Social Media Content Struggles? What to Post When You Don’t Know What to Say (Southwest Florida Edition)

Written by DRVN on July 16, 2025. Posted in What to Post on Social When You Don't Know What to Say.

Are you a Southwest Florida business owner, coach, service provider, or contractor staring blankly at your social media scheduler? You know you should be posting regularly, but the dreaded question looms: what to post on social media? It’s a common struggle, even for seasoned marketers. Maintaining a consistent and engaging social media presence can feel like a full-time job, especially when inspiration is low. This guide offers a lifeline of content ideas specifically tailored for businesses in Southwest Florida, ensuring you always have something valuable to share with your audience.

Understanding Your Southwest Florida Audience

Before diving into specific content ideas, it’s crucial to understand who you’re talking to. Southwest Florida boasts a diverse demographic, from retirees and seasonal residents to young professionals and families. Your target audience within this diverse population will dictate the type of content that resonates most effectively.

Consider their demographics: Age, income, interests, and lifestyle. Are you targeting affluent retirees in Naples or young families in Fort Myers?
Think about their needs and pain points: What problems are they trying to solve? How can your business offer solutions?
Analyze your competitors: What are they posting? What seems to be working for them? This isn’t about copying, but about gaining insights into what your shared target audience engages with.

Content Pillars for Southwest Florida Businesses

Creating content pillars – core themes relevant to your business and audience – provides a framework for consistent posting. Here are some examples relevant to Southwest Florida:

Local Lifestyle: Showcase the Southwest Florida lifestyle. Share photos of beautiful beaches, local events, vibrant sunsets, and the unique charm of our area. This resonates with both residents and those dreaming of visiting.
Community Involvement: Highlight your participation in local events, sponsorships, or charity work. This demonstrates your commitment to the community and builds brand trust. Think about sharing your involvement with organizations like the United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee, or the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
Behind-the-Scenes: Offer a glimpse into your business operations, introduce your team, or showcase your process. This humanizes your brand and builds connection with your audience.
Industry Insights: Share valuable information related to your industry. This positions you as an expert and builds credibility. For example, a real estate agent could share tips on navigating the Southwest Florida housing market, or a contractor could offer advice on hurricane preparedness.
Customer Spotlights: Feature satisfied customers and share their positive experiences. Testimonials are powerful social proof and build confidence in your brand.

What to Post on Social Media: A Content Idea Bonanza

Now that we have a framework, let’s explore specific content ideas you can use when you’re drawing a blank on what to post on social media:

Leveraging Local Events & Holidays:

Seasonal Content: Embrace the Southwest Florida calendar. Highlight upcoming events like the Naples National Art Festival, the Edison Festival of Light in Fort Myers, or the Stone Crab Festival in Everglades City. Share tips for enjoying these events or offer special promotions tied to them.
Holiday-Themed Posts: Celebrate national and local holidays with relevant content. Think about creating posts for National Seashell Day (June 21st) showcasing beautiful local shells, or posts for National Hurricane Preparedness Week offering valuable safety advice.

Engaging Your Audience:

Ask Questions: Spark conversations by posing questions related to your industry or local interests. For example, a restaurant could ask, “What’s your favorite seafood dish to enjoy in Southwest Florida?”
Run Polls and Quizzes: Create interactive polls and quizzes related to your products, services, or local trivia. This is a fun way to boost engagement and gather valuable audience insights.
Host Contests and Giveaways: Drive excitement and increase followers by hosting contests or giveaways. Offer prizes relevant to your business or the Southwest Florida lifestyle.

Sharing Valuable Information:

Tips and Advice: Share practical tips and advice related to your industry. This positions you as a resource and builds trust. A landscaping company could offer tips on drought-tolerant landscaping, or a financial advisor could share advice on retirement planning in Florida.
Blog Post Promotion: If you have a blog (and you should!), share snippets and links to your latest posts on social media. This drives traffic to your website and expands your content’s reach.
Infographics and Data Visualizations: Present complex information in a visually appealing and easily digestible format. This is especially effective for sharing statistics or industry trends.

Showcasing Your Business and Team:

Employee Spotlights: Introduce your team members and highlight their expertise. This humanizes your brand and creates a personal connection with your audience.
Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses: Offer a sneak peek into your daily operations, your workspace, or your creative process. This builds transparency and fosters a sense of community.
Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Share positive customer feedback to build social proof and demonstrate the value of your products or services.

Utilizing User-Generated Content:

Reposting Customer Content: Share photos and videos posted by your customers featuring your products or services. This is a powerful form of social proof and encourages further user-generated content.
Running Hashtag Campaigns: Create a unique hashtag for your business or a specific campaign and encourage customers to use it when sharing their experiences. This generates buzz and expands your brand’s reach.

Staying Current and Relevant:

Industry News and Trends: Share relevant news and updates within your industry. This keeps your audience informed and positions you as a thought leader.
Local News and Events: Share news and information relevant to the Southwest Florida community. This demonstrates your connection to the area and keeps your content locally relevant.

Creating a Social Media Content Calendar

Consistency is key to social media success. A content calendar helps you plan your posts in advance, ensuring a steady stream of engaging content.

Choose Your Platforms: Focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active. For Southwest Florida businesses, this might include Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Plan Your Content: Use the content ideas above to create a variety of posts. Aim for a mix of promotional, educational, and entertaining content.
Schedule Your Posts: Use a social media scheduling tool like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule your posts in advance. This saves time and ensures consistent posting.
Analyze and Adjust: Track your social media performance and analyze what’s working and what’s not. Adjust your content strategy based on these insights.

What to Post on Social Media When You’re Really Stuck:

Even with a content calendar, you might still have those days when inspiration just won’t strike. Here are a few last-resort ideas for what to post on social media:

“This or That” Questions: Pose simple “this or that” questions related to your industry or local preferences. For example, a coffee shop could ask, “Beach sunrise or sunset?”
Share a Motivational Quote: Inspire your audience with a relevant quote related to your industry or personal development.
Ask for Feedback: Ask your audience for their opinions on a new product or service, or solicit feedback on how you can improve.

By implementing these strategies and utilizing the content ideas provided, you’ll never again be at a loss for what to post on social media. Remember to tailor your content to your specific target audience within the Southwest Florida community and stay consistent with your posting schedule. With a little planning and creativity, you can build a thriving social media presence that drives engagement, generates leads, and grows your business.