Your First Sip of Social Media— Profiles, Posts, and Platforms Without the Panic
If social media feels like ordering a triple-shot macchiato in a foreign language, take a deep breath — this blog is your translation menu. It’s made especially for business beginners: the ones who want to build something but haven’t even brewed their first Instagram post yet.
You’re not behind — you just haven’t been handed the right cup. Let’s fix that.
☕ Step 1: Start with Instagram — It’s Your Espresso Machine
Here’s the inside scoop: when you post a Post, Reel, or Story to Instagram, it automatically posts to Facebook — as long as your accounts are connected. (If you can't find "Crossposting" in the settings of your account from your phone, I can help you with that.)
No more double-duty. No more copy-pasting onto Facebook also.
☕ Why Instagram first?
Instagram favors video and visual storytelling (hello, Reels)
Your videos get wider reach faster — and can auto-publish to Facebook as Reels, posts, and stories.
Connected accounts save time and build consistency
Note: A post that is an mp4 will also show up on Reels both on Insta and FB.
Posts can be an image, an animated image, or a video.
Reels are animated images or videos.
Stories are where you see that circle at the top of your page when you log in to your account. You can just post something there (no verbiage needed in the post) or share a Post or Reel into Stories. i recommend always sharing into Stories.
Action Step:
Use Meta’s built-in tools to link your Instagram and Facebook biz accounts. (These are different on a computer v on a phone. Use your phone. In Instagram on your page's settings, choose "Crossposting" and link your personal to personal and also your biz to biz.) Once connected, Posts, Reels and Stories shared on Instagram will automatically appear on your Facebook page.
It’s the set-it-and-forget-it of social media — like brewing a whole pot instead of one cup at a time.
☕ Step 2: Polish Your Profile Like a Pro Barista
📸 Profile Photo: Use your smiling face — not your logo. People connect with people.
🧠 Bio: Who do you help? What do you help them do? What’s the next step?
Try this: “Helping [audience] with [problem] so they can [result].👇”
🔗 Link in bio: Use Linktree, Stan Store, or direct your followers to message you. This is where you put your website and 2 more links. A Linktree (free) will let you list many links, like your email, other socials, your website, your scheduling link, etc.). Calendly is a free scheduling tool that I highly recommend for getting leads.
You have 3 lines to make an impression. You can use one of the lines to share credentials or longevity: "Helped over 10,000 clients this year set up and show up on social media." "Helped over 10,000 clients set up and show up since 2022."
Note: I hold 2 advanced degrees, and no one cares. They don't make me have a personality that's fun to work with. Do they add to my qualifications? Sure. But, as I learned as a teacher in Aspen (where they don't call you Mrs. or Mr. and instead go by first names), all that anyone wants to know is how much you care about people.
☕ Step 3: What to Post When You Have No Idea What to Post
Spoiler: your first posts don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be human. It's going to take like 10 posts before you really feel comfortable. I suggest making them videos.
✅ Start with Reels — short videos work best. Your face. Your voice. Your message. 30-60 seconds. Check out my Hooks list at the end of the blog so you know what to say. And post them as Posts so they also show up in Reels.
✅ Use Stories to share day-in-the-life moments or quick tips wen you are ready. These are best for that car-talk video, unboxings, quick notes to people, behond-the-scenes clips, etc.
✅ Mix in photos, quotes, and product education.
Post on a consistent basis and build up to posting 5x/week by starting with one time this week, 2 times next week, and 3x for the rest of the month. Then, next month, add another day per week. Then the third month, post 5x per week. Keep going until you get to a frequency you can maintain.
My best advice? Batch create and schedule posts. Ask me about my social media posting platform that connects all your accounts to your piece of content so it goes everywhere on a set schedule.
I like to follow the buyer's journey:
Monday - awareness about the business or the person
Tuesday - a quote they would say or testimonial
Wednesday - an FAQ with answer
Thursday - Education
Friday - how to work with us
But to start, just post. Start with a hook, then answer the hook. Start with telling people about why you got into the biz and what you love.
Otherwise, you are posting about yourself and your life. Posting both personal and biz on your personal page is a great idea. Just post your biz stuff on your biz page. My best advice? Post your biz stuff on your biz page and share it into your personal profile page in your personal identity.
You’re not here to go viral. You’re here to build visibility — one sip at a time.
Ship up consistently to grow connections. This leads to trust. Trust = Authority.
People will pick you over someone else when you do these right.
☕Next steps
Once you get the rhythm of using Insta, make sure to look at both in Insta and FB for comments that you respond to with sentences.
After you feel good on these platforms, add Google Business Profile and then LinkedIn.
If you feel like you're ready to make a splash or experiment, create a TikTok account and do what you're doing on Insta.
Curate your feeds on the platforms ny clicking the three dots and telling it you're not interested or to hide the post/poster. It will take time, but in about a month, you won't have to see ridiculous posts in your feed.
Get followers by searching for types of people, groups (don't exist on every platform), interests, positions, and more and then looking at the results more closely (click on them) to see if you align, then follow/friend/join. That person will see your request and check you out. Make sure your account is worth looking at!
☕ Hooks for “Doing It Scared”
Hooks are how you start your videos or posts. Adapt them to fit you, but the sequence for a video is Hook - Introduce yourself - Respond to Hook. In a post, just Hook - Answer to hook.
Awareness Hooks (admitting the start)
“I’m new here — and I’m showing up anyway.”
“Not polished. Not perfect. Just passionate.”
“This is my first [post/story/video] — and I almost didn’t share it.”
“Starting messy > never starting at all.”
“I may be nervous, but I’m more committed than afraid.”
Education / Connection Hooks (talking about the why)
“Building something from scratch takes guts — and I’ve got a cup full.”
“This is what it looks like to grow in public.”
“I help people like me — folks who want better, even if they’re scared.”
“Everyone starts somewhere. This is my somewhere.”
“If you’ve ever been afraid to hit post — same. But here we go.”
Call-to-Action Hooks (inviting engagement or support)
“Cheering for all the business owners figuring it out as they go. Me included.”
“Here’s to the first step — even if your voice shakes while taking it.”
“If you’re watching this, thanks for being part of my Day One crew.”
“This post is for anyone who’s ever felt behind — but showed up anyway.”
“Follow along if you’re into bravery, business, and starting messy.”
