I've spent the last year working with small business owners who are looking to improve their online presence, shine a light on their venue and reach new customers in the process.


There are however the realities of running businesses, kitchens or cafes. When you have orders to place, shifts to organise and invoices to reconcile, the last thing that springs to mind is crafting a creative caption and picking the perfect photo for that post that should have gone out two hours ago. With this in mind, here are 4 tips to help streamline your social media strategy.


  1. Use High-Quality Visuals. Building a library of high quality images is the first step and crucial to success here. Consider this the mise en place of social media; having 10-20 images on hand at all times will take the guess work out of your daily post.
  2. Post Consistently. As a general rule, my clients aim to post everyday that their business is open. To make this achievable, consider the following.
  3. Routine - Determine a framework for your posts. There is no one-size fits all approach here, so consider building your post schedule around days of the week (i.e Wednesday- 'Produce focus', Thursday - 'Dish focus') or around themes (i.e week of posts about the new Winter menu).
  4. Scheduling - Platforms like Hootsuite or Later are great to pre-plan and schedule posts. If you have an image library available, schedule some time to plan not one, but ideally all of the posts for the week.
  5. Automation - Struggling to write captions? Lean on AI to take the grunt work of copy-writing. ChatGPT will be your best friend.
  6. Use Relevant Hashtags. When used correctly, they can help your posts appear in front of new customers who are interested in your content. However, it's important to use relevant hashtags that align with your brand and target audience. Avoid using generic hashtags like #food or #coffee, as they are too broad and can get lost in the sea of posts. Instead, use more specific hashtags like #brisbanedining or #brisbanebarscene to attract a more targeted audience.
  7. Engage with Your Followers. Engagement is a two-way street, and it's crucial to interact with your followers on Instagram. Respond to comments and messages promptly, repost stories and acknowledge your followers' contributions by commenting on their posts.