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What is Social Media Marketing? And what are the benefits?

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is the use of social media platforms to connect with your target audience in order to build brand awareness, increase sales, and drive traffic to your website.

In practice, SMM includes:

• publishing relevant content on your social profiles,

• listening to and engaging with followers,

• analysing results and performance,

• and running paid advertising campaigns.

When well executed, social media is also a powerful form of Inbound Marketing — instead of “pushing” messages to everyone, you attract potential customers with content that is genuinely useful, interesting, or entertaining to the right audience.

Social networks help people discover your brand, but they also help you build a closer, more personalised relationship with your audience — shaping how they perceive your business and increasing trust over time.

And the reason to be on social media is simple: everyone is there — customers, potential customers, competitors… If your brand is not present, you’re missing the opportunity to be heard where attention already exists.

It’s estimated that around 60% of the global population uses social media, meaning billions of people are connected every day through online platforms. In Portugal, studies have also shown strong growth over the last decade, with the number of social platforms where users have an account increasing significantly.

Below are 7 key benefits that Social Media Marketing can bring to your business.

1. Brand Awareness

A strong social media presence makes it easier for both existing and potential customers to find and connect with your brand.

Social platforms allow you to spread the word about your business quickly and widely. Every time someone interacts with or shares your content, your reach expands — often beyond your immediate followers.

It’s also one of the best channels to tell your brand story and help people understand:

• what you do,

• what you stand for,

• and why they should trust you.

2. Advanced Audience Segmentation

Before social media advertising, it was much harder for businesses to know if their ads were reaching the right people.

Today, platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others allow very detailed targeting based on:

• demographics,

• location,

• interests and behaviours,

• professional data (on platforms like LinkedIn),

• and more.
  
  

This means you can reach people who genuinely match your ideal customer profile — and stop wasting budget on audiences who will never convert.

3. Brand Loyalty

Building a loyal customer base is a priority for most businesses — and social media plays a major role in that.

Social networks are not just for promoting products or campaigns. Many customers view social media as a direct communication channel with the brand.

By being present and responsive, brands can:

• create stronger relationships,

• improve customer satisfaction,

• and build trust over time.
  
  

People tend to buy from brands they know and trust. Social media helps you create that trust first — and convert later.

You can even build communities around your brand, turning customers into true advocates who recommend you naturally.

4. Increase in Leads and Sales

Social media can be highly effective for generating leads and moving them through the buying cycle.

By combining:

• organic content (educational, engaging, consistent),

• with paid campaigns (targeted reach and conversion tactics),
  
  

you can attract new prospects, nurture interest, and convert.

Brands that consistently engage with their audience often see stronger results because familiarity and trust grow with repeated interactions.

5. Improves Search Engine Ranking

While social media doesn’t directly improve SEO rankings in the same way backlinks do, it can have a strong indirect impact.

Social platforms can help by:

• driving traffic to your website,

• increasing content distribution and visibility,

• encouraging shares and mentions,

• and strengthening brand searches.
  
  

To reinforce this effect, focus on publishing high-quality content that reflects your topics and keywords — such as:

• blog posts,

• infographics,

• case studies,

• company updates,

• and behind-the-scenes content that builds credibility.

6. Multichannel Campaigns

Buyers move quickly between channels — website, social, email, and back again.

Social media becomes more powerful when integrated into a wider marketing strategy, helping you:

• reinforce messaging across channels,

• stay present throughout the customer journey,

• and create multiple touchpoints with your audience.
  
  

The goal is consistency: the message becomes stronger when people see it in different places over time.

7. Good Price

Social media marketing is often one of the most cost-effective ways to promote a business — especially for small and mid-sized companies.

Most platforms are free to set up and maintain. Paid promotion is also relatively accessible compared to other channels, which allows businesses to:

• achieve strong ROI,

• test and optimise campaigns quickly,

• and reinvest in other marketing initiatives.

Conclusion

Social Media Marketing is much more than posting content — it’s a strategic channel to build brand visibility, create trust, generate leads, and support sales.

With the right approach, social media becomes a long-term asset: a place where your audience discovers you, learns from you, and eventually chooses you.

At Link37, we have a specialised social media team and advanced tools to help you grow with a strong strategy and measurable results. Get in touch with us and let’s build your social presence the right way.