18 Proven Social Media Tactics for Customer Acquisition
We asked industry experts to share one way they’ve successfully leveraged social media to attract new customers — and which specific tactics or strategies they’ve found most effective. Discover proven social media strategies that can revolutionize your customer acquisition efforts. These insights will help you maximize your social media impact and drive tangible results.
- Provide Free Value Before Pitching Products
- Combine Educational Content with Local Targeting
- Leverage Customer Reviews as Social Proof
- Share Authentic Project Stories and Updates
- Use Trending Hashtags for Creative Reach
- Educate Through Chocolate Making Process
- Build Trust with Real-Time Project Updates
- Demonstrate Influencer Marketing Through Personal Channels
- Engage Audience with Industry-Specific Memes
- Offer Genuine Help on Reddit Forums
- Convert Founder POV Posts to Targeted Ads
- Amplify Diverse Creator Content Locally
- Create Personalized Content with AI Avatars
- Pair Targeted Ads with Educational Videos
- Foster Community to Generate Qualified Leads
- Showcase Work and Connect on LinkedIn
- Balance Problem-Solving Tips with Customer Stories
- Leverage LinkedIn for Personal Connections
Provide Free Value Before Pitching Products
A social media strategy I’ve found effective, especially in growing our brand, is providing massive value to build trust, then selling later. Look at what competitors charge for and provide something better for free, then pitch your offer at the end.
For us, this meant publishing free, useful guides and giveaways on X. Think of how-to posts that help solve a burning problem among your audience, then positioning your product as a tool to help them get there. For example, I published guides like “How to Earn Your First $10k/Month on Pinterest,” including screenshots showing similar results.
Sometimes, I published threads, and other times, I provided the guides as giveaways that required users to enter an email to access. At the end of the free guide, I could pitch them our product, and that’s how we acquired paid subscribers.
Sai Rahul
Founder, Niche Traffic Kit
Combine Educational Content with Local Targeting
One of the most effective ways I’ve used social media to attract new customers — especially for healthcare clients — is by combining value-first content with hyper-local paid targeting.
Instead of jumping straight into promotional posts, we start by publishing educational, problem-solving content that speaks directly to our niche audience. For example, in the dental space:
- “5 Signs You Might Need a Root Canal (Before the Pain Hits)”
- “How to Choose the Right Pediatric Dentist Near You”
Then we boost those posts on Facebook and Instagram, targeting users within a 3-5 mile radius, using interests, behaviors, and recent location-based activity. We don’t pitch anything upfront — just build relevance and trust.
Once that warm audience engages, we retarget them with a simple, time-sensitive offer like “Book a $49 New Patient Exam” — paired with a clear CTA and easy booking link.
What made this work:
- The value-first content positioned our client as an authority before the ask
- The geographic targeting ensured we weren’t wasting impressions
- Retargeting gave us the second touchpoint most local businesses miss
It’s not about going viral — it’s about being visible, helpful, and consistent to the right people.
Ram Thakur
Founder, Ryse Healthcare Marketing Agency
Leverage Customer Reviews as Social Proof
One of the most effective ways I’ve leveraged social media to bring in new customers is by turning Google reviews into shareable social proof. Instead of relying solely on polished graphics or generic posts, I regularly repurpose authentic customer reviews — pairing a strong testimonial with the customer’s first name, a simple design, and a clear call-to-action. These posts perform especially well when paired with location hashtags and neighborhood tags, because they build trust while signaling relevance to nearby audiences.
A specific tactic that worked well for a salon client was combining review snippets with behind-the-scenes short videos of their staff at work. These posts didn’t feel like advertisements — they felt like community conversations. The result was a 29% increase in profile visits on Instagram, and we tracked several new bookings that came directly from people clicking the “Book Now” link after engaging with these posts.
What makes this strategy effective is that it doesn’t chase trends or vanity metrics — it leans into what customers already value: real experiences from real people. By blending user-generated content with local targeting, we turned social media from a brand awareness channel into a direct customer acquisition tool.
Neha Tiwari
Local SEO Expert, RyseVisibility
Share Authentic Project Stories and Updates
We’ve found tremendous success attracting new customers through authentic project storytelling on social media rather than traditional promotional content. Instead of just posting polished final products, we share the journey, behind-the-scenes progress updates, client stories, and yes, even occasional challenges we face during projects. This approach has built genuine trust with our audience and created more engaging content.
Our local community focus has been equally important. We regularly tag relevant local businesses, use geo-targeted hashtags that connect with our community, and actively encourage satisfied clients to share our work with their networks. This cross-promotion strategy has proven incredibly effective at putting our brand in front of highly relevant local audiences. The number of quality inquiries we receive from these authentic, community-centered posts far exceeds what we used to get from standard promotional content.
