Social media is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It’s an affordable way to build brand awareness, connect with customers, and drive sales. But with so many platforms—Facebook®, Instagram®, TikTok®, LinkedIn®, and more—where should you start?
The strategy is the same, no matter which platform you choose: create authentic, engaging content that speaks to your ideal customer. Here’s a look at 19 companies that are getting it right and what small businesses can learn from them.
1. Duolingo®
Duolingo has mastered the art of viral social media content. The language-learning app uses humor, pop culture, and its quirky green owl mascot to create videos that keep audiences coming back. By embracing trends and engaging in lighthearted, often self-deprecating humor, Duolingo has grown its TikTok following to millions.
What small businesses can learn: Lean into your brand personality. Whether it’s humor, inspiration, or expert insights, don’t be afraid to show some personality in your social media content.
2. Surreal Cereal®
Surreal Cereal has built a brand on absurdity, using social media as a playground for surreal humor. From fake celebrity endorsements (without actually signing them) to brutal ads, they use surrealism to get attention. Their X® (formerly Twitter®) and Instagram feeds are full of wacky, unexpected content that breaks the mold of food advertising.
What small businesses can learn: Don’t be afraid to be weird. A unique, out of the (cereal) box brand voice may help you stand out in a crowded market and keep people coming back.
3. Dove®
Dove is a leader in purpose-driven marketing, using social media to promote body positivity and challenge beauty standards. Campaigns like #RealBeauty and #KeepHerConfident have sparked global conversations and positioned Dove as a brand that stands for more than just soap.
What small businesses can learn: If your brand has a mission beyond selling a product, share it. Customers generally connect with businesses that align with their values.
4. Ryanair®
Ryanair has turned self-deprecating humor and internet culture into a winning social media strategy. The low-cost airline’s TikTok account is packed with viral memes, sarcastic responses to customer complaints, and hilarious takes on budget travel struggles. By embracing its reputation as a no-frills airline, Ryanair leans into the joke rather than fighting it, making its content highly shareable.
What small businesses can learn: Own your brand personality. Whether it’s humor, transparency, or a unique tone, leaning into what makes you different may even help turn customer frustration into engagement opportunities.
5. Dollar Shave Club®
Dollar Shave Club shook up the grooming industry with its hilarious launch video, and it hasn’t slowed down since. The brand keeps its audience engaged with witty, educational, and sometimes irreverent content about shaving and self-care.
What small businesses can learn: Don’t be afraid to break industry norms. If your product or service is typically marketed in a dry, straightforward way, consider adding some humor or storytelling to make it stand out.
6. Lay’s®
Lay’s knows how to get customers involved. Through fan-favorite campaigns like "Do Us a Flavor," which invites people to create new chip flavors, the brand turns followers into active participants. Lay’s also uses humor, nostalgia, and interactive polls to keep engagement high. Their playful tone makes social media feel less like marketing and more like a conversation.
What small businesses can learn: Involve your audience. Contests, polls, and interactive posts make customers feel like part of your brand, increasing loyalty and engagement.
7. Jala
Jala, a SmartBiz® customer, blends fashion, fitness, and purpose with its eco-friendly yoga apparel. The brand’s Instagram presence is built on high-quality product imagery, yoga inspiration, and a commitment to giving back. By partnering with YogaGivesBack.org®, Jala connects with socially conscious consumers who align with its mission.
What small businesses can learn: Cause-driven marketing typically resonates. If your brand supports a cause, highlight it—customers generally love to support businesses that share their values.
8. Roshambo Eyewear
Roshambo Eyewear, another SmartBiz customer, makes durable sunglasses for kids. The brand found its breakthrough moment with a simple, organic Facebook video. That one video—shot on a phone—went viral, reaching millions of parents and driving significant sales.
What small businesses can learn: You don’t need a big budget to make an impact. A well-targeted, relatable video may drive massive engagement.
9. Dunkin’®
Dunkin’ has fully embraced influencer culture, but one of its most successful collaborations didn’t come from a traditional influencer—it came from Ben Affleck. A lifelong Dunkin’ fan, Affleck’s love for the brand became an internet meme long before Dunkin’ made it official. Instead of just hiring him for an ad, they leaned into his authentic connection, resulting in viral Super Bowl commercials and social media moments that felt natural, not forced.
What small businesses can learn: Partner with people who genuinely love your brand. Whether it’s an A-list celebrity or a local micro-influencer, authentic enthusiasm will typically resonate more than a scripted sponsorship.
10. Fun Bowl
Steve Brown, owner of Fun Bowl, a family entertainment center in Georgia and SmartBiz customer, relies almost entirely on social media for marketing. By running timely promotions and using Facebook ads to announce events, Fun Bowl reaches its audience quickly and affordably.
“98% of what we do is social media,” Brown says. “We can blast out an announcement for $500 and reach more people instantly.”
What small businesses can learn: Social media provides a low-cost way to reach local customers fast. Whether announcing events or running promotions, Fun Bowl proves that strategic social media spending may go a long way.
