By Robert Skinner | Delta City News| October 1, 2026

You can Subscribe for Free To Delta City News: Click Here!

There was a time when buying somebody else's clothing wasn't something

For a Ladner retailer, a North Delta service company or a supplier on Annacis Island, a social media post has a straightforward job: help the right customer discover the business and take the next step.

That step might be a store visit, a booking, a telephone call or a request for a quote. Counting likes alone cannot tell an owner whether that happened.

An upcoming Delta Chamber of Commerce workshop will put that practical question on the agenda.

An October workshop with a local focus

The Chamber has scheduled Social Media That Works for Small Business for Wednesday, October 21, from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m., in its boardroom at 6201 60th Avenue.

The listed presenters are Nolan McLeod of Acorn Service Group and Nick Wilson of Club Orange Media. Topics include choosing platforms, planning content, understanding paid advertising and measuring business results.

Attendance is listed as free for members and $20 for future members. At the time of checking, the registration page displayed a notice that no registrations were currently available. Interested businesses should confirm availability with the Chamber at scarlett.huntington@deltachamber.ca. Event Registration

Start with the customer’s next step

A useful starting point for any business is to decide what each post should help a customer do.

For example, a café could show a seasonal menu item and include its location and opening hours. A contractor could explain a common maintenance problem and provide a clear route to request an estimate. A business supplier could describe a service and identify the kinds of companies it serves.

These are possible approaches, rather than claims about results achieved by particular Delta businesses. The test is whether they lead to useful enquiries or purchases.

A simple question at the counter—“How did you hear about us?”—can help connect online attention with actual customers. Recording the answers over several weeks gives an owner something concrete to compare with time and money spent on promotion.

Make sure customers can find the basics

Social media is one part of being visible locally. Customers also need accurate information when they search for a business.

Google’s guidance says complete and accurate Business Profile information can help a business appear in relevant local searches. It recommends keeping details such as address, business category and opening hours current. Google Business Profile Help

For October, that makes holiday hours, seasonal services and current contact information useful items to check before launching a campaign.

Measure interest—and distinguish it from sales

Google’s Business Profile reporting includes website clicks, requests for directions and clicks on the call button, where those metrics apply. A call-button click measures that action; it does not establish that a conversation took place. Google Business Profile Help

Those actions can indicate interest, but they are not proof of a completed sale.

For a small business, a manageable monthly record might combine online enquiries, bookings, customer-reported referrals and advertising costs. Staff time belongs in that calculation too: unpaid posting still uses working hours.

A practical October check

Before increasing posting or advertising, an owner could choose one offer or service to promote, one audience to reach and one outcome to track.

That approach also exposes the trade-offs. Producing content takes time, paid promotion costs money, and attention may never become revenue. Keeping a website current and maintaining direct customer relationships provides other ways for people to find and return to the business.

The Chamber workshop offers an opportunity to ask how to make that process more focused. For Delta owners, the useful question is how online activity can support the everyday work of serving customers.

Robert Skinner - Publisher

Delta City News — Licensed Partner of the WBN News Network

Robert is a Ladner-based business systems developer and Publisher of Delta City News. Connect with Robert on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlskinner/

You can Subscribe for Free To Delta City News: Click Here!

Also Please Note: We're Looking For Citizen Journalists

If you have a passion for your community in any category, food, sports, lifestyle and would like to help tell your Delta's stories, we'd love to hear from you. Part-time contributor opportunities are available, and ChatGPT-assisted journalism training is provided if desired for qualified applicants.

Apply To Be A News Contributor Here

Tags: Delta City News, Delta Business, Small Business, Social Media, Delta Chamber of Commerce, Local Economy