Get Social Online and In Real Life: Optimizing Local Events for Small Businesses
If you're a small local business, summer is your time to shine. Pop-up markets, community events, and outdoor festivals aren’t just sales opportunities — they’re a goldmine for content, connection, and brand building.
Here’s how to turn local events into digital momentum — and get truly social for small businesses, both online and off.
1. Build Hype Before the Event
Don’t wait until event day to start promoting. A strong pre-event strategy helps you maximize foot traffic and digital engagement.
Tips:
Post a “Catch us at ___” graphic or video
Tag the event organizer and use location/event hashtags
Share sneak peeks of what you’ll bring or offer
Encourage your audience to visit your booth with a special deal
content idea: “Small business vendor setting up a table for a local outdoor event with summer decorations.”
2. Capture & Share Real-Time Content
Being social for small businesses means inviting your audience behind the scenes. Local events are full of moments worth sharing — and they don’t have to be overproduced.
Capture:
Your setup coming together
A time-lapse of the crowd
Close-ups of your products in natural light
Smiling customer moments (with consent!)
content idea: “Handmade soap display at a summer market with sunshine and flowers.”
Use Stories, Reels, and static posts to keep your audience in the loop — even if they can’t attend.
3. Get Social with Other Vendors
Events are community moments. Leverage that!
Ways to collaborate:
Tag neighbouring vendors in your posts
Reshare their content to your Story
Create a group giveaway or bundle
Mention them in your captions (“Shoutout to @localcoffee for the mid-day boost!”)
This is a smart way to cross-promote and show you're a community-first business — a major trust builder.
content idea: “Two local business owners clinking cold brew cups at a community pop-up.”
4. Follow Up After the Event
The event may be over, but your content and engagement shouldn’t be.
Post-event actions:
Thank your customers and attendees
Share your favourite highlights
Add event photos to a blog, highlight, or pinned post
Remind people how they can keep in touch (newsletter, online shop, next event)
This part of social for small businesses is key — it turns first-time browsers into loyal, returning customers.
5. Reflect, Repurpose, Repeat
After the event, take a step back and assess:
What content performed best?
What got the most in-person attention?
What would you do differently?
Then repurpose what worked:
Turn your Reel into a blog or newsletter
Use your best photo as a quote graphic
Add your booth setup checklist to Pinterest
content idea: “Screenshot of a small business Instagram post with a thank-you message and local event recap.”
Final Thoughts: Be Present, Be Social
The real magic of being social for small businesses? Showing up, online and in your local scene. Your digital strategy and your real-life presence can (and should) work together to amplify your reach and build meaningful community connections.
Need help building a social strategy around your upcoming events? I offer content planning, content creation, and post-event strategy to help small businesses thrive. Let’s connect →
