Social media for business is primarily used in three ways. You can use it to expose your company to a larger audience, sell products to them, or generate leads for your sales funnel. The approach, or approaches, you take will be determined by what is best for your industry and business.

1. Brand Recognition

It is not enough to simply offer the best products and services in most industries’ crowded marketplaces. You must also ensure that your target audience is at least aware of your brand. And ideally, you’d start to develop a positive relationship with them as well.

That is precisely what social media enables you to do. You can create content and an online persona that speaks to the desires and needs of your prospects using either organic or paid content.

2. Increasing Sales

Of course, the ultimate goal of your marketing efforts is to convert that engaged audience into paying customers. You can also accomplish this through your social media channels.

Indeed, an increasing number of social media platforms are incorporating marketing and purchasing features for businesses to use.

For marketers, Facebook and Instagram have visually appealing interfaces where you can showcase your products and link to your e-commerce site. This means that making a purchase is almost effortless for your customers.

3. Creating Leads

However, if you sell a service or a complex product, social media e-commerce isn’t the best option for your company. However, this does not preclude you from using it to attract customers. You simply have a slightly longer procedure.

Social media can help you generate leads that you can nurture into customers. You can use social media to drive traffic to your website or email list and start the process of moving those prospects through your sales funnel.