Social Media in Business Marketing: What It Does for Your Company and How to Use It
What role social media plays in business marketing
Social media does several jobs for a business at once, and advertising is only one of them. For a small business or a freelancer, these roles matter most:
Visibility. People come across you before they start looking for you. Platforms show content to users who don’t follow you yet.
Trust. Before the first order, many customers check your profile. Recent posts, photos of finished work and replies to comments show that the business is active.
Customer service. A lot of questions now arrive as messages and comments rather than emails or phone calls.
Inquiries and sales. A link to your website, a booking form or a product catalog shortens the path from interest to purchase.
Recruitment. Job seekers use your profile to get a sense of what it’s like to work for you.
You don’t need to cover every role. Pick the one or two that bring your business the most value and let them decide what you post.
When social media isn’t worth it
Social media isn’t mandatory. It makes little sense if your customers don’t look for vendors there, which is true of some niche B2B industries. The other common case is lack of time: a profile whose last post is six months old looks worse than no profile at all.
Social media also doesn’t replace your own website or contact list. Your account and its reach belong to the platform, which can change the rules, cut your reach or suspend the account. Treat social media as a way to bring people to your website or newsletter, where you’re in control.
Which goals to set and what to measure
Follower count on its own says little. Measure what ties back to your goal:
Goal |
What to measure |
|---|---|
Visibility |
reach, impressions, new followers |
Trust and relationships |
comments, shares, saves |
Inquiries and sales |
clicks to your website, inquiries by message, orders from social media |
Customer service |
response time, number of questions resolved |
Recruitment |
responses to job posts, where applicants came from |
You’ll find the numbers in each platform’s analytics. Checking them once a month and comparing them with the previous month is enough.
Example
How to fit social media into your working week
Choose one or two platforms where your audience is. Facebook and Instagram mostly reach consumers, LinkedIn reaches businesses and professionals.
Set a pace you can keep up. Consistency matters more than the number of posts.
Plan ahead. Prepare topics a few weeks in advance and schedule posts with each platform’s own scheduling tool.
Set aside time for replies. Check comments and messages every business day.
Go easy on the selling. Most of your content should give customers something: a tip, an example of your work or a look behind the scenes.
Which formats work on each platform is covered in our article on what to post on each social media platform.
Paid partnerships and giveaways: what to watch
If you pay an influencer or send them a free product in return for a post, the FTC Endorsement Guides apply. Any material connection, such as a payment, a free product or a business or family relationship, has to be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. The Guides apply both to the business and to the person endorsing it.
Giveaways collect entrants’ contact details. Tell people in the official rules who collects the data, what you’ll use it for and how long you’ll keep it. Follow the promotion rules of the platform you run the giveaway on as well.
The holidays are coming up. Read how to write a holiday social media post for your business that people actually read.
Does every business need a social media profile?
No. A profile makes sense where your customers look for information or vendors. If you’re short on time, one well-kept profile is better than several abandoned ones.
Which platform should I start with?
The one your audience uses. For consumers that’s usually Facebook or Instagram, for B2B services LinkedIn. It helps to ask a few regular customers which platforms they use.
How do I know social media is working?
Track numbers that match your goal, such as clicks to your website or inquiries from social media, and compare them month over month. Likes and followers on their own say little about results.
Is my business responsible if an influencer doesn’t disclose a deal?
It can be. The FTC Endorsement Guides apply to marketers as well as endorsers, so remind influencers of the disclosure rules, put them in the agreement and check posts before they go live.
Can social media replace a business website?
No. Your account belongs to the platform, which can change the rules or limit your reach. You control your website and your own contact list, so social media should send people there.