Welcome back to The Rules Small Business Owners Should Follow Online.

Rule #3: If you have a business account, you must respond to DMs, comments, tags, and mentions.

In this episode of Marketing Minute, Paige explains why social media engagement is not optional for small business owners. Ignoring DMs or comments is like letting your business phone ring or leaving emails unanswered. Every response is an opportunity to strengthen client relationships, improve customer experience, and build trust with future customers.

Whether it’s turning a neutral interaction into a great experience or salvaging a negative one, showing up in your inbox matters.

Want a social media strategy that actually supports your business growth? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

Welcome back to The Rules Small Business Owners Should Follow Online.

Rule #2: Don’t trash your clients on social media.

In this episode of Marketing Minute, Paige explains why publicly complaining about clients—even in a joking or vague way—can damage your brand, erode trust, and push potential customers away. While venting about difficult client experiences might get engagement or views, it signals to future clients that they could become the next punchline.

If you want to build long-term trust, authority, and professionalism in your marketing, how you talk about your clients matters just as much as the services you provide.

Want help building a brand that attracts the right clients? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

Welcome to the series: The Rules Small Business Owners Should Follow Online. In this episode of Marketing Minute, Paige breaks down Rule #1—why your business profile should not look like your personal profile. If someone follows your business, it’s because they want your expertise, your services, and your value—not random personal updates. Learn why staying aligned with your brand promise online builds trust, strengthens your marketing strategy, and helps small businesses attract the right audience on social media. Want a clearer strategy for showing up online? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

AI tools like ChatGPT and other large language models are rapidly changing how marketers work. In this Marketing Minute, Paige breaks down how AI is being used in marketing today—from writing landing page copy and social media captions to brainstorming ideas and drafting email campaigns. She also shares a more advanced (and slightly nerdy) way to use AI: data analysis. By uploading performance data and asking for insights, marketers can uncover opportunities to improve strategy and results faster than ever. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur wondering how AI fits into your marketing efforts, this episode gives you a practical overview of what’s happening right now. Want marketing systems that evolve with the tools? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are becoming part of everyday business operations—but how should you actually be using them? In this Marketing Minute, Paige breaks down how small business owners can thoughtfully evaluate AI in their marketing and operations.

Instead of blindly adopting every new tool, this episode encourages entrepreneurs to reflect on their values, budget, time, and outsourcing strategy before integrating AI into their business. You’ll walk away with three guiding questions to help you make intentional, aligned decisions about AI usage.

Want marketing systems that align with your values and your goals? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

Instagram and TikTok are competing hard for attention—and Instagram’s new editing app, Edits, is a direct response to TikTok and CapCut. In this Marketing Minute, Paige explains how platforms reward early adopters of new features, why using Edits can help your Instagram reach, and how learning these tools can make content creation faster and easier. You’ll learn why experimenting with new tools matters, what to expect from Edits as it continues to evolve, and how showing up early can give your content an algorithmic boost. Want smarter social media strategies that help you stay ahead of the curve? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

TikTok strongly favors content created using its own tools—and if you’ve ever edited a video elsewhere and seen your reach tank, this Marketing Minute explains why. Paige breaks down how TikTok prioritizes native editing, why the platform encourages creators to stay inside the app, and the two TikTok-approved ways to edit your videos. You’ll learn when to edit directly in TikTok, when CapCut makes sense, and why low-production videos often perform better when they’re edited natively. Want social media strategies that actually work with the platforms—not against them? Visit thesocialcounter.co.

Choosing a video editing tool isn’t just about features—it’s about where your content is going, how long it is, and who’s editing it. In Part 2 of this Marketing Minute series, Paige explains how to think strategically about video editing, when outsourcing makes sense, and why low production value doesn’t equal low-quality content. You’ll also learn why consistency, practice, and strong messaging matter far more than fancy edits—especially when you’re creating content multiple times a week. Want marketing systems that fit your business and bandwidth? Visit thesocialcounter.co.