Social media has quickly become one of the most effective tools for business growth—especially for local brands looking to raise visibility, engage customers, and drive sales. For businesses in Wilkes-Barre, PA and the surrounding NEPA area, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re where your customers already spend their time.
With the right strategy, social media advertising helps small and mid-sized local businesses stay visible, generate leads, and compete with bigger regional and national brands. We manage real campaigns every single day for NEPA businesses, so everything in this guide is based on actual data and real experience—not theory. According to recent consumer research, 68% of people use social media to research local businesses, and platforms like Facebook and Instagram account for over 75% of social media ad spend for small businesses. That means your customers are already scrolling — your job is simply to show up consistently and with the right message.
At 75° West, we’re not speaking in theory—we’ve run social media campaigns for hundreds of NEPA businesses over the years. From small shops in Wilkes-Barre to contractors in Kingston and restaurants across Luzerne County, we’ve managed real budgets, tested real strategies, and have seen firsthand what works (and what absolutely doesn’t) in our local market.
Local businesses across NEPA—not just in Wilkes-Barre, but also in nearby communities like Kingston, Forty Fort, Edwardsville, Pittston, Mountain Top, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Dallas—benefit from strong social media advertising. These towns all share active local audiences who rely on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google to discover businesses, making a unified regional strategy even more important. By speaking directly to customers in these surrounding Luzerne County areas, brands can expand their reach while still staying hyper-local.
Social Media Advertising Matters for Wilkes-Barre Businesses
Local businesses face increasingly fierce competition—both from other Wilkes-Barre companies and from larger regional or national brands online. That’s why having a clear, consistent social media advertising strategy is essential.
Social media platforms help local businesses:
- Establish brand recognition
- Engage with potential customers
- Increase website traffic
- Generate quality leads
- Improve local reputation
- Increase sales instantly
Wilkes-Barre’s different neighborhoods and high-traffic areas create natural opportunities for hyper-local targeting. In a city like Wilkes-Barre, location matters just as much as messaging. Businesses located near Public Square, River Street, the Arena Hub, Coal Street, Parsons, Miners Mills, and both the East and South Ends can benefit from ads tailored to residents and shoppers in those zones.
With precise geo-targeting, social media delivers your message to people who live, work, and shop around these busy Wilkes-Barre locations.
A strong presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram or TikTok establishes your business credibility while remaining visible where most of your customers spend their time.
How 75° West Can Make You Stand Out with Social Media Ads
As a dedicated social media agency based in Wilkes-Barre, 75° West builds results-driven campaigns tailored specifically for local businesses. We combine creative ad design, data-driven strategy, and clear messaging so your ads reach the right people at the right time.
Social Media Ad Campaigns
The team at 75° West designs and manages social media ad campaigns that generate real engagement, leads, and sales. Whether it’s Facebook ads, Instagram promotions, or TikTok video campaigns, every ad is built with a clear goal and optimized for return on ad spend—not just clicks or vanity metrics.
Supporting Local Small Business Growth
Our small business social media services are built for local entrepreneurs who need to compete with bigger brands. We focus on targeting the right local audiences, dialing in your message, and making sure your ad budget is used as efficiently as possible.
Why Local Businesses Trust 75° West
Our agency manages campaigns for businesses across Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Pittston, Mountain Top, and the NEPA region—helping local brands increase leads, revenue, and visibility through strategic paid social advertising. This real-world experience allows us to build campaigns that outperform statewide and national competitors.
Why Paid Social Media Advertising Works for Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Pittston & Nearby Areas
With paid social media advertising, Wilkes-Barre businesses can target customers based on location, interests, age, behavior, and online activity.
Paid ads also allow you to reach people who are actively showing interest in the types of products or services you offer, which helps stretch your budget further.
