Content Marketing Strategist

Chatting about the weather might just win you more clients. Yes, really.

I’m not a fan of small talk, but I owned a café, bar and bakery, so I have some expertise in this area. When you’re serving someone their oat flat white or making a Friday night expresso martini, you learn quickly how to start conversations with strangers.

You don’t open with, “Can I tell you about the origin of our sourdough starter?” You say something simple like, “Busy one today?” or “How’s your week been?” And from that tiny moment, you build trust.

Your content works the same way.

So let’s talk about how you can use small talk in your content to build connections and convert more clients.

1. Small talk builds connection, and connection builds clients

Small talk makes you approachable. It’s a way to let your audience in without feeling like they’re being sold to. When you share something low-stakes or everyday, you open the door to human connection, which is what drives real trust online.

This kind of light touch content doesn’t necessarily need a business angle. It just needs to sound like you. People buy from people they relate to. And if they feel like you get them, they’re far more likely to stick around, pay attention, and eventually say yes to working with you.

Innocent Drinks are great at this with relatable one-liners and nonsense polls that feel more like mates chatting than a brand broadcasting. High engagement and a fiercely loyal audience because they feel part of the brand.

2. It’s a conversation starter

Small talk is how we warm up. You wouldn’t walk up to someone at a networking event and open with, “Want to hear about my offer?” The same goes for content. A little friendly chat invites people to join in, without pressure.

When your post opens with a casual, low-risk prompt, it signals that you’re open to interaction. It feels more like a conversation and less like a performance, which is exactly what people want when they’re scrolling in between client calls, laundry and life admin.

Papier post things like “What’s your favourite pen?” or “What’s on your weekend list?” Simple prompts that get big replies.

Top tip: ask a question that is easy to answer, like “Do you still buy a new notebook even though you’ve got five half-used ones?”

3. It makes you relatable and relevant

Small talk roots you in real life. It shows you understand your audience not just as business owners or clients, but as real people with lives full of to-do lists, tea breaks and distractions. When your content mirrors their world, you stay relevant.

Being relatable isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about showing that you’re not a robot, polished, or just creating generic AI content. You know what it’s like to juggle deadlines and forget what day it is. That shared experience makes your voice more trustworthy, and your content more memorable.

Neighbourhood Coffee share playlists, memes, even office snack updates, because their audience lives in that world too. It’s not just about coffee; it’s about being in the culture.

4. Not every post needs to teach or sell

If every piece of content is strategic, educational or promotional, your audience will get bored. Small talk gives your content rhythm. It allows you to show up even when you don’t have a how-to, a tip, or a special offer.

Think of it like being at a dinner party. You don’t want to sit next to the person who only talks about business. You want someone who makes you laugh, nod along, and feel seen. That’s what this kind of content does. It reminds people you’re a real person and allows people to get to know your personality.

Bird & Blend Tea Co. mix product promos with personality-packed posts about everything from rainy mornings to book recs and weird biscuit choices. It’s playful and human, and keeps them top of mind.

5. It gives you a reason to show up when you’ve got nothing to promote

There will be weeks where you’ve got no launch, no podcast, no big idea, and that’s fine. Small talk content keeps you in the mix, in a low-pressure way. It gives you a reason to post without feeling like you’re scraping the barrel.

Consistency is what builds visibility. And small, throwaway-style posts let you maintain that presence, even when your creative brain is elsewhere. You don’t need to always deliver value to be valuable. Sometimes showing up is enough.

Oliver Bonas post simple, everyday moments like what’s on their desks, how the team’s feeling, what they’re reading, and it still draws a crowd. It’s not always clever or polished, but it is consistent and personal.

Five conversation starters you can steal…

What’s your current go-to snack when you’re pretending to work?
What’s the most random tab open on your laptop right now?
What song or playlist are you overplaying this week?
What’s the weirdest thing on your desk right now?
What’s your ‘can’t start the day without it’ ritual?

Final thought

Small talk isn’t small. It’s what keeps your content feeling fresh, human and relevant. It’s what gets people to stop scrolling and start paying attention. And it’s often the gateway to real business conversations.

If you want more of the right people to say, “I feel like I know you, and you get me”, this is how you do it.