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Social Media Without the Guesswork

You don’t need to be everywhere—just where it counts. For startups, social media is a way to connect, listen, and show up where your audience already is.

This page will help you figure out which platforms make sense, what kind of content to share, and how to use social media to support your marketing—not distract from it.

    Social Media Without the Guesswork

    You don’t need to be everywhere—just where it counts. For startups, social media is a way to connect, listen, and show up where your audience already is.

    This page will help you figure out which platforms make sense, what kind of content to share, and how to use social media to support your marketing—not distract from it.

      Tips to get you started

      (Click linked headings for guidance)
      • Set Clear Objectives
        Begin by defining your startup social media goals. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, boost sales, or foster customer engagement? Each objective will shape your strategy differently.
      • Know Your Audience
        Thoroughly research your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior. This knowledge will inform the type of content and platforms you should focus on.
      • Select the Right Platforms
        Not all social media platforms are created equal. Choose the platforms where your target audience is most active. Common options include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok.
      • Content Strategy
        Develop a content plan that aligns with your brand’s messaging and resonates with your audience. Consider a mix of content types, such as posts, images, videos, stories, and live streams.
      • Content Calendar
        Create a content calendar to schedule and organize your posts. Consistency in posting is essential for maintaining engagement and building a following.
      • Engagement and Interaction
        Social media is a two-way street. Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Encourage dialogue and foster relationships.
      • Visual Consistency
        Maintain a cohesive visual identity with consistent branding elements, such as color schemes and fonts, across your social media profiles.
      • Hashtags
        Use relevant and trending hashtags to increase the discoverability of your content. However, be mindful not to overuse them, as it can appear spammy.
      • Paid Advertising
        Consider using paid social media advertising to reach a broader audience and promote specific content or campaigns.
      • Analytics and Metrics
        Use social media analytics tools to track key performance metrics, such as engagement rates, reach, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Analyze the data to refine your strategy.
      • Competitor Analysis
        Keep an eye on your competitors’ social media efforts. Analyze their strategies to identify opportunities and gaps in your own approach.
      • Test and Iterate
        Experiment with different content formats, posting times, and messaging to determine what resonates best with your audience. Continuously refine your strategy based on results.
      • Crisis Management
        Prepare for potential social media crises by having a plan in place to address negative feedback or PR issues promptly and professionally.
      • Legal and Ethical Considerations
        Ensure your startup’s social media content and activities comply with legal regulations and ethical guidelines. Be transparent and honest in your communications.
      • Time Management
        Efficiently manage your time by using social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule posts and monitor activity.
      • Education and Staying Updated
        Stay current with social media trends and platform updates. Attend webinars, read industry blogs, and invest in your social media marketing education.

      Tips to get you started

      (Click linked headings for guidance)

      Set Clear Objectives
      Begin by defining your startup social media goals. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, boost sales, or foster customer engagement? Each objective will shape your strategy differently.

      Know Your Audience
      Thoroughly research your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior. This knowledge will inform the type of content and platforms you should focus on.

      Select the Right Platforms
      Not all social media platforms are created equal. Choose the platforms where your target audience is most active. Common options include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok.

      Content Strategy
      Develop a content plan that aligns with your brand’s messaging and resonates with your audience. Consider a mix of content types, such as posts, images, videos, stories, and live streams.

      Content Calendar
      Create a content calendar to schedule and organize your posts. Consistency in posting is essential for maintaining engagement and building a following.

      Engagement and Interaction
      Social media is a two-way street. Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Encourage dialogue and foster relationships.

      Visual Consistency
      Maintain a cohesive visual identity with consistent branding elements, such as color schemes and fonts, across your social media profiles.

      Hashtags
      Use relevant and trending hashtags to increase the discoverability of your content. However, be mindful not to overuse them, as it can appear spammy.

      Paid Advertising
      Consider using paid social media advertising to reach a broader audience and promote specific content or campaigns.

      Analytics and Metrics
      Use social media analytics tools to track key performance metrics, such as engagement rates, reach, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Analyze the data to refine your strategy.

      Competitor Analysis
      Keep an eye on your competitors’ social media efforts. Analyze their strategies to identify opportunities and gaps in your own approach.

      Test and Iterate
      Experiment with different content formats, posting times, and messaging to determine what resonates best with your audience. Continuously refine your strategy based on results.

