Content vs. Marketing: Why Small Business Owners Need More Than Instagram

What Marketing Actually Is

If you're a small business owner, I’ll bet that when you hear the word content, your mind jumps straight to social media and probably Instagram. Sound familiar?

Through my recent market research (and plenty of conversations with small business owners), I’ve noticed that many people equate content with social media. However, content is just one part of your overall marketing strategy. And marketing? Well, that’s so much bigger.

Let’s break this down and help you rethink your approach to small business marketing without the stress and burnout of trying to do allthethings.

Marketing Is the Umbrella, Content Is Just One Piece

Picture an umbrella labeled Marketing Strategy. Everything that helps you get in front of the right people lives under that umbrella: content, collaborations, paid ads, vendor events, sponsorships, and more.

Your Content Strategy: Short Form + Long Form

Within that marketing umbrella, content breaks into two branches:

• Short-form content: This might include Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, or Pinterest (Pinterest is actually a search engine, not social media).

• Long-form content: This could be a podcast (hi!), YouTube tutorials, a blog, or email marketing (P.S. you do need an email list).

For most small business owners, I recommend choosing one short-form channel and one long-form channel. This keeps your marketing sustainable, focused, and effective.

Other Ways to Market Your Business (That Aren’t Social Media)

Your marketing strategy should fit you, your business type, and your audience—not just follow trends. Here are other powerful elements you might include:

• Community sponsorships: Local theatre, sports teams, school programs and all the places where your future customers are paying attention.

• Vendor events: Especially great if you’re a product-based business.

• Referrals: Consider offering a bonus or incentive to encourage happy customers to spread the word.

• Collaborations: Guest on a podcast, co-host an Instagram Live, or swap lead magnets with someone who shares your audience.

• Paid ads: These can make sense depending on your goals and budget but they’re not mandatory.

Stop Overloading Yourself (You Don’t Have to Be Everywhere)

One of the biggest challenges small business owners tell me about is time. When you think of content as just social media, especially video-heavy platforms like Instagram, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the good news? You don’t have to be on Instagram. Or TikTok. Or anywhere that doesn’t feel right for your business.

You need a marketing plan that works for you. Not some cookie-cutter formula.

The Bottom Line: Build a Marketing Strategy That Makes Sense for Your Business

Marketing is like baking a cake. The cake is your overall strategy, and the ingredients are the different ways you choose to show up: short-form content, long-form content, sponsorships, collaborations, and more. The recipe? That’s unique to you—and it’s why I work so closely with my clients to build a plan that fits their business, budget, and bandwidth.