By Morgan Adams
NextCorps recently hosted a Lunch & Learn with Krista Jenkins, founder of Spark Content, a marketing expert and entrepreneur who helps nonprofits and small businesses grow their digital presence. With firsthand experience in brand storytelling and customer engagement, she shared practical strategies for leveraging social media to attract audiences, drive sales, and build lasting connections.
Find your audience & meet them where they are
Choosing the right social media platform starts with understanding where your audience spends their time and how they engage with content. Each platform caters to different demographics and content styles, making it essential to align your strategy with both your audience and your strengths.
- Facebook is ideal for brand awareness and lead generation, with a strong presence among users aged 25 to 54. It remains one of the most widely used platforms, making it a great choice for businesses looking to build long-term visibility.
- Instagram thrives on highly visual content and storytelling, attracting users between 18 and 44. If your brand relies on aesthetics, lifestyle marketing, or engaging visuals, this platform is a must.
- LinkedIn is the go-to platform for professional networking, industry insights, and B2B marketing, primarily used by professionals aged 25 to 54. It’s the best place to connect with decision-makers, investors, and business leaders.
- TikTok offers high engagement among users aged 13 to 34, but its unpredictable algorithm means that success often requires continuous experimentation with short-form video. For brands willing to take creative risks, it can be a game-changer.
Instead of spreading yourself too thin, focus on platforms that align with both your audience’s habits and your brand’s strengths. A company looking to position itself as an industry thought leader might do well on LinkedIn, while a product-driven business with strong visuals may find more success on Instagram or TikTok. The key is to start small, refine your approach, and expand as needed. Consistency and quality will always beat trying to be everywhere at once.
The social media funnel: From awareness to sales
Social media isn’t just about gaining followers. It’s about moving potential customers through the sales funnel. At the awareness stage, the goal is to reach new audiences and get noticed by people who may not yet know about your brand. This can be done by creating engaging and shareable content, using SEO-friendly captions and relevant hashtags, leveraging paid ads, and collaborating with influencers to expand reach.
Once awareness is established, the next step is consideration. At this stage, potential customers are interested but need more information before making a decision. Brands can build trust by sharing educational content, behind-the-scenes insights, and social proof, such as testimonials and case studies.
The conversion stage is where action happens—whether it’s a sale, a sign-up, or a booking. Strong calls to action, time-sensitive discounts, and retargeting engaged users can make a significant impact.
Once customers convert, the final stage is loyalty, where brands should focus on keeping their audience engaged long-term. Encouraging user-generated content, featuring customers in posts, offering referral programs, and responding to comments all help foster brand advocacy.
What makes people stop scrolling?
The key to grabbing attention on social media is understanding what makes people pause. Content that sparks engagement generally falls into three categories: entertaining or relatability, educational, and inspirational.
- Entertaining content resonates because it feels familiar—memes, humor, and everyday experiences that people connect with often see high engagement.
- Educational content—such as quick tips, how-to guides, and industry insights—provides value and positions a brand as an authority.
- Inspirational content taps into emotions, whether through success stories, mission-driven messaging, or motivational content that aligns with a brand’s values.
Great content is about more than just looking good—it needs to provide something meaningful to the audience. The most effective social media strategies combine all three types of content in a way that feels natural and aligns with your brand identity.
Making social media work without the burnout
For small businesses and startups, managing social media can feel like a full-time job. Krista shared strategies for streamlining the process without sacrificing quality. The first step is to plan ahead and schedule posts in advance. Tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, or Meta Business Suite allow businesses to batch-create content and automate posting, reducing the daily burden. Repurposing and cross-posting content is another time-saving strategy—one well-performing post can be reformatted for multiple platforms to maximize reach.
AI tools can also assist with content creation, but they should be used thoughtfully. While platforms like ChatGPT and Canva can generate ideas, captions, and designs, it’s important to refine content in an authentic brand voice to maintain engagement.
Final takeaways
Social media success isn’t about chasing every trend—it’s about being intentional. By understanding where your audience is, creating content that resonates, and using smart scheduling and automation tools, businesses can grow their online presence without feeling overwhelmed. A balanced approach that nurtures brand awareness, engagement, and conversions will lead to a stronger, more sustainable social media strategy.
If you have questions or want to learn more, feel free to reach out to Krista directly at krista@letsfindyourspark.com.
Want more expert insights? Subscribe to the NextCorps newsletter to stay updated on upcoming Lunch & Learn sessions!