      Crisis Management
      Prepare for potential social media crises by having a plan in place to address negative feedback or PR issues promptly and professionally.

      Legal and Ethical Considerations
      Ensure your startup’s social media content and activities comply with legal regulations and ethical guidelines. Be transparent and honest in your communications.

      Time Management
      Efficiently manage your time by using social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule posts and monitor activity.

      Education and Staying Updated
      Stay current with social media trends and platform updates. Attend webinars, read industry blogs, and invest in your social media marketing education.

      Running social media solo takes focus, a clear understanding of your audience, and a willingness to tweak as you go. With the right approach, you can build a strong presence, connect with the right people, and make social media actually work for your business.

      Running social media solo takes focus, a clear understanding of your audience, and a willingness to tweak as you go. With the right approach, you can build a strong presence, connect with the right people, and make social media actually work for your business.

      Getting Started with Social Media

      Essential online resources to kickstart your startup social media strategy

      Getting Started with Social Media

      Essential online resources to kickstart your startup social media strategy

      Social Media Marketing Mastery: How to Turn Likes into Loyal Customers

      Discover how social media marketing can help you generate leads, boost conversions, and increase brand awareness - From HubSpot

      Social Media Definitions

      The Ultimate Glossary of Terms You Should Know - From HubSpot

      Social Media Images

      Social media image sizes (2025 update) for every platform - From HubSpot

      Social Media Plan

      How to Create a Great Social Media Strategy Plan in 2025 - From HubSpot

      Social Media Essentials

      15 Essential Social Media Marketing Tips From Beginner to Advanced - From HubSpot

      Writing Social Copy

      10 Simple Tips and Tropes for Writing Engaging Social Media Copy - From Marketing Profs

      Social Media Ads

      The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Basics of Effective Social Media Advertising - From HubSpot

      Creating Social Media Accounts

      5 Critical Things to Do Before Creating Social Media Accounts for Your CompanyD - From Inc.

      Intro to Social Media Marketing

      An Introduction to Social Media Marketing - From Shane Barker

      Social Media Marketing Courses

      The best Social Media Marketing Courses to Take Online [Free & Paid] - From HubSpot

      How to Learn Social Media Marketing

      33 Resources for Beginners - From HubSpot

      Social Media Marketing Podcasts

      10 Social Media Marketing Podcasts That Should Be on Your Radar - From Later

      Social Media Guide

      The Complete Guide to Social Media for B2B Marketers - From Pardot

      Social Media Blogs

      34 of the Best Social Media Marketing Blogs - From HubSpot

      Social Media Basics

      The Last Guide to Social Media You Will Ever Need — in a 3-Minute Read - From Medium

      May require Medium registration

      Social Media Marketing Podcasts

      7 Podcasts Every Social Media Manager Should be Listening to
      - From Slate

      Social Media Workbook

      A Beginner's Guide to Social Media with Practical Exercises to Put Your Learnings into Action - From HubSpot

      Social Media Best Practices & Tips

      Resources to help you master your sartup’s social media strategy

      Social Media Best Practices & Tips

      Resources to help you master your sartup’s social media strategy

      Post Ideas

      40 Fresh Social Media Post Ideas - From HootSuite

      Social BookMarking

      The What, Why, & How of Social Bookmarking - From HubSpot

      Social Media Buttons

      How to Create Social Media Buttons for All the Top Social Networks - From HubSpot

      Social Post Length

      The Ideal Length for Instagram, Facebook, X, & LinkedIn Posts - From HubSpot

      Social Media Holiday Calendar

      290+ Social Media Holidays for Your Content Calendar [+Template] - From HubSpot

      Social Media Types

      The 7 Types of Social Media and Pros & Cons of Each (Research) - From HubSpot

      Social Media Cadence

      How Often to Publish on Social Media for Business? A HubSpot Experiment - From HubSpot

      Social Media Editorial Calendar

      Your Sample Social Editorial Calendar - From Adobe for Business

      Social Media Calendar

      Social media competitor analysis: Free template for 2025 - From Ad Espresso by HootSuite

      Social Competitor Analysis

      Social media competitor analysis: Free template for 2025 - From HootSuite

      Crisis Social Media

      How to create a social media crisis communication plan - From Sprout Social

      Social Posts

      Tips For Writing Social Media Interaction Posts That Get Noticed - From Search Engine Journal

