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Resources for small businesses

Guides and blog

Simple, step-by-step help to get more customers from TikTok and Instagram. No jargon, no fluff.

Guides 3Blog 22

01

Start here

How to use Next5, in three short guides. Read them in order.

3 articles

  1. Bakery owner choosing photos on a laptop behind her counter, fresh bread beside her
    01

    Step 1

    How to Make Your First TikTok Slideshows With Next5

  2. Boutique owner writing post ideas in a paper monthly planner at her shop worktable
    02

    Step 2

    How to Fill a 30-Day Content Calendar With the Ideas Deck

  3. Florist reading numbers on a laptop at his desk, a notebook and flower buckets around him
    03

    Step 3

    How to Read Your Analytics and Make More of What Works

02

Blog

TikTok and Instagram marketing for small businesses, in plain words.

22 articles

Ceramic artist photographing a row of handmade mugs with her phone in her studio

How-to·4 min read

How to Make a Slideshow on TikTok (Step by Step)

Five steps in the TikTok app, how to add text to each photo, and the simple rules that make a slideshow worth a swipe.

October 18, 2026Read the post →

Bike shop owner taking a phone photo of a repaired bicycle in his shop

Get customers·3 min read

Social Media Marketing for Small Business: A Simple Plan That Works

Pick one goal, pick one or two apps, post every day, and do more of what works. A plan you can start this week.

October 18, 2026

Two cafe owners planning a month of posts on a printed calendar before opening

How-to·4 min read

Social Media Content Calendar: Free 30-Day Template for Small Businesses

A copy-ready 30-day plan: one post a day, five post types on repeat, and how to fill it in under an hour.

October 18, 2026

Food truck owner checking her phone at the counter during a quiet moment

How-to·3 min read

Best Time to Post on TikTok and Instagram for Business (and How to Find Yours)

Generic charts guess. Your own followers tell you. How to find your best posting time in the app, plus a 2-week test.

October 18, 2026

Coffee shop owner typing a caption on his phone behind the counter

How-to·8 min read

How Many Hashtags Should You Use on TikTok for Business?

TikTok caps you at 5 hashtags. Which 5 to use as a local business, and how much they really change your views.

October 24, 2026

Barber in his shop with one earbud in, scrolling a list on his phone, clippers resting on the counter beside him

How-to·9 min read

TikTok Commercial Sounds: Why Your Business Account Cannot Use That Song

Why a business account only shows Commercial Sounds, and the four things you can put behind a post instead.

October 28, 2026

Online seller packing skincare orders into boxes at her kitchen table

TikTok Shop·3 min read

How to Sell on TikTok Shop: A Beginner Guide for Small Sellers

Set up your shop, list products the right way, and post content every day that sends people to buy.

October 18, 2026

Seller seen from behind holding a grey ceramic mug in front of a phone on a tripod, stacked shipping boxes on the table

TikTok Shop·9 min read

Faceless TikTok Shop: What TikTok's Own Rules Let You Post

You can sell without being on camera. But a video of product photos is the one faceless format TikTok tells you not to post.

October 29, 2026

Realtor filming a walkthrough video with her phone in a staged living room

Realtors·3 min read

Social Media for Realtors: 30 Real Estate Post Ideas for TikTok and Instagram

What realtors should post on TikTok and Instagram, 30 real estate post ideas, and how to turn views into leads.

October 18, 2026

Realtor photographing a house behind a Coming Soon yard sign

Realtors·7 min read

Coming Soon Real Estate Post: What to Show, Captions to Copy, and the MLS Rule

What to put in a coming soon post, captions and hooks to copy, and the MLS rule that starts the clock.

October 20, 2026

Real estate agent placing an OPEN HOUSE yard sign on the front lawn of a suburban home in bright daylight

Realtors·9 min read

Open House Social Media Post Ideas: 5 Posts and the Captions to Copy

A five post run-up to Saturday, the captions to copy, and the wording that breaks fair housing rules.

October 26, 2026

Plant shop owner drawing on a sidewalk chalkboard sign outside her store

Post ideas·3 min read

25 Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Social, local, word of mouth and email: 25 ideas that cost little or nothing, and which ones to try first.

October 18, 2026

Shop owner photographing a Christmas-decorated shop counter with a phone, a small lit tree and wrapped gifts on the counter, daylight through the storefront window

Post ideas·9 min read

Christmas Social Media Post Ideas for a Small Business (2026 Dates)

The dates that decide your December, twelve posts to fill them, and what to run when you sell a service and have nothing to gift wrap.

October 27, 2026

Shop owner taping a handwritten Shop Small sign to the inside of their storefront window, boxes of inventory nearby

Post ideas·6 min read

Small Business Saturday Post Ideas for 2026 (November 28)

What to post the week before, on the day, and after, including what to do if you have no product to photograph.

October 30, 2026

Candle maker filming herself pouring wax into jars with a phone on a tripod

How-to·4 min read

TikTok Hooks for Small Businesses: 40 Examples You Can Copy

The first line decides if people stay. 40 hooks sorted by type, and a 3-part formula to write your own.

October 18, 2026

Business owner comparing a printed quote and costs on a laptop at his kitchen table

Costs·3 min read

How Much Does a Social Media Manager Cost? 5 Options for Small Businesses

How freelancers and agencies charge, the hidden cost of doing it yourself, and 5 options side by side.

October 18, 2026

Top-down view of hands frosting cupcakes while a phone films from above

Post ideas·3 min read

Faceless TikTok Ideas for Businesses: 20 Posts That Do Not Need Your Face

No camera, no dancing. 20 faceless post ideas that still sell, and the formats that work best.

October 18, 2026

Dog groomer typing on a laptop at her front desk, a groomed dog in the background

Costs·3 min read

Can ChatGPT Do Your Social Media? What It Can and Cannot Do

ChatGPT writes words fast. Here is what it does well, what it cannot do, and 5 prompts that work for small businesses.

October 18, 2026

Cook in a white apron finishing a plate of spaghetti on the stainless steel pass of a small restaurant kitchen, daylight from a window

By industry·9 min read

Social Media for Restaurants: Shoot the Food, Fill the Tables

A 10-minute photo pass between tickets, the right angle per dish, and where the photo earns its keep after Instagram.

October 25, 2026

Gym coach filming a client's kettlebell swing on his phone

By industry·5 min read

Social Media for Gyms: What to Post Each Week to Fill Your Trial Calendar

A simple weekly posting plan for gyms: what to post, how often, and how to turn views into trial bookings.

October 21, 2026

Stylist taking a phone photo of a client's finished haircut in the salon chair

By industry·6 min read

Social Media for Hair Salons: What to Post to Fill More Chairs

A weekly posting plan for hair salons: what to post, who posts it, and how to turn views into booked chairs.

October 22, 2026

Plumber fixing a pipe under a kitchen sink while a phone on a tripod films the repair

By industry·6 min read

TikTok for Plumbers: Does It Actually Get You Calls?

The honest answer on whether TikTok brings in calls, what to film on a job, and what to leave out.

October 23, 2026

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