Social Media 101: Your Complete Guide to Instagram and Facebook in 2025

As a digital marketing agency managing social media for businesses across Tucson, we know that getting started with social media can feel overwhelming. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to establish and grow your presence on both Instagram and Facebook. No fluff, no complicated jargon – just straightforward guidance based on our real experience managing these platforms every day.

Getting Your Social Media Accounts Set Up

Instagram Account Creation

Before you can start sharing your business's story on Instagram, you'll need to set up your account properly. Here's the exact process:

1. Download the Instagram app on your mobile device

2. Open the app and tap "Sign Up"

3. Enter your email address

4. Create a username and password

5. Complete your basic profile information

6. Go to Settings

7. Tap "Account"

8. Select "Switch to Professional Account"

9. Choose "Business" (not Creator)

10. Follow the prompts to connect your Facebook account

Facebook Business Page Setup

Setting up your Facebook presence requires a few more steps, but it's equally straightforward:

1. Log into your personal Facebook account

2. Click the menu icon (three lines)

3. Select "Pages"

4. Click "Create New Page"

5. Enter your business name

6. Choose your business category

7. Add your business description

8. Upload your profile and cover photos

9. Add your contact information

10. Set up your page's call-to-action button

Understanding the Platforms' Unique Strengths

Instagram: Your Visual StoryInstagram serves as your business's visual portfolio. Through our experience managing various business accounts, we've learned that Instagram excels at showcasing your brand's personality and building emotional connections with your audience.

The platform offers several distinct ways to share content, each serving a specific purpose.

• Feed Posts form your permanent gallery. These should represent your best work, key products or services, and milestone moments. When someone visits your profile, these posts create their first impression of your business. Through our work at Wholistic Agency, we've found that maintaining a cohesive visual style in your feed helps build brand recognition.

• Stories offer a more casual, immediate way to connect with your audience. These 24-hour posts are perfect for sharing daily updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and time-sensitive announcements. We recommend using Stories daily to maintain consistent engagement with your followers.

• Reels have become increasingly important for reaching new audiences. These short-form videos allow you to showcase your expertise, demonstrate products, or share quick tips in an engaging format. While they might seem intimidating at first, even simple, authentic Reels can perform well.

• IGTV provides a space for longer-form content, perfect for in-depth tutorials, detailed product demonstrations, or extended business updates. While not every business needs to use IGTV regularly, it's valuable for certain types of content that deserve more time.

  
  

Facebook:

Your Digital HubFacebook serves a different but equally important role in your social media strategy. Think of it as your business's complete digital headquarters where customers can find everything they need to know about your company. Your Facebook page should contain comprehensive information about your business, including:

• The About Section needs to be complete and detailed. Include your business hours, location, services offered, and company history. This section often appears in search results, so make it count.

• Services/Shop Section allows you to list your offerings in detail. Take time to fill this out completely, including prices if applicable, descriptions, and images.

• Reviews provide social proof that can significantly impact potential customers' decisions. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, and always respond to both positive and negative feedback professionally.

  
  

Creating Effective Content

Content Planning Success on both platforms requires a thoughtful content strategy. At Wholistic Agency, we recommend starting with a basic content calendar that includes:

Morning Posts: Share industry news, daily specials, or motivation content

Midday Updates: Behind-the-scenes looks or team spotlights

Evening Engagement: Questions, polls, or community-focused content

Photography and Visual Content

You don't need professional equipment to create effective social media content. Here's what we've learned works best:

Natural Lighting: Position subjects near windows or shoot outdoors during golden hour (early morning or late afternoon)

Clean Backgrounds: Remove clutter and distracting elements from your shots

Multiple Angles: Take several versions of each shot to ensure you have options

Basic Editing: Use built-in filters and editing tools thoughtfully, maintaining consistency in your style

Writing Engaging Captions

Captions deserve as much attention as your visuals. Effective captions tell a story, provide context, or offer value to your audience. Start with a strong opening line that hooks readers, then expand on your message. End with a clear call to action that encourages engagement.

Hashtag Strategy

Use hashtags strategically on both platforms, but differently:

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags, but we recommend using 5-10 relevant ones. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones specific to your industry and location. Create a saved list of your most-used hashtags to maintain consistency.

Facebook posts perform better with minimal hashtag use - stick to 1-2 highly relevant tags per post.

Engagement and Community Building

Responding to Comments and Messages

Engagement isn't optional - it's essential. Set aside time each day to respond to comments and messages. Quick response times show that you value your audience and can help build stronger relationships with potential customers.

Building Your Community

Focus on creating meaningful connections rather than collecting followers. Engage with other local businesses, respond to community discussions, and participate in relevant conversations in your field.

Measuring Success

Start by tracking basic metrics:

• Profile visits

• Website clicks

• Post engagement

• Story views

• Message response rate

  
  

As you grow more comfortable with the platforms, dive deeper into analytics to understand what content resonates best with your audience.

Growth Strategy

Growing your social media presence takes time and consistency. Focus on:

• Posting regularly (2-3 times per week minimum)

• Engaging with your audience daily

• Creating valuable content that serves your community

• Building authentic connections with other businesses

• Using location tags and relevant hashtags

  
  

Common Challenges and Solutions - Time Management

Social media can be time-consuming. We recommend blocking out specific times each day for social media management, such as15 minutes in the morning for posting and initial engagement, 15 minutes at lunch for checking messages and comments and 15 minutes in the evening for engagement and planning.

Content Creation

Running out of content ideas is common. Keep a running list of frequently asked questions, from customers, behind-the-scenes moments, team member spotlights, customer success stories- Industry tips and advice

Moving Forward

Remember, social media success doesn't happen overnight. Focus on consistency, authenticity, and providing value to your audience. Start with these fundamentals, and adjust your strategy based on what works for your specific business and audience.

Need Professional Help?

While this guide gives you everything needed to get started, managing social media while running a business can be overwhelming. At Wholistic Agency, we offer comprehensive social media management and advertising solutions. Ready to take your social media presence to the next level? Schedule your free consultation where we'll review your goals and create a customized strategy for your business.