22 social media marketing tips to make your brand stand out

The social media marketing tips that work best are simple to state: set clear goals, know your audience, post useful content consistently and talk with the people who follow you. To make your brand stand out, add an identity people recognise at a glance, a human tone and the discipline to measure and adjust. Below are 22 practical tips, ordered from the basics to the more advanced, that you can apply whatever the size of your business.

Posting alone isn't enough. A well-crafted post can go unnoticed because it went out when your audience wasn't online, competed with the news of the day or didn't suit the platform. That's why you need a strategy that connects every post to your business goals.

Plan before you post

1. Set measurable goals

Without goals, you won't know whether what you're doing works. Two common mistakes are thinking it's enough to open a few profiles (inactive accounts weaken your brand) and assuming social media is free: opening an account costs nothing, but creating content, replying and advertising all take time and budget.

Write down what you want to achieve (website visits, sales, enquiries, a community or brand awareness) and turn it into SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example: "increase quote requests from Instagram by 20% in three months". Three or four goals are better than a list you can't keep up with. To build the full plan, read our guide to creating a social media marketing strategy.

2. Know your audience

Knowing your audience helps you choose the right platforms, tone and topics. Build a profile of your ideal customer using data, not just assumptions:

• Your current customers: who they are, what worries them and why they bought from you.
• The need you meet: what problem you solve and how people decide to buy.
• Surveys and conversations: ask by email, in store or on your own social channels.
• Your profile insights: business accounts usually show data such as the age and location of your followers.

3. Choose the right platforms

You don't need to be everywhere. Each platform has its own audience and its own way of being used: a B2B company will often find its customers on LinkedIn, where case studies and specialist content do well, while a B2C brand with visually appealing products has plenty to show on Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest.

If your time or budget is limited, focus on one or two platforms before opening more profiles. Look at where your competitors are and how their audiences respond, too: it's a good clue to where your potential customers spend their time.

4. Adapt your content to each platform

What works on one platform doesn't always work on another, so adapt the format and tone:

• Instagram: photos, carousels, Stories and short videos (Reels). To send people to your website, make good use of the link in your profile and your Stories.
• Facebook: one of the largest social networks in the world. Videos, posts that invite conversation and groups all work well.
• TikTok: short, vertical video with a spontaneous tone.
• LinkedIn: the professional network, ideal for B2B businesses and for showing the people behind your company.
• YouTube: videos people search for to learn or compare, plus short videos (Shorts). It also works as a search engine.
• Pinterest: a visual search engine for ideas, useful for brands in homewares, fashion, food or weddings. Here's how to use Pinterest for your business.
• X (formerly Twitter): real-time conversation. It's hard to stand out among so many posts, but it's useful for customer service and reputation.
• Messaging (Messenger, Instagram direct messages, WhatsApp): not a place to publish content, but if customers message you there, include it in your customer service plan.

5. Plan with a content calendar and stay consistent

Consistency is what makes people remember you. You don't need to post every day, just keep a pace you can sustain: three good posts a week beat a daily post for a month followed by silence.

A content calendar shows you what you'll publish, where and when. Include the dates that matter to your audience, such as Mother's Day, end of financial year sales, Black Friday or Christmas, and leave room for the unexpected.

To avoid checking every platform one by one, use a social media management tool: some platforms let you schedule posts directly, and there are external tools, both free and paid, that bring several accounts into one dashboard so you can schedule posts, reply to messages and check your metrics in one place.

Create content that connects

6. Publish content your audience finds useful

A common mistake is posting what the business wants to say rather than what its audience needs. Before you create anything, ask yourself what would help your audience: answering a question, learning something, finding inspiration or being entertained.

Your customers' frequently asked questions are an endless source of ideas: each one can become a post, a video or a carousel. And when you share a link, explain what people will find instead of copying the headline. For more ideas, see our content creation strategy for small businesses.

7. Don't oversell

People don't go on social media to be sold to; they go to be entertained, stay informed and connect. If everything is an offer, your audience will stop paying attention. Find a balance: most of your content should add value (tips, stories, useful news) and a smaller share can promote your products.

Don't expect instant conversions either, not even with ads. Build trust first. Once you have an audience that looks forward to your posts, your calls to action (visit your website, subscribe to your newsletter or request a quote) will be far more effective.

8. Invest in video

Short video is central to the major platforms: Instagram has Reels, YouTube has Shorts and TikTok is built around the format. You don't need expensive equipment; a phone, good light and clear audio are enough to get started.

Ideas that work for almost any business: tutorials, product demonstrations, answers to frequently asked questions, behind-the-scenes content and customer testimonials. Live streams allow a level of interaction few formats can match; if you run one, keep a copy and cut the best moments into short videos you can reuse.

9. Look after your images and formats

On social media, visuals are the first thing people notice. If you can, invest in a photo shoot of your products, your team and your premises. If the budget is tight, combine your own photos with stock images and simple design tools such as Canva.

Respect each platform's image sizes so your photos aren't cropped or pixelated. And remember that a real photo of your product in use says much more about your brand than a generic image.

10. Repurpose and curate content

Not everything has to be new. A blog article can become a carousel, a short video and a series of Stories. Re-share your best content when it becomes relevant again and update older articles, which also supports your SEO.

You can also curate content: share useful material from other experts in your industry, with your own take and proper credit. And make it easy for your audience to share your content by adding share buttons to your blog.

How do you make your brand stand out on social media?

