What is social media marketing?

Marketing through history

If we go back 20 years in time, marketing and promoting a product looked very different. Imagine it’s 2001 and you’re a writer who just finished a book. Your publisher tells you that your book is ready to be published. What’s next? How do you let people know about it and reach your audience to get the word out on your new book? 

There are a few ways that you can try to reach out to people who might enjoy your book. Your options include radio and printed ads, direct mail, television spots, and billboard placement. What do all these methods have in common? They are expensive, and they’re not targeting a specific audience. Thus, the chance of success compared to today is slim.  

Fast forward to today, and social media marketing has changed marketing and the concept of reaching out to people. How do people use social media for marketing today?  

Besides all the various marketing methods you could use back in 2001, you can now easily market your products and services globally in today’s digital world. You can market your book through your own website, search engine optimisation (SEO), email newsletters, and crucially, through social media platforms. Moreover, you can even easily keep track of how well your marketing is doing.  

Social media promotion

Social media platforms make it possible to reach your target audience and promote products more effectively than ever before. Promotion through social media marketing will ensure that more people will see your product.  

A new book, for example, can be advertised through:  

• Posts with interesting images and quotes.  

• Videos that introduce the story or feature reader reviews.  

• Polls that encourage interaction. 

Social media promotion enables people to interact with you and other people interested in the book, and you can focus your spending on reaching specific audiences. On top of that, with built-in analytics, you can collect data to better understand your target audience and how to better reach them. 

Why use social media for business?

Using social media marketing to promote your business can bring you benefits and success. Once you have your preferred social media platforms, you can decide to engage and create a social media marketing strategy for your business. Social media platforms let you:  

• Engage directly with potential customers. 
• Show products in a variety of ways that tell the story of your brand. 
• Run targeted ads to reach niche demographics. 
• Build brand recognition in a cost-effective way. 

Suppose you find your own organic social media marketing strategy is not turning out how you wanted it to. Various social media platforms offer paid advertising options to reach a broader audience fast. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, to name a few, provide multiple ways to boost your social media marketing. 

Types of social media ads 

Image ads

With image ads, you can have one or multiple attractive pictures to promote your product or service. Use high-quality images of your products with concise text and a strong call to action to entice customers to engage with the ad.  

You can use image ads by using images of your book or, for example, uploading images of famous people interacting with your book. 

Text and post ads

Highlight attention-grabbing excerpts, reviews, or taglines from your book to spark curiosity and drive clicks. 

Video ads

Engage your audience with videos. For example, read a favorite passage aloud, share behind-the-scenes clips, or showcase customer testimonials. 

Lead ads

Collect emails or sign-ups directly from social media platforms. If you already publish a blog or newsletter, lead ads can help turn subscribers into paying customers. 

Community building and brand engagement on social media 

One of the most powerful aspects of social media marketing is its ability to build genuine communities around a brand. Unlike traditional marketing methods, social platforms allow two-way conversations where businesses and audiences interact in real time. 

When companies respond to comments, encourage discussions, and share user-generated content, they create a sense of belonging that goes beyond simple advertising. This is the essence of what is social network marketing. 

Community members who actively engage with a brand often develop stronger loyalty and brand trust. They feel heard, valued, and connected, which increases overall customer satisfaction. Over time, this engagement translates into higher retention rates, word-of-mouth promotion, and expanded online influence. 

What is a social media campaign?  

A social media campaign is a structured marketing campaign that uses multiple posts and ads across one or more platforms to achieve a specific goal. Campaigns are time-bound and created to get results.  

Let’s go back to the example of an author publishing a book. Their campaign might include: 

• Teaser posts leading up to the release day. 
• A giveaway contest to increase engagement. 
• Paid ads targeting readers of similar genres. 
• Live Q&A sessions to connect directly with fans.  

A campaign should be set up to maximise visibility and engagement while aligning with broader business goals.  

Building a social media marketing strategy 

Social media is a great tool to increase your brand awareness. You can create an identity for yourself and create and share exciting content with your followers. Social media promotion allows you to step out of your comfort zone and find ways to reach your audience.  

Social media marketing also enables you to target people based on demographics such as age, gender, location, etc. You can really think through the type of person who would be interested in your products.  

In time, you’ll notice an increase in your following on your social media platforms, which also means an increase of users on your website or your blog. Here are key steps to follow:  

1. Your social media marketing strategy should include smart goals. 
2. You must ensure that you follow your deadlines constantly on your set goals. 
3. Engage and connect with your audience to better understand them 
4. Plan fun things on your social media platforms, such as competitions. You can also set up polls, surveys, and other interactive media to understand your audience better.  
5. Use tools that will help you. For example, use additional tools that aid with lead generation, help you create email lists, or even tools that will set up buyer personas to help you understand your customers better.  

Nothing is stopping you from succeeding in social media marketing. You have everything you need at your disposal. Try to be creative and fun with your content, think of ways you can reach people on your social media platforms, and the rest will follow. If you need a little push to really get going, you can take the help offered by the various social media platforms. Then, once you’ve increased your brand recognition and following, you can take over the reins and do it yourself. 

Measuring social media success 

Regularly analysing performance metrics is crucial to improving your strategy. Social media platforms are equipped with analytical tools that help track engagement levels, community expansion, and demographic data about your audience. Most platforms provide detailed insights into:  

• Engagement levels (likes, shares, comments) 
• Audience demographics 
• Growth in number of followers 
• Conversion rates 

By reviewing this data, you can identify what works for your audience, fine-tune campaigns, and maximise return on investment. 

The importance of social media in business strategy 

Beyond just a marketing tool, social media in today’s world is vital for brand management, customer interaction, and community development. Social media can become a driver of long-term growth and customer loyalty. By running strategic campaigns, measuring results, and refining your approach, your business can reach new audiences, grow sales, and thrive in today’s digital-first world. 

On this page

• Marketing through history
• Social media promotion
• Why use social media for business?
• Types of social media ads 
• Community building and brand engagement on social media 
• What is a social media campaign?  
• Building a social media marketing strategy 
• Measuring social media success 
• The importance of social media in business strategy