It’s mad to think that even in 2027, people still have the attitude of, “Social media is pointless for me,” when it’s potentially one of the most important marketing tools that any B2C business, and in many cases B2B businesses too, should be utilising. Yes, it’s true, social media can boost sales tenfold when it’s presented effectively and targeted efficiently. It has become one of the most powerful platforms for growing a business.
If you think about it, the majority of buying decisions now start online, and nine times out of ten you’ve probably seen the product you want to buy on social media first. Whether that’s a brand’s Instagram or TikTok, a Facebook or YouTube advert, or an influencer recommending a product through their own channels, social media is influencing what we buy every single day.
Affiliate marketing is proof of this. Individuals are making full-time incomes purely from affiliate sales, driving traffic to products through content they’ve shared with their audience. In the world we live in now, social media for business is quite simply a no-brainer.
We spoke previously about which social media platforms you should be using and how to identify the platforms that make the most sense depending on your industry, audience, and product or service. That is always the first step when implementing social media for your business, especially if your goal is to increase sales with social media. You can read more on this here.
Why social media influences buying decisions
Social media isn’t just somewhere people scroll to pass the time anymore. It’s where people discover new brands, compare products, read reviews, watch tutorials, and decide whether they trust a business enough to buy from them.
Think about your own habits. How many times have you searched for a business on Instagram before visiting their website? Or watched TikTok reviews before purchasing a skincare product, restaurant recommendation, or fashion item? Customers want reassurance before they spend money, and social media gives them exactly that.
It also shortens the customer journey. Instead of someone seeing an advert, searching Google, and eventually finding your website, they can discover your product, click straight through to your website, and purchase within minutes.
That’s exactly how social media can boost sales when it’s working properly.
Implementing a Social Media Strategy
I guess the people with the attitude above are right in one sense, if you don’t have a social media strategy, or at the very least a plan for your social media presence, it probably won’t be effective, and it definitely won’t boost sales in the way you want it to.
When people hear the word strategy, it can sound overwhelming. It feels like it needs to be a huge document where every post is planned months in advance. In reality, it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
Social media needs a level of flexibility. Trends come and go quickly, viral content appears overnight, conversations change depending on the season, buying habits shift throughout the year, and what’s happening in the wider world can influence purchasing decisions almost instantly.
A good social media strategy creates structure without removing that flexibility.
Instead of planning every single post in detail, start by identifying a few key content pillars that your business can consistently talk about. These pillars keep your content focused while giving you room to react to trends and timely moments.
For example, your content pillars could include:
- Educational content that answers customer questions.
- Product or service highlights.
- Behind-the-scenes content showing your business.
- Customer reviews and user-generated content.
- Industry news or trends.
Having these pillars means you’re not constantly wondering what to post next, and it also stops your content becoming repetitive. Consumer fatigue is real. If every post is trying to sell something, people switch off.
The best social media marketing balances valuable content with promotional content.
Organic social media vs paid social media
A lot of businesses think social media success only comes from advertising, but organic content still plays a huge role.
Organic social media is often where trust is built. It’s the content that introduces your brand’s personality, educates your audience, and creates a community around your business. It keeps your business visible between purchases and gives people a reason to follow you even when they’re not ready to buy.
Paid social media, on the other hand, is designed to reach new audiences and drive specific actions, whether that’s website traffic, enquiries, or sales.
The two work best together rather than separately. Someone might discover you through a paid advert, but they’ll often visit your Instagram or TikTok before making a purchase. If your profile is active, engaging, and reflects your brand well, you’ve already increased the chances of converting that visitor into a customer.
Content that actually helps increase sales with social media
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is creating content that only talks about themselves.
Customers don’t just want product photos. They want to know how something works, why they need it, what problem it solves, and what other people think about it.
Some of the best-performing content for increasing sales includes tutorials, product demonstrations, before-and-after results, customer testimonials, FAQs, and user-generated content. These types of posts help answer buying objections before someone even asks them.
Video content is especially important. Whether it’s Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or YouTube Shorts, short-form video continues to be one of the most effective ways to increase reach and engagement across social media platforms.
The more authentic the content feels, the more likely people are to trust it.
Tracking your Social Media ROI
If you’re a product-based or e-commerce business and you aren’t tracking your social media ROI, what are you doing?
How will you know what needs changing, whether you’re reaching the right audience, or whether your investment is actually generating sales?
Looking at likes and followers is great, but they’re only part of the picture. The metrics that really matter are the ones connected to your business goals.
Ask yourself:
- How much traffic is social media driving to your website?
- Which platform is generating the most clicks?
- Which posts are leading to purchases?
- Where are customers dropping off in the buying journey?
Once you can see the customer journey from social media through to checkout, you’ll quickly spot where adjustments need to be made. Sometimes the issue is your content, sometimes it’s your targeting, and sometimes it’s actually your website or product page that’s stopping people from converting.
Understanding your social media ROI helps you make decisions based on data rather than guesswork.
Use your analytics to improve your strategy
Every social media platform gives you access to valuable analytics, and they’re there to be used.
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube all provide insights into who is engaging with your content, when your audience is online, which content performs best, and how people interact with your profile.
These insights should shape your social media strategy over time. If educational videos consistently outperform promotional posts, make more educational videos. If your audience engages more on weekday evenings than Monday mornings, adjust your posting schedule.
Social media marketing is never about posting for the sake of posting. It’s about learning what works and doing more of it.
Don’t just post – sell with purpose
There’s no point running Meta advertising if it isn’t bringing a return on investment, and if it isn’t, you need to understand why.
Is the audience wrong? Is the creative not grabbing attention? Is the call to action unclear? Or are people clicking through but not converting once they reach your website?
Every piece of content should have a purpose. That purpose might be to build awareness, increase engagement, drive website traffic, grow your email list, or generate sales. Not every post needs to sell directly, but every post should support your overall business goals.
That’s the difference between simply being present on social media and using it as a genuine sales tool.
The Next Steps
If you’re still thinking social media isn’t relevant for your business, hopefully this has changed your mind a little.
The reality is that your customers are already spending time on social media. They’re discovering brands, researching products, comparing options, and making buying decisions before they ever land on a website. If your business isn’t showing up during that journey, there’s a good chance someone else’s is.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your current approach, building a clear social media strategy is the first step towards seeing real results. Consistent content, a mix of organic and paid social media marketing, and regularly tracking your social media ROI can all make a huge difference to your business growth.
At VerriBerri, we help businesses create social media strategies that do more than just look good. They’re designed to increase engagement, build brand awareness, and ultimately increase sales with social media. If you’re ready to make social media work harder for your business, our team is here to help.