      Social Media Strategy

      10 Steps to the Perfect Social Media Marketing Strategy for Your Business [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Social Media Tips

      How to Dominate Social Media - From Medium

      May require Medium registration

      Social Media Content

      19 Pro Tips for Writing Content for Social Media - From Jasper.ai

      Social Media Audit

      How to Conduct A Social Media Audit - From HubSpot

      Social Media Calendar

      Tested Different Social Media Content Calendar Tools — Here’s How They Performed - From HubSpot

      Social Media Tips

      These are the tips social media managers think everyone should know to improve at social - From The Drum

      Social Media Attribution

      What Lies Between The First Click And The Last Click? Nobody Knows - From MediaPost

      Social Media Etiquette

      Sense and Sociability - The Corporate Guide to Social Media Etiquette - From HubSpot

      Best Times to Post on Social

      The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2021 and Beyond [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Social Media Content Strategy

      How to craft an effective social media content strategy - From Sprout Social

      Social Media Content

      9 Tips to Create Super Shareable Social Media Content [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Cross-Posting

      Cross-Posting: What Is It & Why You Should Use It - From HubSpot

      Social Media Report

      How to Create a Social Media Report [Free Template Included] - From Hootsuite

      Social Posts

      Viral Post Generator Tool

      Social Media Etiquette

      Sense and Sociability - The Corporate Guide to Social Media Etiquette - From HubSpot

      Social Media Dashboards

      The 10 Best Social Media Dashboard Tools & Apps - From HubSpot

      Social Media Hacks

      Social Media Hacks to Make Your Content Stand Out [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Best Time to Post

      The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2025 [New Data] - From HubSpot

      Social Media Cards

      5 Secrets of Creating Click-Worthy Social Media Cards - From HubSpot

      Social Media Analytics Tools

      The 20 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Marketers - From HubSpot

      Social Media Demographics

      70+ Social Media Demographics for Marketers - From HubSpot

      Social Media Tools

      Top social media tools to boost your social strategy - From HubSpot

      Social Media Engagement

      Boosting Your Brand Through Social Media Engagement [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Hashtag Tracking

      Hashtag Tracking: How Does it Help Improve Social Media Marketing? - From Brafton Agency

      Social Media Strategy

      16 B2B Social Media Strategies That Work For Any Industry - From HubSpot

      Social Media Organization

      15 Best Social Media Organization Tips and Tricks for Managers - From HubSpot

      Social Media Audit

      How to Run the Easiest Social Media Audit [FREE TEMPLATE] - From Hootsuite

      Best Times to Post on Social

      Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2025 - From Sprout Social

      Managing Multiple Social Media Accounts

      How to Better Manage Multiple Social Media Accounts at The Same Time - From Customer Think

      Social Media Images

      Social media image sizes for all networks [June 2025] - From Hootsuite

      Social Media Campaigns

      Social media marketing campaigns: What I’d do to stand out on every platform [new data] - From HubSpot

      Social Media Algorithms

      6 Social Media Algorithms Marketers Need to Know About in 2023 - From HubSpot

      Social Media Experiments

      A Simple 6-Step Framework for Running Social Media Experiments (with 87 Ideas Included) - From Buffer

      Social Calendar Template

      Social Media Calendar Template: The 10 Best for Marketers [Free Templates] - From HubSpot

      Social Media Management Tools

      Best Social Media Management Tools - From HubSpot

      Social Media Content

      10 Social Media Content Ideas to Delight Customers - From HubSpot

      Social Media Visuals

      20 Mobile Apps to Create Stunning Social Media Visuals - From HubSpot

      Social Media Captions

      How to Write Engaging Social Media Captions - From Agora Pulse

      Hashtag Use

      A Quick Guide to Effective Hashtag Use [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Social Media Hacks

      7 Social Media Marketing Hacks to Grow Your Business FAST! - A video from HubSpot

      Boost a Post

      How to Boost a Post on Social Media [Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter] - From HubSpot

