digestVidSign in
summary

Neil Patel - How to Start Social Media Marketing (4 ESSENTIAL Tips for Beginners)

Thumbnail of the video “Neil Patel - How to Start Social Media Marketing (4 ESSENTIAL Tips for Beginners)”
Community upload. AI output has not been independently verified.
Author: Neil Patel
Categories: Business
Tags: business
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-15 07:49 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Start social media marketing by picking the one network that fits your audience and content style, then build a complete profile, create useful content, and engage genuinely before promoting your business. The video frames this as four essential beginner tips: pick the right network, start creating content, build connections by engaging, and prioritize engaged followers over follower count, with a bonus tip to delay promotion.

Key Points

  • Focus on one network rather than being mediocre on many, since weak profiles get little reach under current algorithms.
  • Choose a network by audience: LinkedIn (or Twitter) for B2B, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for B2C; YouTube works for both, and Facebook suits older audiences while Instagram and Snapchat suit younger audiences.
  • Use competitor research and BuzzSumo to decide what content to post, since it shows which articles and topics perform on each platform.
  • Engagement rate matters more than raw follower count: 100 followers who like, share, and comment can outperform a million fans who don't.
  • Hold off on promoting your business for three to six months (Neil Patel himself prefers nine months to a year), because people won't buy until a relationship exists.

Details Worth Noting

Concrete instructions:

  • Pick a network: check your industry (B2B or B2C) and the content format you enjoy creating (video suits YouTube or LinkedIn; Facebook is more competitive).

  • Complete your profile fully: username, email address, a proper image, and a description of who you are or your company, stating the benefits followers will get.

  • Study your closest competitors' social content to see what performs well and what doesn't, even if they are large or direct rivals.

  • If you're unsure what to post, start with status updates, phone videos, or shared links, and use buzzsumo.com by entering industry keywords to find popular articles.

  • Build connections by friending or following people you know, then responding to questions, helping others, and sharing valuable articles from people in your space, including competitors.

  • Acknowledge every comment on your own posts: thank commenters and respond to their questions.

  • Do not promote your business from day one; wait three to six months while you build engagement.

  • YouTube content can keep earning views over time through search, since people actively search for videos on YouTube but rarely search Facebook.

  • The speaker notes that social network algorithms look at engagement as a percentage of followers, so a low engagement rate can limit how widely content is shown.

  • The speaker says paid advertising can promote a business immediately, while organic growth requires the waiting period.

  • The speaker invites viewers to comment with their business for personal help, which is a practical way to get specific network advice.

Bottom Line

Build a focused, engaged audience on one well-matched network first, and only sell once people have chosen to follow and trust you.