Social media sites make it easier for businesses and customers to talk to each other directly. Customers are using these online channels to communicate with businesses and buy things every day in new ways. Most people spend a few hours a day looking at brand content, watching videos, and scrolling through feeds.
The 2025 Sprout Social Index data reveals how crucial it is for businesses to use social media for marketing. These numbers show how businesses utilize social networks to build communities, gain information about the industry, defend their brand, and boost sales. Let’s look at the numbers that indicate how social media can help different kinds of businesses.
The Benefits of Using Social Media to Market Your Business Today
At first, social media was just a way to talk to people. Now, it’s an important commercial tool. Companies that don’t leverage these networks fall behind competitors who do. Studies show that social media affects every part of the customer experience.
Social media is now seen as an important part of corporate growth by marketers. Even during recessions, executives still invest money on social media because it has been shown to work. These platforms help businesses talk to potential clients from the time they find out about them until they buy something.
Using social media can help your business learn more about its field, reach its target consumers, and build long-lasting relationships with customers. Some businesses buy verified business manager accounts to improve their social media presence and make it easier for many brands to administer their platforms. Support staff, product developers, and sales teams all benefit from these social media perks.
Social networking may help businesses in seven different ways
A lot of businesses use social media sites to do well. There are several ways to talk to clients, get information, and increase sales through social media.
Using social media to build brand communities
Customers want businesses to know about online culture and trends. According to a study, 93% of consumers think that brands should keep up with what people are saying online. Instead of trying to keep up with every trend, it’s more important to know what matters to your audience.
Social media sites let your business and its customers talk to each other directly. These face-to-face conversations build trust in a way that advertising can’t. Thirty percent of individuals plan to use social media more in 2025, which means that the possibility of contacting new clients is growing.
By responding to comments, sharing useful information, and joining in on industry conversations, your firm may build real relationships. This way, you may build a group of fans who believe in the same things as your business.
Using social data to look at the competition
By keeping an eye on social media, businesses can find out important things about their competitors. Businesses can use this information to locate places where they can grow and fill market shortages. This work is easier and more productive with social listening tools.
Research indicates that 90% of consumers use social media to keep up with cultural trends and events. Businesses can look at the data from this activity to see how the market is changing. Because social media moves swiftly, people can quickly comment on changes in the industry.
With Sprout Social’s tools, organizations can automatically keep an eye on what their competitors are up to. These technologies keep track of brand mentions on a lot of different platforms, topics of content, and customer support interactions. Businesses use the knowledge to better place their goods in the market.
Making business plans with the customer in mind
Social listening helps companies learn more about what their customers want and need. These platforms give marketers and product developers information that helps them make decisions. Companies can quickly change their products to meet the needs of their customers.
According to the Sprout Social Index , 91% of business leaders believe that social data helps them understand their customers better. Companies can produce better products using this information. Companies can grow when they get quick responses from social media.
Goally, a tech startup that helps families with neurodiverse members, uses Sprout’s listening tools to keep an eye on what they need. The business learned that parents desire to help their kids become more independent. They use this information to make their products and promote them.
Improving Public Relations Efforts
The news cycle moves quickly these days, so public relations needs to be inventive. Businesses may express their story directly to customers through social media without having to rely on traditional media. This honest talk makes brand storytelling stronger.
Social media sites let company leaders share their knowledge and thoughts. Executives can become experts in their fields by using these platforms. The content makes it possible for the media and the public to pay attention.
Social media may help your firm control its marketing message, whether things are going well or badly. The portals let people go directly to networks without going via traditional media censors. This control helps people see your business in a certain way.
How to Handle Business Crises Well
Social networks not only show businesses to the public, but they also help them deal with problems. When things are tough, talking directly to stakeholders makes things less bad. Problems can get worse if you don’t find a quick fix.
A study found that 93% of customers think that firms should do more to fight inaccurate information. Businesses can quickly deal with false claims on social media. This expertise defends a brand’s reputation when things are tough.
Making a social media crisis plan will help your business get ready for any challenges that might come up. Response templates, monitoring tools, and clearly defined team roles should all be part of the plan. These steps help firms deal with problems better when they happen.
Increasing Sales through Social Commerce
Customers’ decisions to buy are affected by social media sites long before they visit your website or store. The investigation frequently begins on social media months before the buyer makes a decision. Every time they talk to a possible buyer, they get closer to making a purchase.
According to the data, 81% of customers make a lot of impulse purchases every year because of what they see on social media. These platforms are like interactive product displays that make people want to buy. The way social media looks makes items more appealing.
Different platforms use different strategies to get people to buy more. Facebook (39%), TikTok (36%), and Instagram (29%) are the three sites that have the most effect on purchases. 54% of Gen Z consumers use TikTok, which shows that younger people are more likely to shop on social media.
Giving Customers Great Experiences
Businesses now offer customer care in a different way because of social media. You can show how much you care about making customers happy in several public situations. A lot of people who could buy something change their minds because of how public these talks are.
