Look, I’m going to be blunt: Your Facebook page is probably a waste of time.
There. I said it. Most business owners I talk to—whether they’re running a landscaping crew in Carindale or a boutique law firm in the CBD—are stuck in 2015. They think that if they just keep 'posting content' three times a week, the phone will eventually start ringing.
It won't.
Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn have changed the locks. They’ve spent the last decade making it nearly impossible for a business to reach its own followers without opening its wallet.
Back in the day, if 1,000 people liked your page, 200 or 300 of them might see your update. Today? You’re lucky if it’s 20. That’s not a marketing strategy. That’s a hobby. And it’s an expensive one when you consider the time you or your staff are wasting on it.
But here’s the good news: social media isn't dead for small businesses. It’s just undergone a massive identity shift. If you stop trying to play the 'reach' game and start playing the 'results' game, you can actually make some serious money.
Let’s pull back the curtain on what’s actually working right now in Brisbane.
The Myth of 'Keeping Top of Mind'
Every social media 'guru' will tell you that you need to post consistently to 'stay top of mind.'
Honestly? That’s rubbish.
Unless you’re Coca-Cola or Nike, nobody is sitting around thinking about your plumbing business or your dental clinic while they’re scrolling through photos of their cousin’s wedding.
People use social media to be entertained, to learn something, or to be nosy. They don't use it to see a grainy photo of your new office chairs with a caption like 'Exciting things happening at the office today!'
Nobody cares.
If you want people to pay attention, you have to stop acting like a billboard and start acting like a person. We worked with a cabinet maker out in Ipswich who was obsessed with posting 'Professional' photos of finished kitchens. They got zero engagement.
We told him to stop. Instead, we had him film a 30-second clip on his phone of him swearing (mildly) at a wonky hinge and showing how he fixes it. The phone started ringing the next day. Why? Because people saw a bloke who knew his stuff and looked like someone they could trust in their house.
Why Your Staff Are Your Secret Weapon
You’re probably paying people right now who are better at social media than you are.
I’m serious. Your younger staff members live on these platforms. They know the trends, they know what looks 'cringe', and they know how to make a video that doesn't look like a 1990s infomercial.
Instead of hiring an expensive agency to post generic 'Happy Monday' graphics, look at your team. There’s a massive opportunity to have your staff get customers just by being themselves on camera.
When a customer sees the person who’s actually going to be doing the work, the 'trust barrier' vanishes. It’s the difference between a cold lead and a warm handshake.
The 'Pay to Play' Reality Check
If you want to reach new people who haven't heard of you yet, you have to pay. There’s no way around it anymore.
But here’s where most Brisbane businesses get it wrong: they 'Boost' posts.
Boosting a post is like throwing fifty bucks off the Story Bridge and hoping it lands in a customer's pocket. Facebook loves it because it’s easy money for them. For you? It’s a vanity metric. You’ll get 'likes' from people in countries you don't even ship to, or people who will never buy from you.
If you’re going to spend money, you need to use the actual Ads Manager. You need to target people by their actual behaviour—like people in a 10km radius of your shop who are currently looking for 'home renovations'.
We saw this with a client in Morningside. They were spending $500 a month on boosted posts and getting 'great engagement' but zero sales. We moved that same $500 into a targeted lead-gen campaign. Within two weeks, they had 15 high-quality enquiries.
Stop paying for likes. Start paying for leads.
TikTok is Not Just for Kids (I Promise)
I can hear you rolling your eyes from here. 'TikTok? My customers aren't on TikTok.'
Yes, they are. And more importantly, the 'reach' on TikTok is still alive. Unlike Facebook, where you only show up to people who already follow you, TikTok shows your videos to people who should be interested in you.
If you’re a local business, you can use TikTok to get enquiries by simply showing the 'behind the scenes' of what you do.
Don't dance. Don't point at floating text. Just show the work.
A tiler we know started filming the 'satisfying' process of grouting a floor. No music, just the sound of the trowel. He got 50,000 views and three jobs in Brisbane Northside from one video. It cost him zero dollars.
Stop Chasing 'Likes' and Start Closing Deals
Another huge mistake? Treating social media like a one-way megaphone.
If someone comments on your post, or sends you a DM, that is a live lead. Treat it like someone just walked into your shop.
Most businesses take three days to reply to a Facebook message. By then, that customer has already messaged three of your competitors and booked the one who replied first.
Social media is the new front desk. If you aren't ready to close sales on social media, you shouldn't be on it. You need a system to get those people off the app and onto the phone or into your showroom as fast as possible.
What Actually Works: The 'Local Expert' Strategy
If you want to beat the big guys with their massive budgets, you have to be the 'Local Expert'.
People in Brisbane love supporting local. But they need to know you’re actually local.
Talk about local landmarks. Mention the traffic on Gympie Road. Show yourself at the local coffee shop. Tag other local businesses.
When you position yourself as a part of the community, the algorithm actually tends to favour you more for local searches. More importantly, real people trust you more.
The 'No-BS' Action Plan
So, what should you do on Monday morning?
1. Stop the 'Schedule': If you don't have anything interesting or helpful to say, don't post. One great video is worth 50 'Happy Friday' graphics. 2. Go Vertical: Everything should be filmed vertically on a phone. It’s what people want to see. High-production value actually performs worse on social media now because it looks like an ad. 3. Check Your Messages: Assign one person to check your DMs every hour. If a lead comes in, get their phone number immediately. 4. Put $10 a Day on a Lead Ad: Forget boosting. Set up a simple ad that offers something specific (a free quote, a guide, a discount) to people in your specific suburbs. 5. Be Real: Show the mistakes. Show the messy workshop. Show the team having a laugh. That’s what people actually stop scrolling for.
The Bottom Line
Organic reach—the 'free' ride—is mostly gone. But the opportunity to build a massive, profitable business using these tools is better than ever if you stop acting like a corporate robot.
You don't need a 20-page social media strategy. You need to show up, be useful, and be fast.
If you’re sick of shouting into the void and getting nothing back, let’s have a chat. We help Brisbane businesses stop wasting money on 'content' and start getting actual phone calls.
No fluff. No jargon. Just results.
Ready to get your marketing sorted? Contact Local Marketing Group today.