Whenever I speak with local business owners, the conversation goes something like this: “I know I should be posting on social media, but I never really know what to post,” or “I do post pretty regularly—just whatever I think of that day. Like a photo inside my shop or something…”

They might post when they have time or when they remember, but there’s no overall strategy that appeals to your ideal client or customer.

This approach is better than nothing. It communicates to potential clients that you’re open for business and active. It lets them know you’re available.

Unfortunately, this does leave gaps in engagement and doesn’t work toward achieving any specific business goals.

By avoiding the following three mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to plugging the holes in your engagement, posting consistently, and using your social media to meet your business goals.

Mistake #1: Posting Without a Clear Goal

Posts that are created with clear goals drive your business forward and support the work you’re doing. My clients look at the goals they have for their business, then identify ways their social media can support those goals.

Examples of goals you can achieve by posting on social media include:

• Raising brand awareness
• Promoting an event or sale
• Growing your email list
• Building community
• Connecting with existing customers
• Increasing foot traffic

Any given post would work towards one of these goals. Over the course of a month, I often focus on one primary goal, and maybe two others. That helps to keep me focused and allows me to see a real impact.

How to fix it: Identify clear goals for your social media and align them with business objectives before planning your content.

Mistake #2: Not Balancing Selling with Connecting

Some business owners make every post a sales pitch—and we quickly unfollow them. That’s because as customers, we are also looking for value, inspiration, and connection.

My clients sometimes have the opposite problem: they’re shy about selling and make sales posts so rarely that followers don’t even know what they offer!

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When planning content, include a variety of categories, such as posts that:

• Educate about your services or products, why they are important, the values behind them, and how to use them. This positions you as a trustworthy authority and local expert.
• Entertain by making people smile, laugh, or think, “I want to share this!” without feeling like they’re being sold to. These posts can be humorous, engaging, or even playful, and they give your followers a break from the usual sales and promotions. This can include fun or quirky behind-the-scenes content, seasonal jokes or memes, customer interactions, and playful polls or quizzes.
• Promote your products or services directly, such as sharing popular products, promoting a sale, or talking about an event.
• Build community trust by showing your followers that you’re not just here to sell to them. You’re also a reliable, authentic member of your local community. Do this through customer testimonials, partnerships and collaborations, supporting local events and causes, and team spotlights.

Another way to think about is as 3 Types of Posts Your Business Needs, where I describe the idea that you should posts that make you relatable, posts that position you as an authority, and posts that sell your stuff.

How to fix it: While creating your social media content calendar, rotate through all four of these types of posts. Or use my free fall/holiday posting plan as a start!

Mistake #3: Inconsistent Posting

Random or infrequent posting confuses followers and can result in lost opportunities. When your audience doesn’t hear from you regularly, it’s easy for them to forget about your business or turn to more visible competitors.

Worse yet, sporadic posting makes it harder for the Instagram algorithm to know what to expect from you. The algorithm rewards accounts that post consistently and engage with their audience, so when you don’t post regularly, your content is less likely to be shown to your followers—or to new potential customers.

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Inconsistency also impacts you as a business owner. Without a clear plan, you might feel unsure about what to post, scramble at the last minute to create content, or simply skip posting altogether when things get busy. I see this every day, and it leads to stress and burnout.

How to fix it: A posting plan or content calendar makes it easier to plan ahead and stay consistent, helping you as a business owner post regularly without feeling overwhelmed.

How to Start Using a Content Calendar

To help business owners like you, I created a posting plan to avoid these mistakes. It provides weekly, easy-to-use post suggestions that are goal-focused and designed to drive engagement and foot traffic. Whether you use mine or your own, by setting up a calendar, you can organize your posts around important dates, events, and promotions.

You’ll mix in a variety of content types, like promotions, behind-the-scenes glimpses, customer stories, and tips—keeping your feed engaging without being repetitive. Plus, with a calendar, you’ll have a clear strategy that helps align each post with your business goals, ensuring every piece of content is intentional and purposeful.

By using a content calendar, you can batch-create posts, work ahead, and maintain a steady flow of content even during busier periods—making it easier to show up consistently and keep your audience engaged.

With my content calendar, each month, there’s space to name the goal(s) you’re working toward with your social media. As you complete the prompts, you can ensure that they work together to lead toward that main goal. Using the posting plan will help you stay on track and achieve your social media goals without the overwhelm.