Alex Milner
Marketing Manager, Studio This
Use Trending Hashtags for Creative Reach
I attracted new customers through social media by using trending hashtags as a creative approach. I shared a humorous desk buddy photo with the caption “This is my mini-friend who calms me down between client calls” when #labubu reached its peak popularity. The authentic content, which connected to the viral trend, expanded my reach to people who normally wouldn’t see my content. The single post generated new followers while also producing two potential client leads. The approach succeeds because you participate in existing conversations instead of pushing promotions.
Vincent Carrié
CEO, Purple Media
Educate Through Chocolate Making Process
We built our social media strategy on education and storytelling, not endless product shots. Instead of just showing finished bars, we show what it means to make chocolate from scratch. We post videos of roasting cocoa beans, explain why Ecuadorian cacao tastes different from Indian cacao, and introduce the farmers who grow them.
Those posts spark curiosity, and curiosity turns into customers. Someone watches us crack open a cocoa pod and says, “I had no idea that’s where chocolate starts.” That curiosity pushes them to visit our shop or place an order online.
The tactic that works best for us is consistency with purpose. We post often, but every post has to teach, delight, or start a conversation. That filter builds trust and keeps people engaged until they are ready to buy.
Matt Cross
Co-Founder, Harvest Chocolate – Bean to Bar Chocolate & Chocolate Tea
Build Trust with Real-Time Project Updates
If you ask me, one of the best ways I’ve used social media to attract new customers is by sharing real stories instead of ads. Many businesses focus on big campaigns. However, I’ve seen better results with simple, honest posts that show real-time activities.
I started sharing quick updates about projects we were working on rather than just posting about services or offers. I kept it simple with short videos, photos, or a casual post about a client success story. People responded more to those than to paid promotions. I think it’s because it feels human and less promotional.
Another tactic that worked for me was using short video content. Platforms like Instagram Reels and LinkedIn videos gave more reach than static posts. I noticed that when I explained a concept in a one-minute clip, it got more views and brought in direct inquiries. It felt like people trusted me more after seeing my face and hearing me talk.
Engagement was also key. I made it a point to reply to every comment and message quickly. That personal touch built relationships, and some of those conversations turned into new clients.
What I found was that spending on ads wasn’t the key, but consistency and availability got me the results. In my view, people want to do business with brands that feel approachable and real. Social media is perfect for that.
So, my experience is that being authentic and consistent has been the most effective way to attract customers. It’s simple, but it works.
Ashish Katoch
Digital Marketing | SEO Specialist | Outreach Specialist | SEO Expert | Content Writing, Digital4design
Demonstrate Influencer Marketing Through Personal Channels
We don’t just run influencer campaigns — we live them. My business partner Amy and I are local influencers ourselves, which means we get to show, not tell, how powerful this kind of marketing can be. One of the most effective ways we’ve attracted new customers is by sharing authentic content about local businesses and destinations throughout New Mexico on our own channels. People see the engagement happen in real time, and suddenly they’re not just curious about influencer marketing — they’re ready to hire us to make it work for them. In a state with one of the smallest creator communities in the country, that ripple effect has been huge for inspiring locals to step into the influencer space and for helping businesses see that working with influencers doesn’t have to be a headache.
Caitlin Krantz
Co-Owner, Simply Social Media
Engage Audience with Industry-Specific Memes
One of the most effective ways I’ve leveraged social media to attract new customers is through meme marketing. Instead of pushing sales-heavy posts, I started creating relatable, industry-specific memes that spoke directly to my target audience’s everyday challenges.
The tactic worked because memes feel organic — they’re easily shareable, highly engaging, and break through the noise of polished ads. For example, I’d take a trending meme format and adapt it to highlight a common digital marketing pain point in a humorous way. This not only increased likes, shares, and comments but also built a sense of community around the brand.
What made it successful was consistency and timing. I monitored trending formats, adapted them quickly, and paired memes with soft CTAs like “learn how we solve this for clients.” It felt less like an ad and more like a conversation starter. Over time, this boosted brand visibility, generated inbound inquiries, and positioned us as approachable yet knowledgeable in our field.
The biggest lesson? People don’t just want to be marketed to — they want to be entertained. Meme marketing turned engagement into trust, and trust into new customers.
Saif Rehman
Digital Marketing, Tower 25
Offer Genuine Help on Reddit Forums
Posting useful replies on Reddit is a valuable strategy. It’s a treasure trove of content that search engines and AI crawlers refer to. I look for people asking for help in areas my product can address, and post genuine, helpful replies. Sometimes my product helps directly, sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t always mention my product. I link to it in my Reddit profile. Often, users inadvertently discover my product by browsing my profile anyway. It’s one of my strongest inbound channels.
Hwee-Boon Yar
Founder, TheBlue.social
Convert Founder POV Posts to Targeted Ads
People buy from people. We convert our strongest founder point-of-view (POV) posts that sparked real discussions into LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads. These ads are targeted at our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) by title and industry. We stay active in the comments, then move qualified individuals to a quick direct message (DM) and offer help, not a pitch. We track cost per conversation, speed to meeting, and pipeline created, and it consistently outperforms brand ads.
