Unique circumstances will forever mark the first half of the 2020s, but those alone won’t capture the decade's legacy. A layer deeper, we see how the events accelerated new trends that shape our world today, like the rise of solopreneurship.

A solopreneur is any business driven exclusively by one person. Modern solopreneurs commonly run their businesses, at least in some part, through the Internet. Common examples include life coaches, writers, visual creators, and consultants. Unlike traditional startup founders who seek to grow headcount and scale a product, solopreneurs often are the product. For these folks, reaching scale means maximizing their book of business.

As the founder of CoachRanks, I have the opportunity to work with life coach solopreneurs every week, helping them better understand marketing best practices. The number one most common theme that I see? Solopreneurs can be excellent at their craft. But after achieving initial success, they bump into the same problem: They must moonlight as marketers to scale up. Enter social media.

Even those with limited social media experience understand that neglecting this marketing channel is a missed opportunity for sales and growth. The numbers don’t lie. Research has found that 44% of marketers have generated leads through LinkedIn, 39% through Facebook, and 30% through Twitter.

The numbers are promising, but solopreneurs face the challenge of learning how these platforms work while maintaining critical aspects of their businesses. Which social platforms should you choose? What should you post? How can you streamline the process?

This guide takes into consideration these common questions faced by one-person businesses. I’ll provide you with some beginner’s guidance on how to tackle social media effectively, without neglecting other equally important parts of your business.

Step one to getting started is simply avoiding decision fatigue as you navigate today’s top platforms. With a growing number of social media outlets to consider, you’ll want to gain a rough understanding of each. I like to recommend two things for solopreneurs who are just getting started:

Cast your net wide: Posting on multiple platforms is a great way to see what sticks.
Don’t force it: Creating content via mediums you truly don’t enjoy is not a sustainable strategy! For example, if you don’t like being on camera, don’t worry about the TikTok’s and YouTube’s of the world. Instead, cast your net wide within the world of text-based social platforms.

To help streamline the process of casting your net wide, consider a social media publishing tool like Buffer that lets you post content to multiple platforms from one central location. Publishing tools can help save you both time and effort as you recycle content from one platform to the next.

Twitter/X

Whatever you choose to call Twitter (I still prefer the old naming), this is an ideal platform to share bite-sized insights while building an audience of tech-forward, in-the-know-type followers. Certain sub-niches and communities thrive on Twitter—think spaces that change rapidly, like investing, SEO, cryptocurrency, SaaS, and global news. If your solopreneur venture falls within one of these categories, consider Twitter a worthy text-first social platform.

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Pro tip: In 2023, Twitter took a page out of TikTok’s book, launching its “For You” feed, where content is shown to a wider audience than just one’s followers. In my experience, threads perform particularly well on this feed, and they offer a prime opportunity to recycle long-form content. For example, if you create a blog post, flip the same content into a 10-tweet thread covering the biggest takeaways from the article.

Facebook

Facebook offers a large suite of social media tools, but it really excels at creating and nurturing communities through its Groups feature. Facebook Groups are communities centered around specific interests, hobbies, or industries. For businesses and solopreneurs, building a community like this generates opportunities to cultivate a dedicated space to engage directly with clients, offer support, and gather feedback.

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Pro tip: While this article primarily covers organic marketing strategies, some solopreneurs find success with paid advertising on social platforms, too. Facebook has a good reputation for being one of the more affordable options in the world of “paid social” (and the data agrees). That is, your dollar will earn you more reach for less on Facebook, when compared to some key competitors. If and when you venture into paid marketing, this platform is probably worth an experiment.

Linkedin

Known as the social media platform for professionals, LinkedIn is great for developing thought leadership and growing your business reputation. In particular, LinkedIn marketing is popular among coaches and consultants who are likely to generate business from their professional networks. Both short-form and long-form content can be published on LinkedIn, and the platform offers solid organic reach compared to competitors.

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Pro tip: I’ve been asked by many solopreneurs whether they should publish LinkedIn content from a personal or business profile. Posting from a personal account yields stronger results (better reach and more engagement) than posting from a business page. To that end, viewing your business and your personal brand as a singular unit is the way to play LinkedIn. This strategy has generated tens of thousands of post views for myself and my clients.

Instagram

Solopreneurs can use Instagram to tell their stories visually—whether through images, videos, or Stories. Instagram can be particularly powerful in spaces where aesthetics and imagery take center stage, such as travel, real estate, food, and art. Just as commonly, successful Instagrammers use the platform to post selfie videos, day-in-the-life content, and daily inspiration (this type of content may be best suited for Stories as opposed to traditional posts).

