How To Use Social Media Marketing In 2019 To Skyrocket Your Business Growth
A practical social media marketing plan: picking the right platforms, building an audience, posting content people engage with, and when to add paid ads and creators.
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To grow a business with social media marketing, pick the one or two platforms your customers actually use, post helpful and engaging content consistently, talk with your audience rather than at them, and use scheduling and analytics tools to learn what works. Add paid ads and creator partnerships to reach beyond your followers.
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- Choose platforms by where your customers are — not by which network is biggest.
- Lead with helpful, engaging content; keep promotion to a small share of posts.
- Every post should invite a next step: comment, save, visit, or get in touch.
- Use scheduling and analytics tools to stay consistent and learn what works.
- Paid ads and niche creators extend reach beyond your existing followers.
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Social media is one of the most accessible ways to reach customers: you don’t need a big budget to start, and your audience is already spending time there. The hard part is doing it with a plan. This guide answers four questions — why use social media, which platform to choose, how to build an audience and what to post — then covers tools, ads and creators.
Why use social media marketing?
Social media lets you reach people where they already spend their time, build familiarity before they need you, and talk with customers directly. Compared with many other channels, it is quick to start and easy to test: you can post today and see what resonates this week.
Which platform is best for your business?
Start with your customer, not the platform. Think about who they are, what they do for work, and how they like to consume content.
- LinkedIn suits professional audiences and decision-makers at other companies.
- Facebook and Instagram suit consumer brands, local businesses and visual products.
- YouTube suits how-to content, demos and longer explanations.
- TikTok suits short, entertaining video and younger audiences.
Doing one or two platforms well beats being thinly spread across five.
How do you build an audience?
Grow organically first
Organic reach comes from content people choose to engage with. On YouTube, that means searchable titles, clear thumbnails and asking viewers to subscribe or comment. On Instagram, it means images and Reels made for the people you want to reach — not for everyone.
Show up beyond your own page
Comment thoughtfully on posts in your niche, join relevant groups and communities, and share useful answers. Each helpful contribution is a reason for someone to look you up.
What should you post?
Post content your customers find useful or enjoyable: tips, answers to common questions, behind-the-scenes, short demos and customer stories. Keep it interactive — ask questions, invite opinions and reply to comments. Avoid being too salesy; if every post is a pitch, people stop paying attention.
Visuals stop the scroll. Use images, short video and simple graphics that relate to the topic.
Use social media tools
Scheduling and analytics tools help you plan posts in advance, stay consistent and see which content performs. Popular options include Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer and the native tools inside Meta Business Suite and LinkedIn. Pick one that fits your team size and the platforms you use.
Cross-share your content
Repurpose one idea across formats and platforms — a blog post becomes a carousel, a short video and a LinkedIn post. Partnering with complementary businesses to share each other’s content can also introduce you to new audiences.
Add a clear call to action
Tell people what to do next: comment, save the post, visit a page or get in touch. A simple question such as “Was this helpful?” invites replies and starts conversations that can turn into customers.
Work with creators and influencers
Creators already have the attention of people you want to reach. Smaller, niche creators in your industry or city are often more relevant — and more responsive — than celebrities. Keep an organised list, start with genuine engagement and use your own network for introductions.
Invest in paid social ads
Paid ads put your content in front of people who don’t follow you yet. Each platform works differently: Instagram and Facebook ads are visual and run through one ads manager, LinkedIn ads target by job and company, and YouTube ads can be targeted by interests, topics and location through Google Ads. Start small, test a few messages, and scale what brings results.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a business post on social media?
Consistency matters more than volume. Pick a schedule you can keep — for many businesses that is a few times a week on each main platform — and adjust based on results.
Is organic social media still worth it?
Yes. Organic content builds trust and gives your ads something to point to, although organic reach is limited, so most brands combine it with paid ads.
Should I be on every social media platform?
No. Focus on the one or two platforms where your customers spend time, and do them well.