Renato Ferreira
Founder & Advisor, Insight Sales
Amplify Diverse Creator Content Locally
The most effective way we have used social media to attract new customers is by letting creators tell the story instead of the brand. Traditional ads often get ignored, but when micro and nano creators of color share authentic posts about a campaign, it feels like community, not marketing.
The strategy worked best when we:
1. Matched creators to the right zip code or community. Local relevance made the content resonate more deeply.
2. Amplified their content across social channels. Instead of creating new ads, we boosted what was already working organically.
3. Tracked sentiment in real time. That data showed brands what messages actually moved people.
This approach consistently drove higher engagement and turned social media into both a growth engine and a trust builder.
Taylor Humphries
CEO, Ranked
Create Personalized Content with AI Avatars
I’ve seen firsthand how AI is transforming this space for entrepreneurs.
Instead of traditional strategies, we successfully leveraged the power of custom AI avatars and digital twins to attract new customers for our clients.
The specific tactic we’ve found most effective is what we call “Hyper-Personalized Content at Scale.”
This strategy involves:
1. Creating a “Digital Twin” of the founder or a brand ambassador. This is a custom AI avatar that looks and sounds just like a real person.
2. Using this avatar to create a high volume of engaging, short-form video content for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and websites.
3. Deploying the content with hyper-targeted messaging to attract specific audience segments.
This approach is highly effective because it solves two major pain points for young entrepreneurs: the massive time commitment of content creation and the high cost of traditional video production. It allows them to maintain an “always-on” presence that feels personal and authentic, building a massive audience without the burnout of being in front of the camera 24/7. This has led to a significant increase in engagement and lead generation for our clients.
Tiffany Dawn
Founder, Pixel Story, Inc
Pair Targeted Ads with Educational Videos
I used micro-targeted ad campaigns paired with educational content. For example, we ran short, value-driven video tutorials on Facebook and Instagram aimed at specific audience segments, highlighting how our solutions solve their pain points. By combining targeted ads with engaging content and clear calls-to-action, we increased qualified leads by 23% in just two months. Consistency, audience segmentation, and interactive content were key to the campaign’s success.
Sheyne Branconnier
Owner & Marketing Director, Smile MEDIA
Foster Community to Generate Qualified Leads
Running a dedicated community on Facebook not only helps retain customers but also serves as an effective lead generation tool. We make it a point not to put our brand at the center of attention. Instead, the focus is on helping members achieve their goals, particularly generating leads that convert into sales.
The key is to provide value first: educate, support, and only then introduce how your brand can help along the way. Beyond attracting new customers, a community also gives you the chance to learn more about your existing ones. That insight is important. It provides a competitive edge while making customers feel valued and heard.
Alina Moskalova
Partnerships and Email Outreach, LinkedHelper
Showcase Work and Connect on LinkedIn
As a photographer, I’ve heavily leaned into social media to showcase my work and connect with potential new customers. LinkedIn has been the most effective channel for me. A customer I recently started working with actually reached out to me after seeing a personal post about my visit to a restaurant in Croatia where she coincidentally had also dined. On top of consistently posting my new work to stay in the front of people’s minds and expand my audience, I’ve also found success from cold outreach through direct messages. Not everyone is receptive to it, so it can feel a bit intimidating at first, but one positive response makes it all worth it.
Edward Jose
Photographer, Edward Jose Photography
Balance Problem-Solving Tips with Customer Stories
One of the most effective ways I’ve leveraged social media to attract new customers is by focusing on value-driven content rather than direct promotion. For instance, instead of pushing product features, I created short, engaging posts around problem-solving tips in the industry. A recent example was for a fitness brand, where we developed a series of “micro-guides” on Instagram that addressed common challenges like maintaining nutrition while traveling. These posts gained traction because they were practical, easily shareable, and positioned the brand as a trusted advisor. Within a month, the brand saw a 28% increase in profile visits and a measurable uplift in inquiries through DMs.
Another powerful tactic has been social proof through customer stories. We encouraged satisfied clients to share their experiences and tagged them in brand posts. One campaign highlighted a local cafe’s loyal customers sharing their favorite menu items on Instagram Reels. This not only amplified reach through user-generated content but also built credibility, leading to a 15% rise in foot traffic within weeks. The combination of informative content and authentic stories made the audience feel both educated and connected, which drove real conversions.
Key Tip: Social media success comes when you balance helpful insights with authentic engagement — make your audience feel understood before you sell to them.
Manav Kuhada
SEO Executive
Leverage LinkedIn for Personal Connections
One strategy that’s worked really well for us is using LinkedIn not just to share content, but to start genuine conversations. Instead of posting and walking away, we actively engage with comments, ask follow-up questions, and spotlight client success stories. This mix of expertise and interaction has built trust, and that trust has directly translated into new customer relationships.
Michelle Symonds
SEO Consultant, Ditto Digital
