Ruth Southorn of Swallowtail Social makes notes for her next blog on social media marketing.

Social Media Marketing Blog for Small Businesses

Practical social media marketing tips, content ideas, and branding advice to help you grow your online presence.

Browse articles on content strategy, social platforms, branding and more. Plus, local marketing-related events in and around Bristol.

Ruth

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Social media marketing articles

a frustrated female business owner using a megaphone stands in a room where several groups of other business owners are chatting and ignoring her, while she is struggling to market to a wide audience

How to Find Your Dream Customer: A Step-by-Step Guide to STOP Marketing to Everyone

28.07.2026

| Marketing

One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make isn't […]

Graphic image showing an 8-step cyclic framework , titled 'Social Media Content Planning: An 8-step Framework'

Social Media Content Planning: The Complete Guide for Small Business Owners

04.06.2026

| Marketing

If you've ever opened Facebook or Instagram, ready to do […]

Close up of a female small business owner holding forward a 'Hello' name badge displaying only the words "page/38587924405" as if the username URL of a Facebook business Page. A text overlay reads "Make you Page name work in your FAVOUR!"

Choosing your Usernames for Facebook and Instagram: The Small Detail That Makes a Big Difference

19.03.2026

| Marketing

Setting up (or reviewing) your username probably feels like an […]

female business owner stands by a desk in her home office looking at a wall planner of her social media strategy, after she has followed the guide by Ruth who is a marketing coach at Swallowtail Social

How to Create a Social Media Strategy: A Guide for Small Business Owners

20.02.2026

| Marketing

Lack of strategy is a common problem for small business […]

a stressed female small sits working from home in front of her laptop, trying to finish her small business marketing tasks. She is busy, feeling the Christmas time pressures, and needs social media productivity tips by Swallowtail Social

Christmas Social Media Marketing Tips for Time-Poor Small Business Owners (Who Are Doing Their Best!)

09.12.2025

| Marketing

The festive season is supposed to be “the most wonderful […]

Visual graphic accompanying a blog on the topic of best Instagram image size 2025. Graphic includes an inset of smiling female business owner sitting outside at a desk planning social media marketing visuals for a small business. A second inset shows closeup of hands holding a phone and scrolling on instagram. The text overlay on the visual reads "What size of images to use? Instagram… explained!"

What is the best Instagram image size in 2026?

02.09.2025

| Marketing

** A USER GUIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS **Fully checked […]

A female duck swims on a pond with a line of ducklings following behind her as an analogy for a small business owner attracting followers to their social media business page for more productive marketing. The text overlay reads "How to grow followers on your business Page".

How to Get Followers on Your Small Business Social Media Page: First Impressions Matter

05.06.2025

| Marketing

When someone lands on your small business' social media Page, […]

Clean modern desk setup of a small business owner, featuring a laptop with representation of a ChatGPT AI chatbot. Floating marketing icons illustrate how the ChatGPT assistant is saving the business owner time and effort, as they were able to use the downloadable customisable PDF of AI prompts

Best ChatGPT prompts for small business marketing in 2025

26.02.2025

| Marketing

Marketing can feel overwhelming for small business owners and solopreneurs, […]

A female small business owner sits at a desk, working on a laptop, learning how to use Meta Business Suite for small business marketing. The text overlay reads "A beginner's guide for small business owners" with the Meta Business Suite brand logo

How to use Meta Business Suite for Small Business Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide

07.03.2024

| Marketing

As a small business owner trying to juggle your marketing […]

cyber security account hacking of Facebook and Instagram small business accounts is minimised by enabling two-factor authentication

How to set up Two-factor Authentication for a business page on Facebook and Instagram (2FA)

27.10.2023

| Marketing

Security of your data and your page is a big […]

Bristol marketing events

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an relaxed workspace with table at which a small group of workshop attendees are seated to learn small business skills. A male trainer is standing using a flipchart, presenting a session to the group.

Local Small Business Events in July 2026

01.07.2026

| Bristol events

Looking to sharpen your skills, grow a dependable network, and invest in your business growth […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an relaxed workspace with round table at which a small group of workshop attendees are seated to learn small business skills. A female trainer is also seated, presenting a session to the group.

Local Small Business Events in June 2026

19.05.2026

| Bristol events

No matter if you’re a solopreneur, a freelancer, or running an established business wanting to […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an modern workspace with two tables at which workshop attendees are seated to learn small business skills. A female trainer is standing, presenting a session about marketing and branding.

Local Small Business Events in May 2026

23.04.2026

| Bristol events

It doesn't matter if you’re a solopreneur, freelancer, or running a business wanting to scale, […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an exhibition centre with visitors and small business entrepreneurs looking at colourful business stands; a group of people look down from a tiered seating area to see a speaker presenting on stage about local business topics.

Local Small Business Events in April 2026

24.03.2026

| Bristol events

Whether you’re a solopreneur, freelancer, or running a growing team, April is packed with opportunities […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of a light meeting room with a small group of small business entrepreneurs sitting at tables listening to an expert workshop on the theme of systems for small business.

Local Small Business Events in March 2026

27.02.2026

| Bristol events

You can make the most of sooo many small business events in the Bristol and […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an exhibition centre with visitors and small business entrepreneurs looking at colourful business stands; a group of people look down from a mezzanine level to see a speaker presenting on stage about local business topics.

Local Small Business Events in February 2026

27.01.2026

| Bristol events

As a small business owner, soletrader or company-of-one entrepreneur, there are so many small business […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of an exhibition hall with groups of small business entrepreneurs looking at colourful business stands, chatting and networking with other local business owners.

Local Small Business Events in January 2026

23.12.2025

| Bristol events

This roundup brings together a great mix of marketing, social media, and small business skills […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of a meeting room with a small group of small business entrepreneurs chatting and networking with other local business owners.

Local Small Business Events in December 2025

17.11.2025

| Bristol events

Make the most of this round up of marketing, social media + small business skills, […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of a meeting room with a small group of small business entrepreneurs sitting at tables listening to a expert workshop on the theme of local network collaborations.

Local Small Business Events in November 2025

16.10.2025

| Bristol events

If you’re a small business owner based in Bristol or Bath, there are some brilliant […]

a watercolour-style illustrative image of a meeting room with small business entrepreneurs sitting at tables listening to a speaker presentation on the theme of local network collaborations.

Local Small Business Events in October 2025

25.09.2025

| Bristol events

Those based in Bristol and Bath can make the most of these small business events […]

Etsy articles

photograph of parcel shipping materials, including tape dispenser, brown paper on a roll, shipping tags and a package wrapped in brown paper

Shipping tariff codes for product sellers

29.06.2021

| Etsy

** Checked for latest current info & best practises: 08 June 2026 – ✅ Products […]

I'd love to hear if these from you if these articles have helped or if you have questions about any of the topics I’ve written about. Leave a comment on the relevant blog or send me a message.