      Social Media Calendar

      How to Create a Social Media Calendar and Stay Organized - From HootSuite

      Social Media Strategy

      5 Social Media Strategy Tips to Boost Your Brand - From American Marketing Association

      Post Titles

      6 Tips for Writing Attention Grabbing Post Titles - From Designer Blogs

      Social Media Mistakes

      The 4 Worst Mistakes Marketers Make On Social Media - From Media Post

      Social Media Lead Gen

      How to Generate Leads on Social Media - From HubSpot

      Social Tips

      10 Top Social Media Marketing Tips to Grow Your Business - From Laire Digital agency

      Employee Engagement in Your Startup’s Social Media Strategy

      Resources on involving employees

      Employee Engagement in Your Startup’s Social Media Strategy

      Resources on involving employees

      Employee Engagement on Social Media

      How to Get Higher Employee Engagement on Social Media - From PostBeyond

      Employee Social Policy

      How to Write a Social Media Policy [Templates] - From HootSuite

      Social Media Employee Advocacy

      Employee Advocacy: 10x Your Company’s Reach on Social Media - From HootSuite

      Platform-Specific Resources for Startup Social Media

      Tips and Best Practices for working with individual platforms

      Platform-Specific Resources for Startup Social Media

      Tips and Best Practices for working with individual platforms

      Selecting Social Media Platforms

      Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Which Platform(s) You Should Be On - From HubSpot

      Social Media Channel Comparison

      Which Social Media Channels are Gaining and Losing Steam? [New Consumer and Platform Data] - From HubSpot

      Instagram for Business

      Free Instagram for Business Kit - From HubSpot

      Instagram Algorithm

      The Instagram algorithm: How it works and strategies for 2025 - From Sprout Social

      Posting to Instagram from Your Computer

      How to Post to Instagram From Your Computer [12 Easy Steps] - From HubSpot

      The best time to post on LinkedIn: Q1 2025 update - From Hootsuite

      LinkedIn Ads

      LinkedIn Ads Guide - From LinkedIn

      LinkedIn Product Listings

      LinkedIn Adds Product Listings on Profiles, New Engagement Options to Build Your Brand Presence - From Social Media Today

      Pinterest Marketing

      Key Pinterest Marketing Tools and Tips You Need [+ Recs for Small Businesses] - From HubSpot

      Reddit Tips

      Reddit Shares Creative Best Practices and Posting Tips to Help Marketers Build Connection [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Twitter Marketing

      The Complete 2022 Guide to Twitter Marketing - From Ad Espresso by HootSuite

      Selecting Social Media Platforms

      So Many Social Media Outlets, So Little Time. So Where Should You Spend Your Marketing Budget? - From Marketing Profs

      Social Media Platform Demographics

      The Demographics of 11 Major Social Networks - From MarketingProfs

      When to Post on Instagram

      When to Post on Instagram: A Simple Guide - From HubSpot

      Instagram Strategy

      The Secret Formula for Instagram Success - From Later

      LinkedIn Best Practices

      LinkedIn Posting Best Practices for 2023 [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      LinkedIn Company Pages

      10 Best Practices for Creating (and Growing) LinkedIn Company Pages - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Hashtags

      How To Use Hashtags on LinkedIn [Step-by-Step Guide] - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Employee Advocacy

      LinkedIn Provides New Insights into How to Amplify Your Brand Messaging via Employee Advocacy [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

      Pinterest Analytics

      18 Pinterest Metrics to Start Tracking ASAP [+ Tools] - From HubSpot

      X for Beginners

      How to Market on X (formerly Twitter): Tips and Data from a Marketer - From HubSpot

      Twitter Ads

      How To Easily Increase Followers and Get Sales With Twitter Ads - A Video from HubSpot

      Selecting Social Media Platforms

      What Social Media Should I Use to Market My Business? - From Medium

      May require Medium registration

      Instagram Hashtags

      Your Ultimate Guide: Top Instagram Hashtags to Use in 2025 - From Later

      How to Post on Instagram

      How to Post on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide - From HubSpot

      Instagram Profiles

      The Anatomy of a Perfect Instagram Profile - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Profiles

      The Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Playbook - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Lead Gen

      LinkedIn Leads: Secrets from a LinkedIn Marketing VP - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Sponsored Updates

      A Comprehensive Guide to LinkedIn Sponsored Updates - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Banners

      14 LinkedIn banner ideas and examples - From Zapier

      LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

      How to build a LinkedIn marketing strategy from scratch - From Zapier

      Starting with Reddit

      A Beginner’s Guide to Reddit: How to Get Started & Be Successful - From Search Engine Journal

