Social Goals: Social media strategy for small businesses

Three content ideas, three different goals. And all of them are ones you can actually create this week.

In this "What to Post This Week" episode, Kat breaks down three content formats that will help you show off your personality, highlight your products or services, and connect with your audience in a real, human way.

What you'll learn 👀

• Video carousels are a newer format where each slide is a short looping b-roll clip (and they're performing really well right now)
• The "Hills I Will Die On" hook is a great way to share your bold beliefs and differentiate yourself from competitors
• How adding a location qualifier makes content even more powerful for your local business
• A fun Wipe the Camera trend that is a simple before-and-after format that works for both product and service-based businesses (and it's more beginner-friendly than it looks)

Get tutorials, audio links, and templates to make these posts: https://socialkatmedia.com/what-to-post-this-week-3-content-ideas-small-businesses-can-create-right-now/

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

You've seen the headlines: "I grew 3,000 followers this month from trial reels!" but is that actually a strategy small businesses can replicate? In this episode, Kat breaks down the truth about trial reels, why the creators hyping them aren't telling the whole story, and what a realistic, time-smart trial reels approach actually looks like for makers, service providers, and local businesses.

Key Takeaways:

• The creators growing thousands of followers from trial reels are talking about trial reels — that's not a repeatable strategy for your business
• Follower count isn't currency for small businesses; a random follower in another country can't book your massage or shop at your store
• Trial reels require 1,000+ followers to access, and Instagram actively penalizes repetitive content
• Start by repurposing your top-performing content: tweak the hook, change the video or audio, and make it feel fresh
• If you're a local business, try a location-specific hook to filter for the right audience (fewer views, better-fit followers)
• Think of trial reels as your boldest content: hot takes, strong opinions, expert tips that stop the scroll
• Your caption's CTA should always drive the follow
• Trial reels should take the least amount of your time — they're a testing ground, not a production

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

Ever wonder what a realistic content creation week actually looks like for a small business owner? In this episode, Kat breaks down her entire weekly content flow — from the ongoing research and ideation phase to batching social posts on Monday morning, recording the podcast, and planning emails. You'll learn why batching beats creating on-the-fly, how to ask the right questions to generate post ideas that actually resonate, and why putting content creation in your calendar (even just one hour) is the game-changer you've been missing.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to streamline what you're already doing, this episode gives you a practical, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to stay consistent online without burning out.

Key Takeaways

• Batching content is more effective than creating on-the-fly because your brain performs better doing repeated tasks together.
• The research and ideation phase is always ongoing — your best ideas often come when you're away from your desk.
• Asking three questions (what's going on in your life, your audience's life, and the world) helps you create content that adds real value instead of just noise.
• A content planning tool like ClickUp bridges the gap between scattered ideas and an actual publishing schedule.
• Monday is Kat's content creation day — getting it done early means it's scheduled before the week gets busy.
• Batching captions together (and visuals together) helps you get into a flow state and create faster.
• Even one dedicated hour per week can make a meaningful difference in your content consistency.
• You don't need to do everything at once — start small and scale your output as you build the skill.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

Forget content "balance". What your business actually needs is a content flow. In this Social SOS episode, Kat answers a question from a brand photographer inside the Social with Kat Club who wants to know how to balance educational, personal, and sales content without a formal launch period.

Kat breaks down why the idea of balance is a myth (for your content and your life), and shares a practical framework for cycling through promotional and nurture periods — so you're selling consistently without burning out or annoying your audience.

Submit your Social SOS question: https://telbee.io/channel/bkcxdbbywolzdwqk7-yifw/

Chatted about in this episode:

🪩 Why "balance" isn't the right framework for content creation

🙏 What content flow actually looks like in practice

✨ How to identify the right times of year to run promotional periods

👀 What a promotional week or 10-day push looks like in content terms

🗓️ Why promotional content can underperform on vanity metrics but still drive real revenue

🩷 How to schedule recovery time after a promo push — for you and your audience

☺️ Using top-performing evergreen content during low-promo periods

📝 Homework: map your next 2 months and schedule your next promotional window

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

I'm joined by one of my favourite follows of all time, Kalin Sheick — florist, storyteller, boundary queen, and founder of Sweetwater Floral — for an honest conversations about building community on social media.

Kalin has built Sweetwater Floral to over 46K Instagram followers and her personal brand, Kalin Sheick to 27K+ through 12 years of consistent, authentic storytelling. And she's here to share exactly how she did it (and what she'd do differently).

In this episode, we talk about:

🌸 How to set real boundaries around your phone, your clients, and your time

🌸 The story behind "clinks" and how an accidental Instagram Stories habit helped build her community

🌸 Why consistency beats virality every single time

🌸 The behind-the-scenes of her move to Substack and why she's finally monetizing her writing

🌸 How to share authentically online while still keeping your private life private

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Follow Sweetwater Floral on Instagram: @sweetwaterfloral
• Follow Kalin Sheick on Instagram: @kalinsheick
• Connect with Kalin on Substack: Lucky Girl: Essays for Women Doing Great, Mostly
• Join the (free!) Lucky Girl Book Club: https://kalinsheick.com/bookclub
• Rot Stop app: https://www.rotstop.app/
• Foqos app: https://www.foqos.app/
• Opal app: https://opalapp.com/

Don't forget to subscribe and rate 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

This week's podcast episode features a Social SOS — a listener questioner! We dive into one of the most important questions for service providers and coaches: how do you build trust quickly on social media?

