The Day I Realized Social Media Wasn’t Optional
Two years ago, my friend Jake was complaining about his bakery. Amazing pastries, great location, but hardly any customers under 40.
“People just don’t appreciate good baking anymore,” he said.
Then I looked at his Instagram. Three posts. From 2021.
I almost spit out my coffee. “Jake, when’s the last time you posted anything?”
“I don’t really get social media,” he shrugged. “Isn’t that just for teenagers?”
That conversation changed everything for his business. And probably saved it.
What Social Media for Business Actually Means
Here’s what most people get wrong about social media: they think it’s about posting pretty pictures and hoping for likes.
It’s not.
Social media for business is about showing up where your customers already spend their time. And trust me, they’re spending time there. A lot of time.
Think about your own day. You probably check Instagram while drinking your morning coffee. Maybe scroll through Facebook during lunch. Watch TikTok videos before bed (don’t lie, we all do it).
Your customers are doing the exact same thing. So why wouldn’t you want to be part of those moments?
The Real Benefits (That Actually Matter)
Let me tell you what happened when Jake finally started taking social media seriously:
People actually knew he existed. Before, his bakery was invisible online. Now when people searched for “best croissants near me,” his Instagram posts showed up alongside his Google listing.
Customers became friends. People started commenting on his posts, sharing photos of his pastries, tagging their friends. Suddenly, he wasn’t just selling bread—he was building a community.
His website got busy. Every Instagram post drove people to his website to check hours, see the full menu, place orders. Traffic tripled in six months.
Word spread faster. One good post about his weekend specials would bring in 20+ new customers that same day.
He learned what people actually wanted. Comments and messages told him which pastries were hits, which ones to retire, what new flavors to try.
People trusted him more. Seeing his face, hearing his story, watching him work—it made him real. Not just another bakery, but Jake’s bakery.
Why Paid Social Media Ads Are Worth It
Jake was skeptical about spending money on ads at first. “I’m already posting for free,” he said.
But here’s the thing about organic reach—it’s limited. Even if you have 1,000 followers, maybe 50 of them will see any given post. The platforms want you to pay for wider reach.
And honestly? It works.
With paid ads, Jake could:
- Target people within five miles of his bakery who were interested in baking or coffee
- Show his weekend special to people who’d never heard of him before
- Retarget website visitors with ads for his catering services
- Test different messages and see what actually made people come in
He started with $50 a week. That’s it. Less than he used to spend on newspaper ads that nobody read.
The results? Weekend foot traffic jumped 25% in the first month.
Real Stories from Real Businesses
Jake’s not unique. I see this stuff working everywhere:
A local gym started posting member success stories and workout tips on Instagram. Their membership grew 40% in eight months without any other marketing changes.
A boutique clothing store used Instagram Stories to show new arrivals and outfit ideas. Their online sales doubled because people could see how clothes actually looked on real people.
A landscaping company posted before-and-after photos of their projects on Facebook. They had to start a waiting list because so many people wanted quotes.
None of these are huge corporations with massive marketing budgets. They’re regular businesses run by regular people who figured out how to use social media properly.
How to Actually Make This Work for Your Business
Don’t overthink this. Seriously.
Pick one platform first. Where do your customers actually hang out? If you’re B2B, maybe LinkedIn. Visual products? Instagram. Local community? Facebook. Just pick one and do it well.
Set a real goal. “More followers” isn’t a goal. “20 new customers this month” is a goal. “Increase website traffic by 30%” is a goal. Be specific.
Mix free content with paid promotion. Use organic posts to build relationships and show personality. Use ads to reach new people and drive specific actions.
Try things and see what happens. Post a behind-the-scenes video one day, a customer testimonial the next, a product photo the day after. Track what gets engagement and do more of that.
Be consistent, not perfect. Jake posts something every other day. Not professional photography, just real photos of what he’s baking. It works because it’s consistent and authentic.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Here’s what the data actually shows:
Over 5 billion people use social media now. That’s more than half the world’s population.
58% of people say they discovered a new business through social media. Not through Google, not through ads—through social media.
90% of local businesses use social media for marketing. And 78% of them say it directly impacts their revenue.
This isn’t a trend anymore. It’s just how business works now.
The Questions Everyone Asks
“How long before I see results?” Depends what you’re measuring. Engagement and followers can grow quickly—within weeks. Actual sales usually take a few months of consistent effort.
“Do I need to be on every platform?” Please don’t. Pick one, maybe two. Do them really well. Being amazing somewhere beats being mediocre everywhere.
“What if I don’t know what to post?” Show your work process. Share customer stories. Answer common questions. Post behind-the-scenes moments. Be helpful and authentic—that’s enough.
“How much should I spend on ads?” Start small. Maybe $100 a month. See what works, then increase your budget for the ads that actually bring in customers.
What You Should Actually Do Next
Stop overthinking this and start doing something.
This week, pick one platform where your customers spend time. Post something helpful or interesting every day for two weeks. See what happens.
Don’t worry about having perfect content or a complete strategy. Just start showing up consistently where your customers are.
Jake’s bakery went from struggling to thriving in less than a year. Not because he became a social media expert, but because he started showing up where his customers were already looking.
Your business could have the same transformation. The question isn’t whether social media works—it’s whether you’re ready to stop making excuses and start trying.
Social media isn’t just about getting likes or going viral. It’s about building real relationships with real people who actually want what you’re offering.
And in today’s world, that’s not optional anymore. It’s just good business.