https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/social-media-marketing-SMM
Social media marketing (SMM) is a form of internet marketing that uses social media apps as a marketing tool.
These social media platforms enable brands to connect with their audience in the following ways:
Producing relevant content that users will share with their networks helps brands increase their exposure. It also extends its reach toward fans, potential customers and even potential employees when used as a recruitment tool.
Social media marketing also facilitates customer feedback while making the company seem more personable. Social media helps organizations build relationships with their audience. It gives end users a platform to ask questions, voice complaints and be heard. Brands have the opportunity to respond, adapt and adjust business processes or products.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat are among the most popular social media apps. Each platform has elements that make it attractive to use. When a company uses several in combination to deliver a multichannel message, consumers can see those messages on their preferred channels.
Emerging platforms like TikTok, Threads, and BeReal are also gaining traction, offering unique opportunities for brands to connect with younger, more engaged audiences.
Learn how to craft a multichannel marketing strategy here.
When developing marketing programs, marketers care especially about how to deliver their messaging. Social media helps spread those messages to the right people at the right time, through both free and paid means. Social media gives brands insight about their audience's personal, geographic and demographic traits, setting a foundation for delivering personalized messages and content that increases engagement.
There are five pillars of SMM that support a successful program.
An appropriate strategy should be laid out in advance. Organizations need to determine program goals, what channels will be used and what types of content will be shared. Here are some examples:
New strategies now focus heavily on satisfying audience preferences for short-form video content, personalization and interactive experiences.
After establishing a strategy, begin publishing. This may involve a new blog post, promoting an upcoming event, or sharing a new product video. Being consistent is important in an SMM program. To build an audience and keep them coming back for more, organizations must update their page frequently.
Content that organizations feature on social media should align with other marketing promotions. Tools such as Hootsuite, HubSpot and Sprout Social can ensure content goes live at the appropriate time. While consistency remains necessary, new trends suggest that, increasingly, quality is valued more than quantity. Algorithms now prioritize engaging, shareable content over sheer volume.
Businesses that leverage social platforms typically see growth in interactions and conversations about the brand and products. Users will comment on and share posts, tag the company in their own posts, and even use instant messaging features. Such interactions are ideal because social media managers receive notifications. Their responses represent good customer service, enhancing the customer experience.
People on social media might also discuss a brand, product or service without tagging or speaking directly to a company. There are several social media listening tools available to stay plugged into the conversation, such as Brandwatch, NetBase Quid and Sprinklr. These tools now offer AI-driven sentiment analysis and competitor benchmarking, giving users deeper insights into audience perceptions.
To measure performance continuously is required for performance improvement. Questions to ask include the following:
Analytics output is fuel to help a marketing team make smart decisions on future campaigns and build on what works.
Each social platform has its own analytics data, but other tools can collect data from many channels into one location. This enables marketers to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns holistically.
Real-time analytics tools now integrate machine learning to predict trends and offer actionable recommendations, empowering brands to become or stay competitive in dynamic markets.
Much of SMM is free, aside from the costs of resource time and specialized tools. Building an audience and publishing content on free social media sites is a great way to achieve marketing goals, but as the program grows, so does the budget.
Paid marketing features can be quite valuable. With this approach, companies can target their advertisements at audiences, or use retargeting, based on many factors, including demographic information and behaviors.
There are tools to help manage SMM at volume, but organizations can get a good start with native or "out of the box" functionality. With the basics, they can issue and promote posts, capture leads and ensure their messages reach the right audience.
Augmented reality (AR) ads and shoppable content are growing rapidly, offering immersive and frictionless shopping experiences directly on social platforms.
The social media landscape evolves constantly, driven by changing consumer preferences and technological advancements. Key trends shaping the future of SMM include:
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have established short-form videos as the most engaging content type. Brands that master storytelling in under 60 seconds often see higher engagement rates and broader reach.
Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Canva's AI design features enable brands to create personalized content quickly and efficiently. AI also enhances audience targeting by analyzing user behavior and preferences.
