Boost Sales with Social Media as a Marketing Tool

Social media advertising is a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance online visibility, generate leads and increase sales. There are approximately 253 million social media users in the United States alone — 73% of the country’s total population.1

Why do people use social media?

People use popular social media sites for many reasons. These include connecting with others, staying informed and entertaining themselves. Other reasons include engaging in discussion and building communities around shared interests.

Social media is a cost-effective means to facilitate direct consumer interaction, receive real-time feedback and market research. Businesses can use social media as a marketing tool to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic and build customer relationships. 

There are two types of social media on which to advertise your business: organic and paid.

What is the difference between paid vs. organic social?

If you want to use social media as a marketing tool, it’s important to understand the difference between paid vs. organic. With organic social media marketing, you set up free social media profiles and share high-quality content to build your brand reputation and increase engagement and awareness. Organic social media relies on unpaid efforts to grow your audience naturally over time.

Paid social media, on the other hand, refers to posts and ads for which advertisers pay to appear on social platforms. This strategy increases visibility, enabling businesses to reach specific audiences based on demographics and interests, ensuring the right people see the content. In addition to new ads targeted at specific audiences, common paid advertising strategies also include boosting existing content and collaborations with influencers.

Why use paid social media?

Relying solely on organic traffic can take longer to build awareness, especially with platforms like Facebook which prioritize posts from friends and family over branded content. Paid social media advertising offers several advantages:

• Precise targeting: You can define and reach specific audiences based on demographics and interests. Analytics provide valuable insights to use in future campaigns.
  
  
• Increased visibility: Precise targeting ensures a specific group of viewers see your content, increasing website traffic and amplifying content reach.
  
  
• Enhanced brand awareness: Paid campaigns help build brand recognition among the social media users you’re most interested in.

Which social media platform is best for my business?

Each social media platform offers unique advantages. Choosing the one that’s right for your business depends on your audience and company goals. Though some platforms are more popular with certain audiences — B2B or B2C, or demographic cohorts like Gen Z, for example — that doesn’t mean small businesses can’t still reach intended audiences there. Familiarize yourself with the available marketing options for popular social media sites.

*Source: Statista, “Most Popular Social Networks Worldwide as of February 2025, by Number of Monthly Active Users,” March 26, 2025, unless otherwise noted.

When using social media as a marketing tool, the types of content you promote depend on your campaign goals. For brand awareness, focus on high-value content aligned with your audience’s needs. User-generated content is an increasingly effective option for branding, as 37% of consumers believe the most memorable brands prioritize direct audience engagement over publishing.3 For lead generation, consider offering content like e-books, checklists or webinar replays.

If your budget permits, run test campaigns on popular social media sites and evaluate results. You might find that advertising across more than one platform is the best way to reach your marketing objectives.

Set a realistic budget for paid social.

Setting an appropriate budget is critical for reaching your campaign goals. Most platforms recommend a minimum spend based on your objectives, but you can also set an overall campaign limit to avoid overspending. Remember, higher spending generally equates to wider reach and increased engagement.

To effectively use social media as a marketing tool:

• Understand your audience and tailor your ads accordingly.
• Set clear goals for each campaign.
• Use analytics to identify high-performing content for promotion.
• Experiment with different ad formats, calls to action and copy.
• Regularly review campaign results and refine strategies based on data.

Increase marketing results with five proven social media strategies.

Advertising on popular social media sites can significantly influence purchasing decisions. Seventy-six percent of consumers say they purchased products after seeing them on social media.4 When you’ve decided which social media platforms are best for your business, these five tips can help drive sales.

1. Invest in paid social ads.
   Paid ads ensure your products and services are visible to your target audience. Conversion rates for popular social media sites range from 2%-5%.5
   
   
2. Engage in social commerce.
   Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok allow businesses to set up storefronts to sell directly to consumers on their sites. They are also among the most popular social media sites.
   
   
3. Collaborate with social media influencers.
   Partnering with social media influencers helps build credibility and drives traffic. Influencer marketing offers impressive ROI, with businesses earning an average of $5.20 for every dollar spent.6
   
   
4. Encourage user-generated content.
   Some consumers will post about your brand on their own. But consider hosting a contest, awarding prizes to those who share a photo of themselves using your products.
   
   
5. Balance engagement and promotion.
   Combine engaging content with subtle sales tactics to avoid alienating your audience. A mix of valuable posts and promotional offers works best.

Secure the funding you need for effective social media advertising.

Social media advertising is an essential strategy for businesses that want to increase sales. With clear objectives, the right social media platforms and engaging content, small businesses can effectively reach their target audiences and achieve measurable results. Synovus partners with the SBA to offer funding to help businesses like yours reach their marketing goals. For more details, call 1-888-SYNOVUS (1-888-796-6887) or stop by one of our local branches.