Definition
Promoting a business through social platforms — Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok — via organic posts, paid ads, and audience engagement.
Why it matters
Social media lets a small business build familiarity and show personality where customers already spend their time, which can matter a lot for local and visual businesses like salons, restaurants, or contractors. The tradeoff is that reach is rented, not owned: the platform decides who sees your posts, and organic visibility can shrink without warning. It also tends to eat time out of proportion to results, so owners get the most from it by picking one or two platforms their customers actually use rather than trying to be everywhere.