11. Infinity Strap®
Amir Zaki, a SmartBiz customer, created Infinity Strap, a unique yoga prop now used in studios across the U.S. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, the brand found success through organic Instagram marketing. “Instagram is a unique community of positive people who trust each other,” says Zaki. With over 54,000 followers, the platform now drives 80% of sales—without paid ads.
What small businesses can learn: Find your community. Engaging with a niche audience on social media may help build trust, drive sales, and reduce marketing costs.
12. GoPro®
GoPro turns its customers into content creators. By sharing epic videos and photos taken with their cameras, GoPro shows off their product in action and builds a passionate community. Their Instagram, YouTube®, and TikTok accounts feature user-generated content, extreme sports, and adventure photography – every post is a real-life product demo.
What small businesses can learn: Encourage customers to share their experiences with your product. Authentic, user-generated content builds trust and acts as free marketing.
13. Spotify®
Spotify turns data into shareable content with campaigns like Spotify Wrapped, where users get a personalized breakdown of their listening habits. Every year, millions eagerly post their Wrapped results, giving Spotify free viral marketing. The brand also engages fans through playlists, music memes, and real-time reactions to pop culture moments, making it feel like part of the music community.
What small businesses can learn: Personalization drives engagement. If you can create customized experiences for customers, they’ll be more likely to share them—expanding your reach organically.
14. Wendy’s®
Wendy’s has turned its social media accounts into the fast-food version of a diss track, roasting competitors, clapping back at customers, and dropping viral one-liners. The brand’s sharp humor and pop culture references make social media feel like an ongoing rap battle—one that keeps fans entertained and engaged. Interactive polls, memes, and playful insults help add to its viral success.
What small businesses can learn: A bold, well-defined brand voice may set you apart. If humor fits your brand, embrace it—just like a great diss track, the right tone keeps people talking.
15. American Express®
American Express uses influencer marketing to showcase real people enjoying exclusive experiences with an Amex card. The #AmexAmbassadors campaign connects luxury travel, lifestyle, and finance seamlessly.
What small businesses can learn: If your product enhances customers' lives, show it in action. User-generated content and influencer partnerships may be powerful tools.
16. Airbnb®
Airbnb’s Instagram is a collection of stunning travel photos—most of them user-generated. The company also prioritizes fast, helpful customer service on X, responding to issues in minutes.
What small businesses can learn: Encourage customers to share their experiences with your product. A great photo or review from a real customer is often more powerful than an ad.
17. Poppi®
Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, skyrocketed on TikTok by blending product education, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and influencer collaborations. The brand’s co-founder, Allison Ellsworth, frequently appears in videos, sharing how Poppi started as a homemade gut-health drink. Combined with bright visuals, viral sounds, and authentic testimonials, Poppi’s content feels both informative and fun—helping the brand go from Shark Tank® to shelves nationwide.
What small businesses can learn: Educate while you entertain. Founder-led storytelling and clear product benefits generally make your brand more relatable, helping customers understand why they need your product—not just what it is.
18. ClickUp®
ClickUp has transformed LinkedIn—a platform traditionally known for corporate thought leadership—into a hub for viral workplace humor. Instead of sticking to dry, professional content, ClickUp posts funny, hyper-relatable videos about work life, like their "When HR Goes Too Hard" skit. The brand has built massive engagement and recognition by blending entertainment with subtle product awareness.
What small businesses can learn: Don’t be afraid to challenge platform norms. Even in traditionally “serious” spaces like LinkedIn, brands that bring fresh, unexpected content—like humor and storytelling—may stand out and drive engagement.
19. Innocent Drinks®
Innocent Drinks turns social media into a comedy show, using quirky humor, self-aware marketing, and playful banter to engage followers. Instead of hard-selling smoothies, the brand shares random thoughts, funny polls, and witty takes on current events, making its content feel more like entertainment than advertising. This approach has built a loyal, engaged audience that actively interacts with the brand.
What small businesses can learn: Not every post needs to sell. Entertaining content keeps your audience engaged, making them more likely to remember—and support—your brand.
How to create a winning social media strategy for your small business
These brands prove that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing. However, some key strategies may help:
Use multiple platforms wisely. GoPro uses Instagram for visuals, X for updates, and Facebook for promotions. Find the best platform for each marketing goal.
Embrace humor. If it fits your brand, humor may make your content more shareable—just like Wendy’s and Duolingo.
Encourage customers to share their experiences. Whether it’s through user-generated content (GoPro, Airbnb) or cause-driven storytelling (Dove, Jala), authenticity wins.
Invest in visuals. Eye-catching content stops the scroll. Whether it’s an infographic (Spotify), a beautiful image (Airbnb), or a hilarious video (Duolingo), visuals matter.
Engage with your audience. Respond to questions, comments, and reviews. ClickUp and American Express both show the power of direct interaction.
Don’t be afraid to share your values. Purpose-driven marketing resonates. Brands like Dove and Jala connect with customers by aligning with causes and values that matter to their audiences.