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Pro tip: Instagram’s CEO recently said that Direct Messages and Stories are the most utilized and fastest growing features on the platform. For solopreneurs seeking to grow their audiences on Instagram, play the trends and make sure you’re maximizing your usage of these features.

TikTok

TikTok has risen to prominence as the go-to short-form video platform, largely thanks to its strong discovery features. It’s an ideal platform to share thought leadership, behind-the-scenes footage, and advice for your audience of potential customers. Thanks to TikTok’s “For You” page, content circulates the platform quickly, reaching new people every time you post.

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Pro tip: The “hook,” or the first 10 seconds of your video, is the ultimate key to success on TikTok. Watch-time is one of the biggest indicators informing TikTok’s algorithm whether or not a video is engaging. Getting in the algorithm’s good graces can create tremendous reach, but it will require a knack for getting viewers interested in your content immediately.

Cadence: how often should you post?

Social media newcomers are often hesitant to post too much. It’s understandable, especially when the bar has been set by not posting at all.

But here’s the truth: You can (and should) post more than you think. Social media algorithms are configured so that your posts won’t get shown to all of your followers every time. In fact, your posts will only reach a small minority of your audience. You can rest easy knowing you won’t overwhelm your network by posting too much!

If you’re just getting started, aim to publish a few posts per week as you hone in on your go-to platforms. As you better understand the social media landscape, work your way up to daily posting for maximum return on investment. As your operation grows, keep your publishing efforts tidy with a content calendar that lets you schedule and coordinate posts ahead of time.

Remember, as you explore different platforms, don’t complicate the process. Yes, you should cast your net wide, but you should also lean into content formats most aligned with your innate skill set. If you are camera shy but a great writer, opt for a platform like Twitter where written posts tend to do well. If you’re not a writer, but you enjoy making quick videos, prioritize TikTok and Instagram.

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For a deeper dive on what kinds of content to develop for each platform, Buffer has posted before about ideas and examples that perform best.

For the sake of this beginner’s guide, understand that each social media platform has a slightly nuanced tone and style. Studying what works is largely a matter of recognizing different cadences, patterns, and rhythms used by successful creators on each platform.

To help master the nuanced best practices for each social media outlet, try a tool like Buffer’s AI assistant. Programmed to understand what works best for each platform, this AI application can be a game-changer as you recycle content from one platform to the next.

Engaging and growing your audience

While posting is the initial hurdle for many, engaging is just as important. Social media engagement typically encompasses reacting, commenting, and direct messaging with folks within your network. As your content reaches its target audience, the goal is to create conversation and a sense of appreciation for those who show interest in your work.

As a prime example, look no further than Buffer’s own Tami Oladipo, whose engagement with my LinkedIn comment sparked the inspiration for this very article.

Anytime someone engages with your content, it’s an opportunity to reel them in. Remember, it takes an average of 7 interactions with your brand before someone even considers buying whatever it is you’re selling. Engaging with followers increases the likelihood of return views and interest.

Social media algorithms do a good job to help ensure you repeatedly get in front of your most engaged users. In your own experience, do you tend to see similar names pop up on your social media feeds? If so, this might be because you’ve engaged with those users’ content before, and your feed is guessing that you want to see more from those people. It’s in the platform’s best interest to serve content that keeps users coming back for more!

Resources to stay in the know

Marketing best practices are always changing. Just think—only a few years ago, TikTok was largely unknown to the general public. Fast forward to today, and it’s one the fastest growing apps of all time.

Leveraging social media to its fullest potential as a solopreneur is equal parts education and execution. Commit to the former, and the latter will follow. Adopting a learner’s mindset will keep you on your toes and infuse round-the-clock training into your marketing journey. For top-tier social media and marketing advice sent straight to your inbox, make sure to check out the following newsletters.

For a wide range of marketing content with an emphasis on social media, subscribe to Buffer’s newsletter here. Those who will benefit include anyone aiming to become and/or remain a social media pro—from beginners learning the basics to experts looking for the latest growth hacks. This is also a great resource to stay up on the best tools to make your life easier as a solopreneur-marketer.

For solopreneurs seeking marketing insights from someone who has been there before, become a CoachRanks Insider here. Although tailored to coaches, content from CoachRanks will help any sole practitioner looking to get their small business off the ground. Common topics covered by this blog and newsletter include social media, SEO, content marketing, website best practices, and more.

Ben Miller

A Beginner's Guide to Social Media for Solopreneurs