On social media you're competing for attention with other brands, with content creators and even with your audience's friends. Standing out isn't about shouting louder: your brand needs to be easy to recognise, feel human and stay a step ahead. These four tips point in that direction.

11. Make your brand recognisable

Choose two or three key messages, the qualities you want to be remembered for (for example, approachability, speed or technical expertise), and make sure they come through in your posts, with a consistent tone of voice across every platform. That's how you build trust and position yourself as an expert in your field.

Visually, follow your brand guidelines: the same colour palette, the same fonts and a consistent photo style. The goal is for someone to recognise one of your posts before they see your name and, when they visit your profile, to understand within seconds what you do. A complete profile, with a clear description, a link and contact details, also helps.

12. Humanise your brand and be authentic

People connect with people. Show who's behind your business, tell the story of how it started, share day-to-day moments and celebrate your team's achievements.

Don't try to be perfect or to copy your competitors: authenticity is what sets you apart. Write the way someone on your team would speak, own your mistakes and show what makes you different.

13. Be quick to adopt new formats

Trying new features before your competitors do is a good way to stand out: when a format or platform is new, fewer brands are competing for attention and there's more room to experiment.

Keep up with changes on your platforms and set aside time for testing: a format your competitors aren't using yet, newer platforms such as Threads, the conversation app Meta launched in 2023, or niche networks around fashion, music or gaming. AI tools can also help you generate ideas or edit videos faster, as long as a person reviews the result. Test with clear goals and drop what doesn't work.

14. Use interactive content

Polls, quizzes and question boxes in Instagram Stories, or polls on platforms like LinkedIn and X, invite people to take part with a single tap and help you get to know your audience better.

If you're not sure what to ask, start simple: what content they prefer, which of your products is their favourite or what questions they have about your industry. Then create the content they asked for and show them you were listening.

Build a community around your brand

15. Reply to and engage with your audience

Social media is a two-way channel: anyone who comments, mentions you or sends you a private message expects a reply, and keeping them waiting leaves a poor impression. Respond promptly and courteously to both positive and negative comments.

Don't wait for people to talk to you: ask questions, join conversations in your industry and keep an eye on what's being said about your brand, even when you're not tagged. If you know certain followers are interested in a topic, let them know when you post about it.

16. Share your customers' content and turn them into ambassadors

Few things are as convincing as a happy customer. Share the reviews, photos and videos your customers post with your products, always with their permission and with credit. A branded hashtag makes it easy for them to show off their purchases and encourages others to join in.

The foundation for turning customers into brand ambassadors is keeping your promises: a happy customer recommends you without being asked, and a disappointed one will probably say so on social media too.

17. Collaborate with content creators

Content creators, or influencers, already have the trust of their community and can introduce you to people who don't know you yet. What matters isn't how many followers they have, but whether their audience looks like your ideal customer: a niche creator with a small but engaged community may work better for you than a huge account.

The arrangement can be an exchange of products or an agreed fee; either way, put in writing what will be published, when, and how you'll measure the results. And make it clear when a post is sponsored: use each platform's options for labelling branded content and check the advertising rules that apply in Australia.

18. Involve your team or bring in experts

One person or team should be responsible for posting and replying, but the whole business can contribute: your technical staff can explain what's new, your sales team knows what customers ask, and anyone can star in a video.

If you don't have the time or experience, rely on someone with strategic thinking, creativity and strong communication skills, such as a community manager or an agency, who can give your social channels the attention they need.

19. Run competitions and promotions with clear rules

Competitions, giveaways and discount codes increase participation and can attract followers who are interested in what you sell. The prize doesn't have to be expensive: a product, an experience or a useful guide works if it suits your audience.

Before you launch one, define what you want to achieve, so you're not giving things away for the sake of it. Write clear terms and conditions (who can enter, deadlines and how the winner is chosen) and check both each platform's promotion rules and the trade promotion laws in every state or territory where people can enter.

Extend your reach and measure results

20. Use hashtags and keywords wisely

Hashtags help people interested in a topic find you, although how much they matter varies by platform. Use a few relevant, specific hashtags rather than lots of generic ones, check your spelling and don't cram too many words into a single tag. You can join active hashtags in your industry or create your own.

Social platforms also have their own search functions: write clear captions using the words your customers would use to find you, such as the product, the service or your suburb or city.

21. Invest in paid advertising

Organic reach is limited: only some of your followers see each post. Advertising lets you reach more people and choose more carefully who sees your message: Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other platforms have advertising tools that let you define your audience and re-engage people who have already interacted with your brand.

You don't need a big budget: test with small amounts, measure and put more into what works. Advertising performs best when you already know your audience and have content that connects. Our beginner's guide to Facebook ads is a good place to start.

22. Measure, analyse and adjust

A big advantage of social media marketing is that you can tell whether your efforts are paying off. Choose the metrics that match your goals and review them regularly:

• Reach: how many different people saw your content.
• Engagement: reactions, comments, saves, shares and replies.
• Traffic: how many people visited your website from each platform.
• Leads: how many left their details or asked for information.
• Conversions: how many bought or took the action you care about.

Each platform's insights show which content works and which goes unnoticed; to measure the traffic and sales that come from social media, use Google Analytics 4 and add UTM parameters to your links. Be patient with leads and sales, which take longer to arrive than likes, and adjust: do more of what works and drop what doesn't.

Where should you start?

You don't have to apply all 22 tips at once. Start with the first five, which are the foundation, and add the rest as your strategy matures.

If you'd like help putting them into practice, Commerly can support your business with social media marketing.