Spoiler: it's not about picking the "right" content type. It's about community content — content that makes your audience feel deeply seen.

In this episode:

🫶 Why the real foundation of trust isn't education, storytelling, or client wins — it's community content

📖 How to write content so specific that your audience feels like you read their diary

👀 The "7pm dread" example and why specificity converts way better than broad messaging

✨ Where to find the exact words your audience uses (even if you're a newer business)

🩷 How community content, educational content, and client wins work together to bring people in and convert them

Ready to create more community content? Steal these hooks:

✨ Me waiting for all the [IDEAL CUSTOMER]s to find me so I can show them my [PRODUCT/SERVICE] so they can [OUTCOME/FEELING THEY’LL GET]

✨ Respectfully, if you’ve never [THING YOU & YOUR AUDIENCE HAVE TO DEAL WITH] then I don’t want your [NICHE/INDUSTRY] advice

✨ POV: You’re a [HOW YOUR AUDIENCE DESCRIBES THEMSELVES] and started [TIP YOU’RE GIVING THEM] and now [OUTCOME/BENEFIT]

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Learn how to create community content that stops the scroll with the Social Goals course: https://socialkatmedia.com/social-goals?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business:

https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

I'm just going to tell you what to post. In this episode (the first of a monthly series!), Kat breaks down three ready-to-create posts you can add to your content calendar for the week ahead: low-effort and high-impact ideas rooted in strategy to help you scroll less and sell more.

In This Episode

• Why consistency doesn't mean posting the same amount every single week
• The difference between "launching mode" content and "steady flow" content
• 3 specific posts you can create this week — covering all 3 pillars of core content

Visit the blog post for examples and scripts:

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business:

https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

"B-roll" gets thrown around a lot in the social media world, but what does it actually mean — and how do you use it well? In this episode, Kat breaks down exactly what B-roll is, how to film it effectively with just your phone, and gives a tailored shot list for every type of small business owner.

Key Takeaways

• B-roll defined
• Filming tips for better B-roll
• Shot ideas by business type
• How to stay organized (and save storage space)

Ready to build your content library?

📋 Free B-Roll Checklist & Filming Guide

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business:

https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

This week's episode is a special one! It's the first listener question episode! Kat answers a question submitted by an Ontario flower farmer asking what to post on social media during the off-season. Whether you're in agriculture, a product-based business with slow seasons, or a service business that's fully booked, this episode is packed with practical content ideas for your "downtime."

Key Takeaways

• Your product isn't the whole story. Off-season is the perfect time to build connection through your story (not just your offerings). Audiences who know you are more likely to choose you when buying season arrives.
• Bring people behind the scenes. Show the "boring" parts: seed orders, spreadsheets, planning for the year ahead. What feels mundane to you is genuinely interesting to your audience.
• Lean into the season your audience is actually in. Tap into how your followers are feeling right now (hello, February despair) and create content that speaks to that like a countdown to warmer days or a "spring is coming" reminder post.
• Share your unique point of view. Use the off-season to differentiate yourself. Why do you do things a certain way? What won't you find at your farm? Talk to camera and let your beliefs and values shine.
• Content types to experiment with:
  • B-roll reels with on-screen text
  • Photo + text carousels (performing really well on Instagram right now!)
  • Voiceover videos
  • Talk-to-camera reels

Episode Mentions

• 🎙️ Submit your own voice note question
• 📱 Why the "Boring" Content Matters

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business:

https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

It's February 2026, and if you're feeling like social media is louder, harder, and more soul-crushing than ever — you're not wrong. But here's the thing: this year isn't about doing more content or chasing every trend. It's about being intentional, strategic, and (dare I say) a little braver with how you show up.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what a real 2026 social media strategy looks like for small business owners who want results without the burnout. We're talking variety of content (not just B-roll!), why you need to schedule social like any other business task, and how being bolder — not controversial, just you but louder — can transform your connection with your audience.

Plus, I'm giving you permission to stop doing only one thing and start experimenting with content that actually builds relationships, not just views.

In this episode:

• Why you need to treat social media like a real task in your calendar (not a 10 p.m. scramble)
• The types of content that matter in 2026: B-roll, talk-to-camera, voiceovers, carousels, and more
• How to create variety without overwhelm — start with just one new format this month
• Why talk-to-camera and voiceover reels might get fewer views but deeper connection
• The power of storytelling carousels (and why they're driving hundreds of new followers for club members)
• What it means to be braver and bolder on social — without being clickbaity or controversial
• How to use your voice, your story, and your opinions to stand out in a noisy feed

Free resource mentioned in this episode:

Get my free B-roll checklist and shooting guide here: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources-broll?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave 5 stars!

☆ Join the Social with Kat Club: Fun & effective content prompts, coaching, and community for small business owners https://socialkatmedia.com/social-with-kat-club?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals

☺ Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkatmedia/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@socialkatmedia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-tepylo-murphy/

☺ Free Resources to Help Your Small Business: https://socialkatmedia.com/resources?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=social-goals