Whether we like it or not, social media marketing is no longer a luxury. But what is social media marketing, and do we really need it as small business owners? What are the pros and cons of social media marketing? How can we use it in a way that doesn’t leave us burnt the f*ck out?
Today, we’re diving deep into the world of social media marketing, sharing the pros and cons for small businesses, and how tools like Enji (excuse the shameless plug) can make the process easier. By the end of this post, you'll understand why you should want to do some kind of social media marketing and have some ideas for how you can do it without losing your mind in the process.
Here’s the TL:DR of what we’ll cover:
- What is social media marketing?
- Why social media marketing needs to be a part of your overall marketing strategy
- The pros and cons of social media marketing
- Tips to help you get started with social media marketing
What is Social Media Marketing?
To keep it simple, social media marketing involves using social media platforms to promote your products or services. This can include creating and sharing content, engaging with followers, running ads, and more. For most small businesses, the ultimate goal is to drive traffic, increase sales, and build a loyal customer base (of repeat buyers and passionate referrers).
Social Media Platforms
When it comes to what social media platforms you want to use for your small business, you have quite a few options. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, both of which are giants in the social media world. Meta also owns Threads, which is up to an impressive number of monthly users (150 million) since its launch almost exactly a year ago.
With that said, Meta platforms are not the only social media. Other platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest (not a true social media platform but more on this later), Snapchat, TikTok, X, and even BeReal also have their strengths—especially for niche markets. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each platform as well as who is one can help you tailor your social media strategy effectively.
Social Media is Non-Negotiable in a 2024 Marketing Strategy
You won’t accuse us of burying the lead on this one–ignoring social media marketing is like leaving money on the table. With billions of active users (for real), social media platforms offer unparalleled reach and opportunities to get in front of potential customers and clients. Whether you're a freelance copywriter or an online retailer, social media can help you connect with your target audience like never before. Honestly? For as much as we all complain about it, we’re pretty lucky to have it (please don’t hate us for saying that!).
We’re going to dive into the pros and cons of social media marketing next, but make sure you keep scrolling for ways that you can make it easier on yourself too!
Pros of Social Media Marketing
1. Connect with Your Customers
Like we said above, social media allows you to interact directly with your customers which in turn builds relationships that foster loyalty and trust. Whether it's responding to comments, sharing user-generated content (like unboxing videos and reviews), or running interactive polls, we as small businesses have a chance to make our customers feel valued and heard (in a way that, let’s be honest, corporations could never).
2. Increase Brand Awareness and Trust
This is a big one–a well-executed social media strategy can also seriously boost your brand's visibility. Consistent posting and entertaining/shareable content can help you reach a broader audience for free/the cost of your time (so don’t spend an hour creating a 30 second reel. If you do, it isn’t free). Over time, this increased visibility leads to greater brand recognition and trust, which should also translate to more money in your small business bank account.
3. Improved Search Engine Rankings
Did you know that social media can also improve your search engine rankings? Platforms like Pinterest (which is much more of a search engine than a social media platform) can help your website rank on Google, and TikTok has become like a search engine in itself (which means that your content lives a lot longer there!). By investing your time or money into valuable content, you signal to search engines that your brand is credible and reliable, which can boost your rankings and then(you guessed it) get you in front of more people.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, is it? Nope. Here are some of the cons.
Cons of Social Media Marketing
1. It's a Lot of Work
Understatement. Of. The. Year. While the benefits are undeniable, and we’ve already said we think social media marketing is non-negotiable, there is no denying that it requires a significant investment of time and effort. From content creation to engagement and analytics, managing multiple platforms can be overwhelming. This is where tools like Enji come in handy, helping you check many of these tasks off your to-do list and helping you stay organized with your marketing calendar.
2. Measuring ROI Can Be Challenging
Did you hear the rumor that Gen Z broke the marketing funnel? One of the most common challenges in social media marketing is that it’s getting harder and harder to measure your return on investment (ROI). Unlike direct sales, the impact of social media efforts can be harder to quantify, partly because people are taking longer to buy, and partly because social media also encourages repeat buyers, which is harder to measure.
Let us give you an example – it’s not uncommon for someone to be referred to you, but then they find you on social media and make the purchasing decision because of your content, even if that’s not where they will say they found you. Or what about the people who found you on social media but wouldn’t have bought if they weren’t on your email list or loved your website. How can we really measure the ROI of social media marketing when there are so many touchpoints before a sale? Le sigh. But we’re working on it!
3. Organic Growth Can Be Slow
Relying solely on organic growth can be a slow process. Algorithms constantly change, and competition is fierce. While we will always advocate diversifying your marketing efforts anyway, the truth is that if social media marketing is one of your main marketing strategies, combining it with paid advertising or influencer collaborations can be a good idea.
If You’re Investing Your Time (or Money) Into Social Media Marketing, You Need Something Like Enji to Help
Can we be honest for a sec? (We always are but trying to be polite here.) Too many small businesses are just throwing spaghetti at the wall when it comes to their social media marketing. Maybe you read a post (or ten) like this one, but when it comes to actually executing your social media strategy, you’re waking up every morning wondering if you’ll have time to post today.
Enter Enji.
We created Enji to be your small business marketing assistant (because trust us, you need one). Enji has everything you need, from a social media scheduler, marketing calendar, AI copywriter, KPI tracker, and so much more. We’ve created our software intentionally to help small businesses everywhere with their marketing (and we’re really freaking proud of how easy and effective we’ve made it for you!). Sign up for a free trial here and have your official marketing strategy done-for-you within minutes (just take our 20-question quiz).
Not Convinced? Start With The 9-Grid Strategy
If you’re feeling like you’re wearing too many hats already, we know how you feel. If you're not ready to actively start using social media marketing to grow your business, creating a polished 9-grid on Instagram can be a good middle ground. Trust us–your potential customers will look you up on Instagram, so having something intentional there will never be a bad idea.
Haven’t heard of the 9-grid yet? This strategy involves curating your top nine posts on Instagram to create a profile that conveys your brand's essence at a glance. With this style of posting, the intention is that you don’t keep posting, and almost treat your profile like a static landing page. It's a simple yet effective way to make an impression on potential customers.
Getting Started With Social Media Marketing
At the end of the day, social media marketing is no longer optional for small businesses—it's essential. But the good news is that tools like Enji can simplify the process, making it easier to manage your social media strategy without feeling overwhelmed. We don’t have to like it, but we might as well embrace the necessity of social media marketing, and use it to grow our small businesses, right? And if you’re ready to learn more about how we can help, head here next.