      Twitter Moments

      The X 2025 Marketing Calendar - X Business

      Instagram Tips

      How to Get More Followers on Instagram: 17 Ways to Your First (or Next) 1000 - From HubSpot

      Instagram Filters

      The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Filters - From HubSpot

      Using Instagram

      How to Use Instagram: A Beginner's Guide - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Content Calendar

      LinkedIn Content Calendar Template - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Marketing

      The Beginner's Guide to LinkedIn Marketing & Networking - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Groups

      The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn Groups - From HubSpot

      LinkedIn Content Ideas

      Unsure of What to Post on LinkedIn? We Got 23 Content Ideas - From PostBeyond

      LinkedIn Company Pages

      10 Best Practices for Creating (and Growing) LinkedIn Company Pages - From HubSpot

      Pinterest Marketing

      How to use Pinterest to drive high-volume traffic on auto-pilot - From MarTech

      Twitter Analytics

      Twitter analytics 2025: The ultimate guide for marketers - From Hootsuite

      Instagram Strategy

      How to Build Your Brand With Instagram: 11 Tried-and-True Strategies - From HubSpot

      Social Listening 

      Resources with information on monitoring your online reputation and feedback

      Social Listening 

      Resources with information on monitoring your online reputation and feedback

      Social Listening Tools

      Top Social Listening Tools of 2024 - From HubSpot

      Negative Social Comments

      How to Deal With Negative Comments on Social Media [+ Examples] - From HubSpot

      Improving Social Listening

      The State of Social Listening in 2022 – Improving Your Listening Process - From Social Media Today

      Free Social Media Monitoring Tools

      I Tested the 6 Best Free Social Media Monitoring Tools — Here’s How They Stack Up - From HubSpot

      Social Media Replies

      Ask Buffer: Should I Reply to Every Social Media Comment? - From Buffer

      Tools to help you develop a strong startup social media presence

      Tools to help you develop a strong startup social media presence

      Buffer

      Buffer is a social media management tool that allows you to schedule and publish posts on multiple social media platforms. It also provides analytics to track post performance.

      Planoly

      Planology is a content planning tool that helps you organize, schedule, and visualize your social media posts across platforms—so you can stay consistent and save time.

      Facebook Insights

      If you're using Facebook for marketing, Facebook Insights offers data on your Page's performance, audience demographics, and post engagement.

      Pinterest Analytics

      Pinterest Analytics offers data on the performance of your pins, including impressions, clicks, and saves.

      Hootsuite

      Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media management platform that offers scheduling, monitoring, and analytics features. It's ideal for managing multiple social media accounts.

      Canva

      Canva is a versatile design tool that can help you create visually appealing social media graphics and posts. It offers templates for various social media platforms.

      X Analytics

      X provides analytics for your account, including engagement metrics, tweet performance, and audience insights. Available with Premium account.

      YouTube Studio

      YouTube Studio has personalized insights, the latest news & insider tips, analytics, and more

      Sprout Social

      Sprout Social is a social media management and analytics tool that helps you schedule posts, engage with your audience, and measure the impact of your social efforts.

      BuzzSumo

      BuzzSumo helps you discover trending topics and content in your niche. It's useful for content ideation and finding influential social media users to engage with.

      Instagram Insights

      For Instagram business accounts, Instagram Insights offers data on post reach, impressions, and audience demographics.

      Tailwind

      Tailwind is a scheduling and analytics tool for Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, particularly popular for Pinterest marketing.

      Later

      Later is a visual social media scheduler designed for Instagram, but it also supports other platforms. It includes a drag-and-drop calendar for planning content.

      Google Analytics

      Google Analytics can provide insights into how your social media traffic interacts with your website. It helps track conversions, user behavior, and more.

      LinkedIn Analytics

      LinkedIn provides analytics for your LinkedIn Page, including data on followers, post engagement, and visitor demographics.

      Don’t let marketing slow you down—or drive you nuts. If you’re stuck, swamped, or just tired of Googling everything, Mathlete Marketing has your back.

      Don’t let marketing slow you down—or drive you nuts. If you’re stuck, swamped, or just tired of Googling everything, Mathlete Marketing has your back.