Social platforms now routinely offer e-commerce features, such as in-app storefronts and shoppable live streams. This trend blurs the lines between content consumption and shopping, offering seamless purchasing experiences.
Micro- and nano-influencers are gaining prominence as brands prioritize authentic, community-driven engagements over large-scale influencer campaigns.
Brands are shifting from broadcasting messages to fostering communities. Features like Facebook Groups, Discord servers and Twitter Communities allow for deeper connections and loyalty.
Social media marketing has embedded itself into every organization's sales and marketing roadmap. It is an additional channel to distribute content and messaging to a significantly larger audience than a homegrown database of contacts. These efforts have advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of social media marketing include the following:
Disadvantages of social media marketing include:
Here are the steps a company should take to build an effective SMM strategy:
Set goals that will guide social media use and offer a performance benchmark. Use a SMART goal format targeting growth in areas like these:
It's important to know who the target market is, what they care about and why they need a company's products or services. Social media platforms are rich with data about users, so this exercise can occur without a substantial market research project. Knowing demographic information and who follows the social channel are great starting points.
It's also important to know that different platforms attract different users. Knowing what social channels a company's target audience is on enables them to choose which channels to invest time and resources into.
Knowing what the competition is doing enables marketing teams to identify what is working well and what is not for the competition. This industry insight can be helpful in bringing a product or message to market. Social listening tools can also help brands set up different monitoring streams for competitive content and industry keywords.
Knowing the goals, audience and competitive landscape will help determine the type(s) of content brands need to create. Engaging content comes in different forms and media. It can be company generated or curated externally. It might share industry news or thought leadership pieces.
Businesses should publish content frequently and consistently to develop an engaged follower base. Brands can promote posts to increase engagement. They can also create posts that show a more relatable, human side to the organization.
Posting when convenient for a business isn't always best for customers. Taking advantage of optimal times to post for engagement is information companies can glean from analytics. Then organizations can schedule posts to targeted times. Keeping content fresh is also important; the news cycle moves fast.
Response time is also key. If customers engage with a brand on social media, they expect a quick reply. A brand can build authority and respect with its clientele by meeting expectations for these one-to-one relationships.
Marketing departments need to engage other departments and stakeholders within their company. Marketing can learn a lot from sales to inform future social campaigns, but sales can also benefit from marketing's reach. Sales and marketing alignment is great, but senior stakeholder support is also a necessity.
Supporting other departments' efforts is a common sign of a strong social media program. Every department in a company can benefit from social support, but HR is an especially great group to partner with. Social media can be a recruitment tool and brand builder for prospective employees.
The last element of building a successful SMM program is to measure what works and what doesn't. Organizations should monitor the following:
Organizations that roll out an effective SMM campaign will see many benefits. Here are some businesses that can benefit from SMM programs:
SMM is a great tool for small businesses and startups. It is a way for new businesses to build awareness around their offerings. Using social media to sell products and services to a new market can be an entryway into building a customer base.
Businesses like category founders Tupperware and Mary Kay are entrepreneurial and grow through communities. Social media can help build communities, tapping into friends, family and more. Social media apps are paving the way for a new generation of direct sales companies, such as LuLaRoe and Thirty-One Gifts. Party hosts no longer must host parties in their homes. Instead, they can host virtual parties using social media apps where consultants can show off their wares.
Real estate companies benefit from social media by promoting open houses and showcasing images of properties for sale. Features such as Facebook Live and Instagram stories show video footage of these properties in digestible formats for users to consume.
B2B marketing teams can identify readily who their target prospects are -- and when their social media campaigns are done correctly -- can show up in the right person's newsfeed.
The data presented about users on social media platforms helps paint a picture of who the audience is. Using social media advertising tools, businesses can get the right message in front of the targeted decision-maker at the right time.
Social commerce features like Instagram Shops and Facebook Marketplace make it easier for e-commerce brands to showcase and sell products directly through platforms.
Learn why you should cut down on cliches and add opinions to achieve successful online engagement and build lasting relationships with your social media marketing strategy. Also, explore e-commerce marketing strategies for your business.
20 Feb 2025