How to Use X (Twitter) to Market Your Local Business
X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, still has over 500 million monthly active users worldwide. For local businesses in the Chicagoland area, that audience includes customers, journalists, local influencers, and community groups worth getting in front of.
Most local businesses skip X entirely because it feels noisier and harder to crack than Facebook or Instagram. But that’s actually an advantage. Less competition from local businesses means more room for yours to stand out.
Here’s how to use it without wasting hours on posts that go nowhere.
Set Up Your Profile the Right Way
Your X profile is a landing page. People will check it before following you or clicking to your website, so it needs to do some work.
Pull up your own profile right now. Does it clearly say what you do and where you’re based? If someone landed there for the first time, would they know in five seconds whether your business is relevant to them?
Your bio should answer those questions in under 160 characters: what do you do, who do you serve, and where are you located. A plumber in Schaumburg should say “Schaumburg plumber,” not just “small business owner.”
Include a link to your website in the profile. Use your real business name as your handle if it’s available, or get as close as possible. And use a real logo or professional headshot as your profile photo, not a stock image.
Search for your business name on X right now. If your profile comes up but looks abandoned or incomplete, that’s the first thing potential customers see when they look you up. Fix it before posting anything new.
What to Post (and What to Skip)
The biggest mistake local businesses make on X is posting only promotional content. Discounts, announcements, and “check out our service” posts get ignored.
What actually works is a mix of content that shows personality and provides value. Think about what your customers are already curious about.
A landscaper in Downers Grove might post before-and-after photos of a yard cleanup, a quick tip on winter lawn prep, or a reply to a neighbor asking about tree trimming. That kind of content gets engagement because it’s useful and it’s local.
| Content Type | Example | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Before and after | Photo of a completed job with a short caption | Shows proof of work, easy to scroll past or share |
| Quick tips | “3 signs your furnace filter needs replacing” | Useful, builds trust as an authority |
| Community involvement | Sponsoring a local event or team | Builds local goodwill and brand recognition |
| Behind the scenes | A short clip of your crew starting the workday | Humanizes your business |
| Customer wins | A quote or short story from a happy client | Social proof that converts readers into callers |
How Often Should You Post?
For most local businesses, three to five posts per week is plenty. Consistency matters more than volume.
An account that posts three good things a week looks healthy and active. An account that posts twenty things in one day and then disappears for two weeks looks like a bot, and nobody follows bots.
Schedule posts in batches if it’s easier. Spend 30 minutes on Monday morning writing out the week’s posts and scheduling them with a free tool like Buffer or Later. Then you’re done for the week.
Use Hashtags, but Don’t Overdo It
Hashtags help people who aren’t following you find your content. For local businesses, local hashtags are more valuable than generic ones.
#NapervilleIL or #ChicagolandBusiness will reach people in your market. #SmallBusiness will reach everyone and no one at the same time.
One or two well-chosen hashtags per post is enough. More than three starts to look desperate and makes the post harder to read.
Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast
The businesses that get the most out of X don’t just post. They participate.
Reply to people asking questions related to your industry. Repost good content from local organizations or businesses you respect.
Say congratulations when a neighboring business does something worth celebrating.
This takes maybe 10 minutes a day, and it does more for your visibility than any amount of self-promotion. The X algorithm favors accounts that generate replies and conversations, not just posts.
Search X for your city name plus a common question about your industry. “Naperville plumber” or “Wheaton roof repair” will sometimes surface people actively asking for recommendations. A genuine, helpful reply to those posts can turn directly into a new customer.
Promote Your Best Content
X’s paid promotion is much cheaper than Facebook or Google ads, which makes it worth testing for local businesses. A promoted post can reach thousands of people in your zip code for $20 to $50.
The rule is: only promote content that’s already performing. If a post got good organic engagement, put a little money behind it. Don’t pay to amplify something that nobody responded to for free.
Track What’s Working
X has built-in analytics under the Analytics tab in your account. Check it once a month.
You want to know which posts got the most impressions, which got the most link clicks, and whether your follower count is growing. Over time, you’ll see patterns. Double down on what works and stop doing what doesn’t.
Most local businesses never look at this data at all. The ones who do have a real advantage.
Your X Quick-Start Checklist
- Profile bio includes your service and city
- Website link in your profile
- Real logo or photo as your profile image
- At least three posts per week scheduled
- One or two local hashtags per post
- 10 minutes daily for replies and engagement
- Monthly review of your analytics
X won’t replace your website or your Google Business Profile. But as a way to stay visible in your community, answer questions, and show people what you do, it’s one of the more underused tools a local business has.
Not Sure Where to Focus Your Social Media?
We help local businesses across Chicagoland figure out which platforms are actually worth their time and how to use them without burning hours on posts that go nowhere.