The Importance of Social Media in Your Marketing Strategy
June 21, 2019
There is over 3.2 billion users on Social Media today
Guest Article by
Ann Jarema
For more content from Ann, find her on
The Smarketer Blog Site
If your business is not yet leveraging a social media marketing strategy, you are missing out. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube, all provide a unique opportunity for you to interact with and create relationships with, your customers. There are over 3.2 billion active users on social media today - that’s well over 40% of the world population.
Aside from the vast majority of adults and teens being active on social media, the average user spends over two hours, each day, engaging with social media content. This provides an exceptional opportunity to build relationships with both your existing and prospective customers. Why you need to get on social media - now!
- Social media allows you to build brand awareness. If a customer doesn’t know about you, it’s pretty likely that they won’t do business with you. Pretty obvious, right? But not only that, audiences are seeking information for brands that can help solve their problems or fulfill a need in their life. If they can’t find you, they’ll either go on living with that problem or void, or they’ll make their way to your competition.
- Social media is exceptionally cost-effective. It doesn’t cost anything to create a profile. And, one of the best ways to engage customers is to share content from your website, on your social media profiles. This means that every time you post a blog on your website or share about an event your company sponsored, or any time you announce a new product release, that content should get out on your social channels. When you do this, especially when that content is rich with applicable keywords, more and more customers start to find you, and learn about what you can do to make their life better. While paid social advertising serves an important purpose, and is definitely an activity you should investigate to truly maximize your social media strategy, it will cost you nothing to get started
- When you actively engage with your customers online, by default, you start to build loyalty. Taking the time to share relevant and engaging content that sets you apart as a thought leader, will help customers see that you are an expert in your field. Customers want to know that they are doing business with companies that know what they are doing, and have the experience that they desire. Social media provides you with a platform to communicate with your customers. When customers comment on your articles, you can see what they like (and what they don’t). If they post that they are dissatisfied with something about your company, you can respond, apologize if appropriate, and take that feedback as a way to make your business better. And people like to see companies that respond to their posts. They like to be heard.
- When customers feel heard, and when they learn from you, they are more likely to become loyal customers down the road. If they are ignored, or if they never hear from you, they’ll turn elsewhere. Because for sure, your competition is already present on social media and sharing content, or they will be soon.
- The more customers visit your website (increased traffic), driven there by engaging content on social media, you also start to experience enhanced SEO rankings. It isn’t enough just to optimize your website and update your blog on occasion. Businesses that share their content on social media are sending out a clear brand signal that says look at us. This, in turn, works as a signal to the search engine that speaks to your brand validity, honesty, and consistency.
This July, MMDC is proud to support SickKids Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding world-class pediatric care, research, and education. Through every breakthrough and every act of generosity, SickKids is helping children across Canada and around the world live healthier, happier lives.
For years, small businesses have treated social media as a necessary chore. You post a graphic, use a few hashtags, cross your fingers for likes, and hope it eventually turns into a lead. But if you are still using social media just to keep your feed "active," you are leaving serious revenue on the table. In 2026, social media is no longer an isolated echo chamber. It is the primary data source that Large Language Models (LLMs)—like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews—use to understand, verify, and recommend brands. When a prospect asks ChatGPT, "Who is the most reliable commercial HVAC contractor in Tampa?" or "What is the best local managed IT service?" , the AI doesn't just scan your website. It pulls from Reddit threads, YouTube tutorials, and LinkedIn discussions. Here is how smart brands are shifting their strategy from chasing cheap clicks to engineering AI visibility—and how you can do it, too. The Shift: From "Content Calendars" to "Signal Generation" Traditional SEO focused on stuffing keywords into website pages so Google would rank you higher. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) require a different approach. AI search engines look for E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). They find this by scanning social platforms for authentic human context. Your goal is no longer just to get a user to double-tap your photo; it is to feed the algorithms the exact signals they need to cite your business as the definitive authority. The New Rule of Search: Social Media ➔ LLM Context ➔ Global Search Authority. The 2026 Playbook: Winning the Major Platforms Every platform requires a specific signal to prove your authority to search engines. 1. LinkedIn: Optimize for "Dwell Time" (Not Just Likes) LinkedIn’s algorithm—and the AI systems crawling it—heavily rewards passive reading, or "dwell time." Stop treating LinkedIn like a bulletin board for company announcements. Instead, treat every post as a high-value mini-article. Lead with a strong hook, break down a complex industry problem, and provide the exact framework you use to solve it. When executives spend two minutes reading your post without scrolling, it signals immense authority to the algorithm, establishing your leadership team as true industry experts. 2. YouTube & TikTok: Own the "How-To" Space Google’s search results now prominently feature video carousels, and AI tools constantly pull transcripts from videos to answer user questions. To capitalize on this, your spoken words must be treated as an SEO system. If your target customer is searching for "How to fix a leaking commercial roof," those exact words must be spoken in the first five seconds of your video. Pair this with highly accurate closed captions and keyword-rich descriptions. You aren't just making a video; you are building an evergreen asset that will rank in search results for years. 3. Reddit: The Ultimate Trust Signal Right now, Reddit is one of the most frequently cited domains by AI platforms. Why? Because it represents unfiltered, authentic human experience. However, brands cannot just drop promotional links in subreddits—the community will immediately reject them. The strategy here is substantive participation. By monitoring local or industry-specific subreddits and providing genuinely helpful, brand-agnostic advice, you build a digital footprint of trust that AI engines rely on when recommending solutions. Stop Guessing. Start Dominating. The landscape of search has permanently changed. Trying to manage traditional SEO, run a business, and engineer AI signals across five different social platforms is a recipe for burnout. You need a strategy that aligns your Web Design, SEO, and Social Media into one frictionless ecosystem—maximizing your visibility while removing the operational headache from your plate. At Mystic Media , we don't just post content; we architect your digital authority. Our integrated approach to AI Content Optimization, Social Media Management, and Better SEO ensures that when your customers ask the internet a question, your brand is the only answer. Ready to future-proof your digital presence? Request a Demo today or call our team at (866) 764-2877 . Let's build the digital success you deserve.
MMDC is proud to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that has transformed the fight against childhood cancer through groundbreaking research, exceptional patient care, and a promise that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
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