargeting is often the first paid move worth bothering with, because it’s warm traffic. You’re not trying to convince strangers from scratch.

Another honest take: don’t scale spend until you know what an enquiry is worth to you.

And one more: one solid offer beats a bunch of vague “DM us” posts.

What to measure (so you don’t drown in data)

You don’t need a complicated report.

You need a few simple checks each week:

1. How many enquiries came in (calls, forms, DMs)

2. Whether they were in your service area

3. Which posts caused messages or profile visits

4. How fast did you replied

If you’re running ads, add:

1. Cost per enquiry

2. Quality of enquiries (not just the number)

The easiest way to do this is boring but effective: a weekly note in a spreadsheet.

If you only track likes and followers, you’ll miss what’s actually happening.

A Sydney SMB mini-walkthrough: local tradie trying to book out the month

Say you’re a painter servicing Newcastle and the Central Coast.

You’re good at your work, but you’re tired of quiet patches.

Here’s a clean starting plan:

1. Decide your main goal: more quote requests for interior repaints.

2. Update your profile: services + areas + one clear next step (call or DM).

3. Post three “proof” posts in a row: before/after, a job walkthrough, a customer message.

4. Add one FAQ post: “What affects the price?” or “How long does a repaint take?”

5. Pin a post that explains who you help and the areas you cover.

6. Run a small retargeting ad to people who engaged in the past 30 days.

7. Track enquiries and what prompted them each week.

That’s not fancy, but it’s steady.

And steady usually wins.

The common traps that waste time

Posting like it’s a brochure

If every post is “we offer X service”, people scroll past.

Show what the work looks like. Show what happens before and after. Show your process.

Overthinking production

Phone footage is fine. Natural light is fine.

People want real. They don’t need TV ads.

Making it hard to contact you

If someone has to hunt for your number, areas, or booking method, they’ll move on.

Make it obvious.

Ignoring messages for days

People message when they’re in the mood to decide.

If you take too long, they book someone else.

Even a short reply is better than silence.

When getting help makes sense

At some point, the issue isn’t ideas.

It’s time.

If you’re flat out running jobs or looking after staff, keeping up a consistent content routine can be a pain. That’s often when outside support can help — planning content, creating posts, keeping ads tidy, and making sure you’re tracking outcomes properly.

If you want a reference point for what that kind of support can look like, here’s Warren Digital’s social media marketing agency.

Even with support, the best results usually come when the business provides the real-world detail (photos, jobs, FAQs) and someone else turns it into a repeatable system.

How to keep it sustainable (so it doesn’t die off)

A few habits make a big difference:

1. Batch content once a fortnight (even 60–90 minutes helps)

2. Keep a running list of questions customers ask

3. Repost your best posts every few months with a new caption

4. Don’t chase trends if they don’t suit your customers

You don’t need to be “on” all the time.

You just need to be present enough that when someone needs you, they remember you exist.

Key Takeaways

1. Pick one main goal (enquiries or bookings) and build around that.

2. Use a simple mix of proof, helpful answers, and clear next steps.

3. Start with one main platform, then repost to one support channel.

4. Don’t run ads until your profile and recent posts make you look trustworthy.

5. Track enquiries and quality each week — not just likes.

Common questions we get from Aussie business owners

“How long does it take before social brings in proper leads?”

Usually, you’ll see small signs early (more profile visits, more saves, a few DMs), but reliable enquiries often take 6–12 weeks if you’re starting from scratch. A practical next step is to commit to a simple 12-week routine (like 3 posts a week) and record every enquiry source. Around Sydney, people often decide fast once they trust you, so building that trust steadily matters.

“Should I do organic first or just pay for ads?”

It depends. In most cases, organic first makes sense because people check your profile before they contact you. Your next step is to get at least 9–12 solid posts up that show real work and answer common questions, then test a small retargeting budget. For local areas like Wollongong or the Central Coast, retargeting can be a strong first paid move because it stays in front of people already interested.

“We cover heaps of suburbs — do we need different pages or different posts for each?”

Usually not different posts for every suburb, but you should make the service area clear in a natural way. A good next step is to pick your priority areas and mention them across your bio, pinned posts, and a few captions each month. In Sydney and surrounding regions, people mainly want confidence that you actually service their area and can get there without drama.

“People call us instead of filling in forms — how do we track if social is working?”

In most cases, you need one simple habit: ask “Where did you find us?” and write it down. Your next step is to add a weekly tally (Instagram, Facebook, Google, referral, other). Phone calls are still huge for local businesses, so if you only track online forms, you’ll miss the true impact of your social work.