Marketing is like conversing with someone and building a relationship with them. Social media marketing, through that lens, is like casual conversation or small talk. It might seem silly or insignificant at the time, but those conversations build friendships.

Mindset and approach are crucial elements of any successful social media strategy. However, doing social media well as a business isn’t just about following all the best practices, being consistent, and posting promotional offers. While those things are still important, they won’t make your social media a valuable marketing tool.

You hear it constantly: “You need to be doing social media for your business!” But what does this mean, and is it worth your time? Social media is not a magic bullet to business success, but using it correctly will help you achieve specific objectives and accelerate your growth.

Because if your business has customers (and if you want more of them), social media is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective ways to reach them. Even better, once you reach them, social media gives you many different ways to interact with them and stay on their radar. Here’s what social media allows you to do with your business.