Benefits of Paid Social Media Marketing
- Higher visibility than organic posting
- Immediate traffic and engagement
- Accurate demographic and interest targeting
- Better-quality leads
- Stronger brand recognition in your local market
Paid social media campaigns are one of the fastest ways for local businesses to expand their reach and revenue. At 75° West, we pair paid ads with strategic content and ongoing optimization so campaigns keep improving over time—not just during the first week they go live.
75° West offers full-scale social media marketing support to help local brands grow steadily and stay competitive. These include Content Creation; Video Editing and Caption Production tailored specifically for your audience; as well as Social Media Management services.
Data Analytics
We offer posting, scheduling, engagement, and performance tracking as part of our paid advertising solutions. Detailed reporting allows us to accurately gauge campaign success and ROI.
Paid social campaigns are especially powerful for the types of small and mid-sized businesses that make up Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding NEPA market. Restaurants along River Street, contractors throughout Pittston and Dallas, dental and medical offices in Kingston, retailers across Hazleton, auto repair shops in Nanticoke, and professional service firms downtown all benefit from ads that reach customers actively searching for their services. By tailoring creative and messaging to each industry, businesses gain a major advantage over large statewide and national competitors.
The Importance of Digital Marketing in Local Business Growth
Digital marketing gives local businesses a way to reach customers across multiple touchpoints—not just social media. By appearing consistently on Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, businesses stay visible while customers research and compare options.
How Digital Media Advertising Works
Digital media advertising allows your brand to reach customers through targeted placements across search engines, social platforms, and video content. A strong multichannel strategy increases recognition and ensures customers encounter your business wherever they spend time online.
Why Local Businesses Should Invest in Digital Marketing
A unified digital marketing strategy gives local businesses advantages such as:
- Controlled ad spend
- Increased customer engagement
- Real-time performance tracking
- Stronger community presence and local visibility
With 75° West’s geo-targeted digital strategies, businesses receive customized plans built around the behavior, interests, and needs of Wilkes-Barre and NEPA audiences.
How Social Media Helps Small and Local Businesses Dominate Locally
Social media gives Wilkes-Barre businesses the ability to target specific neighborhoods, speak directly to local customers, and build trust within the community. Responding to comments, messages, and reviews strengthens credibility and encourages repeat customers.
Cost-Effective Marketing
Compared to traditional advertising, social media ads deliver faster results at a much lower cost—making them one of the most affordable growth channels for small and mid-sized businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Advertising in Wilkes-Barre
How much should local businesses in Wilkes-Barre spend on social media ads?
A lot of NEPA businesses still think they can run social media ads on a couple hundred bucks a month, but that just doesn’t cut through the clutter anymore. If you’re targeting a few ZIP codes or one to two counties, you really need to be in the $35–$50 per day range ($1,200–$1,500 per month, per campaign) to see any real traction. And if you’re targeting even more counties, that budget has to scale—because the wider the net, the more eyeballs you’re trying to reach, which means more impressions, more clicks, and more budget needed to support that increased reach.
Social media is all about reach and frequency, so you need enough budget behind your ads to actually stay in front of people consistently.
We’ve helped local NEPA businesses use social media ads to do things like:
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Fill up appointment calendars for service-based businesses in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston
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Drive steady quote requests for home-service companies across Luzerne County
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Boost online orders and foot traffic for small retailers in Pittston, Forty Fort, and Mountain Top
These aren’t theoretical results — they’re outcomes from real campaigns managed with realistic budgets, targeted audiences, and strategy-driven creative.
Here’s what most business owners don’t realize: you’re not just competing with others in your industry. A dentist might think, “I’m the only one around, I shouldn’t have to spend much,” but meanwhile a tire shop, a spa, or a dozen other businesses are targeting the exact same demographics—men and women 30+, within a certain radius, etc. You’re all fighting for the same ad inventory whether you realize it or not.
And just to be clear—I’m not talking about boosted posts. Boosting is a total waste of money. I’m talking about real, properly structured campaigns that drive traffic, generate leads, and actually deliver results.
Which social media platform works best for Wilkes-Barre businesses?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—each platform reaches a different type of audience, so the “best” one depends on who you’re trying to get in front of.
