How to Prepare Your Social Media for January: A Simple Guide for Small Business Owners

January is one of the most important months for business visibility.

January is one of the most important months for business visibility.

It sets the tone for the year ahead, helps you reconnect with your audience after the festive break, and gives you a fresh opportunity to market your services with confidence. But many business owners enter January feeling overwhelmed, underprepared, or unsure of what to post.

Let’s change that.

This simple guide will walk you through exactly how to prepare your social media for January, without spending hours glued to your phone, perfect for small business owners, service providers and creatives who want clarity, consistency and confidence going into 2026.

1. Reflect on What Worked in 2025

Before you plan anything new, take a moment to review what performed well over the past year.

Look at:

Your top-performing posts
Content that got the highest saves/shares
Reels or posts that led to enquiries
Themes your audience reacted well to
Times of year when engagement was strongest

This is your roadmap - The data shows you exactly what your audience wants more of.

2. Refresh Your Profile

January is a brilliant time for a mini profile refresh.

Update:

Your bio
Your niche or offer (if it’s changed)
Link in bio
Story Highlights
Profile image (if needed)

Ask yourself:
If someone discovered me today, would my profile make them want to stay?

If the answer isn’t a strong yes, refresh it.

3. Set Clear Content Goals for the Month

Instead of “post more,” set goals that actually help your business grow.

Examples:

“Increase audience engagement by 20%”
“Show up confidently on stories weekly”
“Share more educational content to build authority”
“Promote my best-selling service with intention”

Your goals anchor your content.

4. Choose Your January Content Pillars

To keep things simple, pick 3–4 content pillars you will stick to for the month.

Examples:

Education: Platform tips, how-tos, mistakes to avoid
Personal: Your story, lessons learned, behind-the-scenes
Authority: Case studies, client results, testimonials
Sales: Soft promotion of offers and services

These pillars keep your content consistent and strategic.

5. Plan Your First Two Weeks of Posts

January is busy, so plan ahead.

Your first two weeks could include:

Your goals for the year

A “how to get organised” post

A Reel with a quick social media tip

A BTS clip of your workspace restarting after the holidays

A soft “here’s how we can work together this year” post

You don’t need a full 30-day plan - just a structured start.

6. Batch Create Your First Week of Content

Batching helps you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

Try:

Filming 2–3 Reels in one go
Creating carousels using templates
Writing captions in a single focused block
Scheduling ahead using a tool like Metricool

Small actions now = calm, consistent January.

7. Re-engage Your Audience

After the holidays, your audience will be quieter, and that’s normal.

Use your first week to warm them back up with:

Polls
Question boxes
Motivational story updates
Asking what they need help with this year

Engagement comes from connection, especially at the start of the year.

8. Showcase How You Can Help

Don’t be afraid to talk about your services with confidence.

Your audience is ready for clarity in January.

Your offers
What’s new this year
Why your service solves their problems
Who your services are perfect for

Make it easy for people to understand how to work with you.

Conclusion

January doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, but with a clear plan, a supportive strategy and consistency (not perfection), you can start the year confidently and set your business up for success.

If you want personalised support, clarity or a deeper strategy, you can book a 60-Minute Social Refresh or explore Social Media Management, Training, or Website Design services directly on our website.

Here’s to a strong, empowered and strategic start to 2026! ✨

You’ve got this.

Alexandra x

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What’s Working on Instagram in 2025: 7 Smart Content Shifts Every Small Business Should Make

by Alexandra Stanley • 9 June 2025

Instagram is no longer just a place to share pretty pictures—it’s now a full-blown marketing machine for small businesses. But what worked even 12 months ago may already be out of date. If you're a business owner in property, trades, interiors—or any hands-on industry—this blog will walk you through what’s actually working on Instagram in 2025, and how you can update your strategy to grow with confidence. Let’s dive into the 7 biggest shifts you need to know about. 1. 🎥 Raw & Real Reels Are Outperforming Polished Content The days of over-edited, overly curated videos are behind us. Audiences want to see real people doing real things. For interior designers and trades, this is your time to shine. Think: ✔️ A quick "before & after" video ✔️ A timelapse of a space being transformed ✔️ You talking directly to the camera about your process Keep it simple, vertical, and under 30 seconds. Done is better than perfect. 2. 📅 Consistency > Perfection Forget agonising over the perfect grid. In 2025, showing up consistently (even if it’s 3 times a week) wins over perfect visuals. Tip: Use scheduling tools like Metricool to plan ahead and batch your content to stay consistent without the stress. 3. 🔍 SEO-Optimised Captions Are a Must Instagram is now a search engine—yes, really! Your ideal customer might be searching “kitchen fitter in Suffolk” or “luxury butler services London.” Use keywords naturally in your: - Bio - Captions - Alt text (added during post creation) This helps you get discovered by people actively looking for your service. 4. 🧠 Engagement-First Format Choices The algorithm now prioritises posts that get people to pause, click, or comment. What works best? - Carousel posts with tips or transformations - Reels that open with a hook - Questions and polls in Stories - Comment prompts like “Would you choose this colour scheme?” Engagement tells Instagram your content is valuable—and it will show it to more people. 5. 📱 Instagram as Your ‘Mini Website’ Your profile is often the first impression before someone even lands on your site. Make sure yours has: - Clear bio with keywords and location - Professional profile image - Highlights (services, testimonials, FAQs) - Pinned posts showcasing what you do Think of it as a mini landing page that sells you. 6. 🙌 UGC & Testimonials = Trust Builders People trust people. Sharing real reviews, videos from clients, or even screenshots of great feedback builds instant credibility. Ask your clients for short testimonial clips—or turn their WhatsApp praise into an aesthetic quote graphic. 7. 🔁 Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose Work smarter, not harder. 📌 Post your Reels to TikTok 📌 Turn blog tips into carousels 📌 Clip training content into educational Reels 📌 Turn FAQs into Stories This saves time and grows your presence on multiple platforms with minimal extra effort. Ready to Refresh Your Strategy? If you’re feeling a bit stuck or unsure what to post next, you're not alone. 👉 Book a 1:1 strategy call 👉 Join my next Social Media Mastery course 👉 Or DM me for a quick grid audit (it’s free!) Let’s make Instagram work for your business in 2025—without the overwhelm. Written by Alexandra Stanley, Social Media Expert for property, trades & interiors. Follow @alexandrastanleysocialmedia for more real talk on content that converts.

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