We are well and truly in the middle of the “social first” era. Scroll the headlines, and you’ll see it everywhere: big brands appointing social agencies, shifting ad dollars from TV to Reels, and restructuring their entire strategies around TikTok.
Even high-ball legacy giants like Coca-Cola and GM are going all-in on “social-first” marketing, where social media doesn’t just support campaigns, but leads them.
However, if you’re running a lean in-house team or a small agency, you’ve probably felt a twinge of FOMO. You might even be thinking something along the lines of: “Cool for Pepsi, but I don’t exactly have a VaynerMedia-sized budget sitting around.”
The good news is, you don’t need one! Going social-first isn’t about throwing money at influencers or hiring a 20-person video squad. It’s about a mindset shift—using the insights, speed, and creativity of social to steer your marketing and scale it according to your budget.
Let’s explore how to go social-first on a shoestring budget without burning out, selling out, or missing out.
The Big Shift: Why “social-first” isn’t just a buzzword
So what does “social-first” actually mean? It’s not just posting to Instagram every day or chasing TikTok trends. It’s about using social media behaviors and insights to lead your entire marketing strategy.
Think of social as the sun of the marketing solar system. Everything else—ads, email, PR, product launches—simply revolves around it.
Big brands like Coca-Cola get it. They’re putting entire portfolios—organic, paid, influencer partnerships, commerce, and reporting—under social-first strategies. Why? Because social is where culture happens in real time.
Thankfully, you don’t need Fortune 500 resources to adopt the same mindset—you just need to know where to put your focus.
How to be a social-first brand on a shoestring budget
Want to adopt a social-first strategy, but unsure where or how to start? Finding practical, budget-friendly tactics that make social-first possible for lean teams: that’s where the magic happens. Let this be your blueprint for doing more with less—without stretching your squad to breaking point.
1. Organic & paid social: Get scrappy, not spammy
The myth: Posting daily = growth. The reality: One killer post can outperform ten mediocre ones—you just have to know how to repurpose it. Here’s how to stretch your best performers to make your content work smarter, not harder.
Double down on your winners.
Use platform analytics to find your top organic posts and put a small paid budget behind them. (Think $20–$50—not thousands.)
Tools like Meta’s Ad Manager or TikTok Promote make this easy, and you’ll often see higher ROI than creating endless new posts. Over time, you’ll spot patterns in what performs best and can refine your paid strategy around proven content.
Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose.
Got one strong video? Clip it into Shorts, turn it into a carousel with quotes, or use the transcript for a blog post.
Repurposing the best elements of your top posts works well for small teams, enabling them to squeeze the maximum value out of every asset. Think of every great piece of content as raw material for multiple touchpoints, tailored to each platform’s strengths.
Batch smart.
Use one filming session to get multiple pieces of content. For instance, a café could film a single “day in the life” video, then slice it into recipe Reels, behind-the-scenes TikToks, and stills for Instagram Stories. This saves time, reduces production stress, and ensures you always have a mix of formats ready to go.
💡Pro tip: Document as you go. Keep a running list of what works (hooks, visuals, captions) in a shared doc or asset library for inspo and quick wins.
2. Influencer marketing: Think smaller, win bigger
Forget the Kardashians; nano- and micro-influencers (1K–50K followers) are the new golden ticket for marketers. Often delivering higher engagement and trust—at a fraction of the cost— micro-influencers are a surefire way to supercharge your social-first strategy.
Trade products for posts.
Many nano-creators are happy to promote brands in exchange for free product or discounts. It’s a win-win: they get content and value for their audience, while you get authentic exposure without blowing your budget. Just make sure your offer is genuinely appealing and feels like a natural partnership.
Prioritize authenticity.
Micro-influencers usually have niche communities. Their audiences listen more closely to them than big-name celebs, and recommendations often feel like advice from a trusted friend. This creates higher conversion potential compared to broad but shallow reach.
Leverage UGC.
Instead of paying for a polished campaign, encourage your online community to create content around a branded hashtag or challenge and repost it with credit. UGC not only saves production costs but also strengthens your brand’s community presence by spotlighting real customers.
Gymshark, for example, scaled globally by partnering with micro fitness influencers on Instagram and YouTube—long before they had the budget for celebrity endorsements. And look at them now!
3. Social Commerce: Keep it simple & start native
Social platforms are fast becoming the new storefronts. But you don’t need a complex eCommerce backend to start selling on social! Here’s how to start small and win big:
Start with native tools.
Before you launch an entire online store, showcase a few hero products on Instagram or TikTok Shop. Tools like Meta Commerce Manager simplify setup, and TikTok Shop lets you test social selling without investing in custom infrastructure.
Focus on your bestsellers.
Don’t overwhelm your team or your audience by releasing your whole product line all at once. Start with 3–5 products that already sell well—by spotlighting proven winners, you can quickly validate what resonates on social before expanding.
Use content as your sales pitch.
Pair products with lifestyle Reels, unboxing TikToks, or how-to posts. Social commerce isn’t just about dropping links—it’s the storytelling, relevance and relatability that make people want to click “buy.”
Many previously small brands, like the cult-fave jewellery line Mejuri, started with Instagram-native shopping features to build momentum before investing in full eCommerce expansions. Why not add your brand to that list, too?
4. Performance tracking & reporting: Prove value without pricey tools
Here’s where most lean teams win or lose. You don’t need enterprise-level dashboards—you just need clarity. Data is power, no matter how simple! Here’s how to start:
Pick 1–2 core metrics.
Instead of tracking 25 different touchpoints, start with a few key metrics. Focus on engagement rate, website clicks, or conversions, and tie them to your business goals so leadership sees the impact.
Tracking fewer but more meaningful metrics makes it easier to tell a clear, compelling story with your data (and gives you more leverage when pitching future ideas!).
Start with free tools.
Native analytics (Instagram Insights, TikTok Analytics, YouTube Studio) go a long way. You can upgrade later if you outgrow them, but for many small-to-mid teams, these tools provide more than enough insight to guide a solid social-first strategy.
Tell a story.
Don’t just drop numbers. Show what worked, why, and what you’ll do next. Framing performance in terms of actions and learnings builds trust and shows that you’re thinking strategically, not just tactically.
💡 Pro tip: Automate & simplify. Sked Social’s reporting makes it easy to track the metrics that matter. Instead of juggling screenshots from multiple platforms, you can pull clear, customizable reports in one place—all tied directly to your content strategy.
Key takeaway: Social-first is a mindset, not a money pit
Going social-first isn’t about the size of your budget—it’s about putting your audience at the centre, testing ideas with agility, and building on what delivers. The best results come from being smart, scrappy, and relentlessly customer-focused.
So don’t wait for the perfect plan—choose a strategy, start small, and let your progress guide you.
Ready to slay your social-first strategy?
You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Pick one area—like testing TikTok Shop with a single product, or trialling micro-influencers—and start experimenting. Progress over perfection is how lean teams win.
Ready to put social front and centre? Start your free trial with Sked social today 🚀
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