Facebook and Instagram drive the strongest local conversions for most Wilkes-Barre businesses. They offer the best mix of reach, targeting, and lead generation tools, especially if you’re running offers, promotions, or service-based campaigns.
TikTok is fantastic for awareness, especially if your target includes younger audiences (Gen Z and younger Millennials). It’s not always the best for direct lead gen, but it’s unmatched for visibility and viral reach.
Here’s how it breaks down by audience:
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Millennials (25–44):
They spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook, and increasingly TikTok. If your brand is visual, lifestyle-driven, or community-focused, start here. -
Older demographics (45+ and seniors):
Facebook is still the heavyweight. It’s where the older demo reads reviews, joins local groups, follows community pages, and engages with local businesses. -
Women 35+ (especially buyers and decision-makers):
Pinterest is a huge opportunity—women dominate the platform, especially for categories like home services, retail, DIY, health, beauty, and lifestyle inspiration. -
Business and professional audiences:
If you’re targeting decision-makers, HR directors, contractors, or B2B roles, LinkedIn performs best.
Summary
Once we understand your goals, audience, and service area, we’ll build a custom marketing plan that outlines exactly which platforms make the most sense for your business—and how to divide your ad budget across them. Every business is different, so your strategy and budget allocation should be built around your goals, not a generic template.
We’ve managed everything from small starter budgets to more aggressive multi-county ad campaigns for NEPA businesses, so we can tell you exactly what’s realistic for your goals before you waste money on the wrong strategy. Our recommendations aren’t guesses — they’re based on real performance data from businesses right here in Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County.
How long does it take to see results from social media ads?
Most Wilkes-Barre and NEPA businesses start seeing early results—traffic, engagement, and leads—within the first 7–14 days of a properly set up campaign. That said, the real performance data starts to shape up around the 30- to 45-day mark, once the algorithm has enough activity to fully optimize your targeting, placements, and bidding.
A few factors impact how quickly you see results:
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Budget → Higher budgets speed up learning and increase reach.
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Audience size → Smaller geographic targeting takes longer to optimize.
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Offer & creative → Stronger visuals and better hooks accelerate performance.
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Industry → Some niches (like legal and medical) require more time and data.
Can social media advertising help small NEPA businesses?
Absolutely—social media advertising is one of the most effective and affordable ways for small NEPA businesses to grow. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok let you reach people right in your backyard with laser-focused targeting based on location, age, interests, and behavior. That means your ads aren’t wasted… they’re shown to the exact people who are most likely to buy from you.
For small local businesses, social media ads help you:
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Increase visibility quickly — even if you’re brand new or competing with larger companies
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Stay top-of-mind locally with consistent, affordable reach
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Drive real leads and sales with offers, promotions, and service-based campaigns
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Beat competitors who are relying on organic posts or outdated marketing
75° West Is Wilkes-Barre’s Premier Social Media Ad Agency
As a local social media ad agency, 75° West understands the Wilkes-Barre market and builds strategies designed to deliver measurable results.
From startups to established local brands, our team helps businesses grow through targeted ad campaigns and consistent optimization.
Social media advertising has become essential for local businesses looking to build visibility and long-term customer relationships. Partnering with 75° West gives you the strategy, creative, and execution needed to grow your presence and compete effectively in the NEPA region.
Whether you’re in Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Pittston, Mountain Top, Dallas, or anywhere in NEPA, 75° West delivers targeted social media advertising strategies built around your business goals and your local audience.
If you’re ready to grow your business with strategic social media advertising, 75 Degrees West is here to help. Request a free strategy call today!
About 75° West
75° West is a Wilkes-Barre–based digital marketing agency specializing in social media advertising, Google Ads, SEO, and full-funnel lead generation for NEPA businesses. For more than a decade, we’ve helped small and mid-sized companies across Luzerne, Lackawanna, and surrounding counties grow through strategic, data-backed digital marketing.