Best Practices for Social Media Posting
Social media is one of the most flexible and create outlets for engaging with a target audience. It’s also one of the easiest to misuse.
If your posts look good but don’t drive clicks, sign-ups, or interaction, the issue usually isn’t effort. It’s clarity, planning, and audience focus.
Here are the best practices to make social media work for you, not against:
1. Calls to Action Must Be Clear and Easy
These are my biggest pet peeves: QR codes as the primary call to action in a social post, or no call to action at all.
If someone is scrolling on their phone (which the data shows most people are), they cannot scan a QR code on that same device. The only way it works is if they’re on a computer and scan with their phone, which is not how most people consume social media, or scan with another phone or device. That’s far too many steps!
If you want engagement:
Put the link directly in the post when the platform allows it
Say exactly what you want people to do
“Click here to apply today: [link]”
On Instagram, where links aren’t clickable in captions:
Use a clear “link in bio” CTA
Keep your bio link updated (this matters more than people think)
Make action frictionless. If people have to hunt for the link or type out something longer than a few characters, they won’t.
2. Use Active Voice — and Emojis Thoughtfully
Just like newsletters, active voice performs better on social.
Clear, direct language tells people:
what this is,
why it matters,
and what to do next.
Emojis are great for tone and visibility, but think of them as seasoning, not the steak itself. Overusing them can distract from the message instead of reinforcing it.
3. Video Is King (and It Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy)
Video continues to be one of the best ways to “hack” the algorithm, and it doesn’t need to be complicated.
You can:
Create simple templates
Drop in short clips
Add trending audio
Export quickly for multiple platforms
There are built-in tools (like Meta) and plenty of third-party apps that help with:
captioning
resizing
audio
accessibility
4. Film Smart: Horizontal, Lots of B-Roll
Even if you think a video is just for social, turn your phone horizontally.
You can always crop horizontal footage for vertical platforms. You can’t easily turn portrait footage into a standard video later.
And you can almost never have too much b-roll:
Aim for 5–10 seconds per scene
That gives you flexibility to cut down to the best 2–4 seconds
Change clips every 2–4 seconds to keep attention
B-roll doesn’t need to be complicated:
Outside of a building
People walking in
Hands working
Conversations
Flowers, signs, movement
Action shots always win.
5. Put a Person at the Center of the Story
Social media is storytelling. People connect with people.
If you’re talking about a library, use the head librarian as the voice of the story.
If you’re talking about a program, feature the staff member or participant who brings it to life.
Having a human “through line” makes even short videos more engaging and memorable.
6. Start With the Audience — Every. Single.Time
This should probably be in the No. 1 spot, not 6. It’s the most critical part of planning any type of communication! Never start drafting a post without asking:
Who is this for?
What do they care about?
What action do we want them to take?
That answer should guide:
tone
length
visuals
and platform choice
7. Tailor Content for Each Platform
Please, for the love of good communications: don’t copy and paste across platforms.
A Facebook post that says “see bio for link” is a dead giveaway that the content wasn’t tailored. Facebook doesn’t have a “link in bio.” What it does allow are clickable links. Use them.
Each platform is a chance to:
adjust tone
adjust length
optimize for how people actually use it
8. Use Scheduling Tools — and Build in Approvals and/or Review
Social scheduling platforms can be expensive, but for multi-person teams and multi-channel campaigns, they could be worth it.
They allow:
cross-platform scheduling
approval workflows
consistency
fewer last-minute scrambles
You can also do approvals directly in the platforms via scheduling, which is helpful for many teams.
This brings me to my next thought: scheduling. I recommend scheduling posts, when possible, especially for smaller communications teams. Communications folks are pulled in a million directions. Scheduling ahead lets you focus on other work without sacrificing consistency.
9. Plan With a Content Calendar (Don’t Just Post to Post)
A content calendar is everything.
This is how I plan, but approaches can vary:
Travel & Outreach
Pre-event attendance, how to connect, and stories from outreach and engagement.Event promotion
Pre-event posts, reminders, day-of, and post-event recapsCore campaigns
Scholarship opening, resources launching, reports releasing.
This ensures nothing slips through the cracks and that posts build on each other instead of feeling random.
I usually create:
a yearly high-level calendar
with monthly check-ins to adjust, assign, and refine
10. Scheduling = Better Review
Scheduling also gives you space to review.
Draft a week’s worth of content, walk away, and come back with fresh eyes. You’ll catch things you’d miss if you were posting in real time.
Side note: Nonprofits and organizations balancing grant deliverables, having a content calendar can ensure communications efforts support deadlines and key benchmarks for grants and reporting.
11. Engagement Isn’t Just Posting — It’s Participating
Social media is a two-way street.
Don’t just publish and disappear:
Like posts from partner orgs
Comment thoughtfully
Reshare relevant content
Tag others when appropriate (they’re more likely to reshare!)
Look at setting aside 30 minutes a day to scroll and actively engage from the business/profile account you’re promoting. It makes a real difference over time.
Final Thought
The themes here are consistent:
audience first
clear, easy calls to action
tailored content
planning over posting
interaction over broadcasting
Social media gives organizations incredible freedom to tell stories and connect. When it’s done with intention, it doesn’t just inform. It builds relationships.