Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 or so years, you know about social media. From Facebook to YouTube to TikTok, social media has revolutionized the world. For better or for worse, it’s not going away. 

Social Media isn’t just for funny cat videos or seeing what your friends from high school are up to anymore. It’s morphed into a powerful marketing tool anyone can access right from their pocket.

Social Media for Business

A 2023 study on social media marketing usage found that “over 92% of businesses use social media marketing.” This staggering statistic exemplifies just how important social media has become for today’s businesses. 

Why has social media marketing exploded in the way it has? On top of being accessible to anyone, its reach, brand advocacy, and access to analytics are core advantages that older marketing formats could only dream of. 

Reach

Before, a brand’s reach was limited to its physical location. Word-of-mouth, flyers, and local ads could only go so far. But social media? That reach can easily be global. 

A tattoo artist can gain clients from overseas by sharing their work online. A potential client in America could find an artist they love in Ireland. This level of reach would never be possible without social media’s connectivity.

Brand Advocacy

A strong social media presence creates brand advocates. These people genuinely love your products/services and are invested in your brand’s success. 

According to Sprinklr, brand advocates can drive more awareness, site traffic, and lead generation by talking about your products. Advocates can be trusted friends and influencers. Their opinion carries more weight and is more likely to push others to look into your brand. A content type Keith Quesenberry recommends in Social Media Strategy is called conversational content. This helps foster relationships by focusing on community engagement and relatable content.

Analytics

With older forms of media, it wasn’t easy to see exact statistics on who was viewing your content. You might be able to guess who is interacting with your commercials or newspaper ads, but the picture would be fuzzy. 

Newer tools, like Meta Business Suite, track every detail. You can see exactly which post drove traffic to your website, which audience segment clicked your link, and how many people purchased your product after seeing a specific ad.

Access to this data lets you adapt and rework posts in real-time. You can test which content type works best for your goals and identify what formats aren’t working.

Quesenberry says your objectives should be specific and actionable to create a successful social media strategy. Instead of saying “we want more followers,” say your goal is to “increase website referral traffic from Instagram by 20% in Q2.” With today’s tools, it’s easy to monitor your goals with precision.

Social media puts global reach, loyal advocates, and crystal-clear data at your fingertips. You have all the power, quite literally in your pocket. There is no better time to promote your business than today. So, pick up your phone, open your platform of choice, and start building your brand.