If a firm doesn’t answer messages on social media, 73% of individuals who use it will choose a competitor. This metric shows how much it costs firms to not have a strong social media service. Customers will keep coming back if you provide them with quick, helpful solutions.
Casey’s, a chain of convenience stores, employed Sprout Social’s services to cut its response time from three days to three to five hours. This 90% faster response time has two benefits: it improves their relationship with their audience and makes their clients happier.
What Good Social Media Marketing Can Do for Your Business
One way that social media marketing works is by providing clear business results. These case studies show how businesses use social media on purpose to get what they want.
Sprout Social shows how to measure the return on investment (ROI) of leadership.
The Sprout Social team carefully measures the value of social media in terms of money. They maintain track of KPIs, including cost per action, cost per lead, earned media value, and leads produced. These data indicate how social involvement affects people’s finances directly.
The team uses a multi-touch attribution method to get the most out of social media when it comes to sales. This strategy shows how social connections affect buyers during the whole purchase process. The study found a direct link between income and how much people use social media.
Sprout’s social team won over the leaders by showing how social involvement may lead to better business results. This cooperation from executives makes it easier to get money for new initiatives and equipment. The company’s view on investing in social media alters when it focuses on revenue.
How Atlassian Builds Communities
Atlassian employs social listening to locate and join conversations about its field. Their employees communicate about how to work together and manage their work, even if they don’t openly mention the company. This strategy helps them get to know potential clients better.
The company uses X (previously Twitter) to keep an eye on game makers’ talks by making targeted listening queries. These focused efforts let them offer solutions when clients talk about their products. The plan helps build links with some professional groups.
Atlassian’s proactive approach builds brand loyalty across the customer lifecycle. The company presents itself as a reliable source when talking about the industry. This reputation helps you get new consumers and keep the ones you already have.
Casey’s Change in Customer Service
Casey’s customer service got better when they combined social media with other platforms. The company connected Sprout Social and Salesforce so that consumer questions could be handled quickly and easily. This integration avoids missed messages and late replies.
Before implementing this method, Casey’s took up to three days to reply to messages on social media. It wasn’t apparent who should address customer concerns because the crew was split up. Customers are less happy and less confident because of these delays.
The new method cut response times down to an average of three to five hours. This 90% increase not only makes customers happier, but it also stops sales from going down. The integration also makes it easier for the social media team and the guest relations department to talk to each other.
How Social Media Affects Different Parts of a Business
Social media is useful for more than just marketing. These platforms give businesses data and insights that help many of their operations work better and get better results.
Customer care reps utilize social media to quickly and honestly deal with problems. This kind of openness indicates how much the organization cares about making customers happy. Face-to-face encounters help build deeper ties with clients and make them more loyal.
Product development teams employ social listening to find out what their customers want and need. This information helps us make more useful features and products. The honest comments make customers happier and make the product fit better in the market.
Sales teams use social media to find new consumers and see if people are interested in buying. The tools help salespeople get to know each other before they meet for a formal transaction. These links make sales activities more effective and efficient.
Common Questions About Advertising on Social Media
How much money should a business spend on marketing on social media?
Most businesses use 15% to 25% of their marketing expenditure on social media. The actual amount will depend on your industry, goals, and target market. Begin with a tiny budget and add to it as you see results.
Which social networking sites are better for businesses to do business with each other?
LinkedIn is a great place to sell to businesses because it is focused on professionals. Depending on who you’re trying to reach and what kind of content you’re posting, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok might also be helpful. Look into the websites that your potential customers visit.
How fast should companies reply to messages on social media?
During business hours, try to react within one to three hours. Quick replies make consumers happier and stop them from going with other companies. Set up automatic replies for messages that come in after hours.
Can tiny businesses use social media to compete with bigger ones?
Yes! Small businesses and their customers generally have more real relationships. Focus more on the quality of your interactions than the amount of followers you have. Local businesses are better at reaching certain groups of people than national brands.
How can I tell whether social media marketing is working?
Keep an eye on KPIs that help you reach your business goals. To see how well people know your brand, keep track of how many people engage with it and how many people see it. Keep an eye on purchases, conversions, and click-through rates from social media. Link social media traffic to business results with UTM codes.
Conclusion: The growing effect of social media on business
Social media is still changing the way businesses interact with their customers and help them grow. The platforms have special features for community building, market research, and direct sales that traditional marketing can’t match.
No matter how big or small your business is, social media can help it. The most important thing is to make a strategic plan that meets both your own aims and the needs of the people you want to reach. Consistent participation and rigorous assessment increase the rewards for social media efforts.
It looks like social media will be more important for businesses in the future. Companies that know how to use these platforms obtain stronger client relationships, more information about the market, and more sales prospects. Now is the time to make a plan for your social media.
Also Read: How The Rise of AI Influencers Are Revolutionizing Social Media?
