It doesn’t matter whether you love it or hate it, social media marketing is an important strategy for most small businesses. Because it’s basically free. Because it’s relatively easy to use. Because it’s a great way to complete a long list of marketing tasks.
But getting started with social media marketing can feel overwhelming—we get it. That’s why we put together a no-fluff, seriously helpful guide all about why social media matters for small businesses.
We’re breaking down:
- How social media marketing fits into your bigger marketing picture
- Which channels actually make sense for you
- What you should focus on with your social media marketing (instead of trying to do all the things at once).
Consider it your starting point—and a way to move forward with a little more clarity and a lot less guesswork.
How Social Media Fits Into Your Marketing Funnel
First, it’s important to learn where social media fits into your marketing funnel. Let’s be real: most people don’t see something once and immediately pull out their credit card. Think about it… when was the last time you did that?
More often, it looks like this: you stumble across a brand online… maybe you catch an ad, get curious, check out their Instagram, read a blog or two—and then you start thinking, “Okay, this might be something I need.”
That early part of the process? That’s where social media shines. It helps people find you, get familiar with you, and see that you’re legit. If your social profiles are active and well-maintained, it builds trust. But if they look abandoned? People might wonder if your business is still up and running.
Of course, social media isn’t only for the top of the funnel. Once someone follows you, you can keep building the relationship—and even drive sales—by showing up consistently and sharing the right kind of content.
Here’s how social media supports each stage of the funnel:
- Top of the funnel: Someone finds you through a trending Reel or shareable post
- Middle of the funnel: Your Stories show off your personality, expertise, and values
- Bottom of the funnel: Tools like Manychat help you turn engaged followers into customers
Bottom line: social media isn’t just about staying visible. It’s a key part of how you connect, build trust, and make sales over time.
How Social Media Marketing Helps Grow Your Business
Because social media helps bring in customers and convert them, it’s a no-brainer that it helps grow your business.
With nearly 90% of the US population using at least one social media platform and spending an average of over two hours per day on them, it's no wonder that it’s a must-have for small business owners who are building their marketing strategy.
In fact, around 70% of businesses use social media marketing as a way to keep up with the competition.
But if you’re wondering whether social media is really worth the effort, we get it. It can feel like just another thing to manage. But the truth is, it’s one of the most flexible, affordable, and effective ways for small businesses to connect with the right people—without needing a huge team or a massive budget. Here’s how:
Reach a Wider Audience
Social media gives small businesses an almost unprecedented opportunity to reach potential customers. With both paid and organic (read: free) ways to find and engage with your audience, you can tailor your social media marketing strategy to fit your budget and goals.
Build Your Brand
Building a strong brand is essential for any business, regardless of its size. And social media platforms offer a unique opportunity to showcase your brand's personality, values, and unique selling points.
By consistently sharing relevant and “high-quality” content (we know you’ve heard this before!), you can establish your brand as an authority in your industry. You’re also building trust with your audience, which is a crucial piece of the marketing puzzle.
Social media also allows you to interact directly with your customers, providing a platform for customer service, addressing concerns, and building relationships that you can make money from more than once.
Promote Your Products and Services
Social media platforms are a great way to showcase your products and services to a wide audience. And this is where that “high-quality content” comes in—you need visually appealing images, videos, and compelling copy that you can use to communicate the value and benefits of what you offer.
Nurture Potential Customers
Social media marketing also goes beyond just promoting products and services. It’s a way for you to nurture potential customers into loyal, returning ones.
Essentially, you can show how you really understand your customers’ problems and show why you’re the best solution. Educational content, how-tos, and social proof all position you as a trusted resource—one who they’ll turn to first when they’re finally ready to buy.
And don’t forget the “social” part—responding to comments and DMs is just as important as posting. That back-and-forth is what builds connection and trust.
Retain Existing Customers
Your current customers already chose you once—social media is a way to keep them engaged so they’ll choose you again (and maybe even tell a few friends). Think: helpful content, special offers, and exclusive promos just for your followers.
Network With Everyone!
It’s not just about marketing. Social is also a great way to build relationships with other small businesses, potential collaborators, and people in your industry. A quick comment or shared post can turn into a referral, a new partnership, or a fresh opportunity you didn’t see coming.
Which Social Media Platform is Best for Small Business Marketing?
Now that we’ve more than covered the reasons social media marketing is important for small businesses, you’re probably wondering which social media platform is best for marketing your business.
The answer is: The best platforms are the ones your customers are on. We know that might not sound like the most helpful answer, but stick with us.
It’s really not worth your time or money to be on a platform just because everyone else is. You could go viral on TikTok and get great engagement, but if no one watching you there has the budget for your services, it’s wasted energy. Instead, you want to show up in the places where people are more likely to buy from you.
Now, digging further into the answer for your small business will take more than reading this blog post, but here are some high-level notes to help you start honing in:
- Facebook is great for reaching baby boomers, Gen X, and older Millennials
- Instagram is the primary social media platform for Millennials, Gen Z is on here as well
- TikTok is where Gen Z loves to spend their time
- Linkedin is great for service providers or anyone with a B2B product or service
- X/Twitter? Man, who knows what’s going on here?! Instead, Threads has established itself as more of a small business-appropriate channel that’s similar to X, and it’s easy to get started if you already have an Instagram account
Tips to Help You Manage Your Social Media Marketing
When it comes time to actually do your social media marketing, we know you might be panicking. We can’t sugarcoat it—it’s definitely work—but that doesn’t mean you need to overload yourself!
Enji is here to help you create social media content and schedule it, so don’t stress. But in the meantime, here are some other tips you can use to easily manage your social media without getting overwhelmed.
Here are some more tips to help you get started.
Keep it Simple
Running a small business is already enough of a juggling act—your social media strategy shouldn’t add more chaos. The key here? Simplicity. Focus on the platforms that actually matter to your audience, and prioritize showing up with quality content over trying to post everywhere, all the time. Less, but better.
Plan Ahead
Your schedule is full (understatement of the year), which is why planning your content ahead of time makes a huge difference. We’re not talking six months out—just 1 to 4 weeks at a time. That’s enough to stay consistent, but still flexible if something unexpected pops up.
Planning ahead also gives you space to be more intentional—like tying your content to a sale, a holiday, or something relevant in your industry.
Get Organized on a Calendar
Spoiler: your marketing tasks deserve their own space. Trying to manage content inside your personal Google Calendar—or even worse, your brain—is a recipe for dropped balls.
That’s why Enji includes a dedicated marketing calendar, built just for small business owners like you. You can see what’s coming up, organize your content by platform, and use our social media scheduler to actually get it all posted… without the chaos.
Want to try out our social media scheduler (that has a visual planner for Instagram)? Start your 14-day trial today and give it a go!
Schedule and Automate
Speaking of scheduling social media posts, take advantage of scheduling and automation tools to streamline your social media workflow.
Enji’s social media scheduler allows you to schedule posts in advance (and quickly with our AI copywriter), saving you time and ensuring a consistent posting schedule.
With these tools, you can plan and create your content in batches, freeing up time for other important business tasks. Just remember to check in regularly to engage with your audience and respond to comments or messages.
Since Social Media is Important for Small Business—Make it a Priority!
Social media marketing is definitely important, but that doesn't mean it has to be a daunting task. These tips can help you create your plan, simplify your approach, and stay organized, and Enji can help make it all a consistent part of your routine.
Consistency is key in building a strong online presence, so our tools are designed to help you actually prioritize your marketing, not just think about it.
Get started with a free trial today to see how our social media tools can simplify your strategy and execution! We can’t wait to support you!
