Social media today is an essential part of marketing your business…something you must do to grow and succeed. There’s a perception that social media is a free marketing tool. While you don’t have to pay to be on Instagram, Facebook, X, and other sites, your social media activities cost you time and, to optimize results, some financial investment. Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your social media marketing efforts and scale your business.
Pick your platform(s)
There are many, many social media sites, and you can’t be on all of them if you want your efforts to be effective. Choose the ones best suited for your audience.
- Most consumers get their product and shopping information from Facebook and Instagram. If you’re going for a younger audience, YouTube and TikTok is where your customers will be. And if your business involves fashion, décor, lifestyle, and food, consider Pinterest.
- If your business is focused primarily on professional services or doing business with other businesses, then LinkedIn is your best bet.
Create your content
Decide what you’re trying to do on social media so you can craft content that will connect with your customers and prospects. Your content can be:
- Educational. How-to videos are very helpful to explain how to use your products. Blogs can share information that customers want to know.
- Promotional. Use your posts to explain new products, make special offers, or announce upcoming sales or events.
- Fun. You can hold contests, post quizzes, and share fun videos.
It’s not an all or nothing endeavor. You can do a mix of content types to keep things fresh and reach a broader audience.
Use tools to maximize efficiency
There are different tools for different purposes:
- Scheduling: Unless you craft and post content immediately, you’ll want to schedule posts and see how they perform. Tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and Later are designed for this purpose.
- Graphics: Making your posts appealing means including graphics, and tools such as Canva are useful.
- Ideas: AI apps, such as ChatGPT and Claude, can help you get ideas and craft content.
Review results
How are things working for you? It doesn’t make sense to continue doing the same thing month after month if you don’t get the results you want.
- Are you getting views?
- Are you getting customers?
Consider using social media analytics tools such as Sprout Social, an all-in-one social media management platform, and Qualtrics, which “turns feedback from multiple channels into clear, predictive insights and actionable recommendations.”
Final thought
As of April 2025, there were 5.31 billion social media users around the world (64.7% of the global population). Statistics show that YouTube is the social media platform with the greatest advertising reach, followed by Facebook and Instagram. These numbers are too big to ignore. You can grow your business by using social media marketing wisely. As Nike’s slogan says: “Just Do It.”
More blog posts about social media and small business can be found here.
