For the past few years, social media has become a common tool at the business level. The capabilities offered by social media in the corporate context, combined with the possibility of using them with minimal resources, have made it a fundamental element of marketing strategy—or at least of communication strategy.

Its use is full of myths, often stemming from personal use as a first step toward corporate adoption. And while it’s true that social media can, to some extent, help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reach more potential customers, it’s equally true that it requires significant work and allocation of resources. As usage has become more widespread, it has become increasingly difficult to carve out a presence.

Difficulties, however, should not keep us away from social media. But we must be aware that investment in social media is not merely an expense.

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Social Media in the Company

The use of social media in business is linked to a growing need for corporate communication. Disseminating offers, news, and information about products and services is becoming increasingly important for companies. This creates a paradox: to survive in an over-informed world, companies must contribute to that over-information to find a small space for themselves, which in turn increases the “noise” in this self-perpetuating cycle.

However, social media can—and are—used for other purposes. For example, they can strengthen corporate positioning, increase brand awareness, or serve as a source of knowledge. Direct sales, which have been experimented with for some time, have not really taken off on any major social networks typically used by companies (beyond using ads to drive sales on the corporate website).

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Should My Company Use Social Media?

Before answering, two other questions must be addressed, which will inevitably guide the response.

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Do We Have the Resources?

Once a positive decision is made, it begins a long journey that should not be left unfinished. Therefore, it is essential to consider the company’s readiness to use social media.

At the resource level, consider the following:

• Who can handle these tasks within the company?
• Does that person have enough time, tools, and knowledge?
• Can or should we hire someone for this role?
• Possible options for outsourcing these tasks.

At the readiness level, it’s useful to reflect on these points:

• Who is responsible for decision-making in this area?
• Does the decision-maker have time, tools, and knowledge to supervise the work?
• Is the company as a whole, especially management, aware of the need?

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What Can My Company Do on Social Media?

Next, we invite reflection within the company to explore alternative uses of social media, grouped into three major areas, from which strategies and concrete actions can be derived:

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Building a Community

Although the term is overused, building a community is the ultimate goal of using social media in business. The concept of community can be very diverse, but it mainly involves knowing and engaging with customers, potential customers, or any other users (including competitors) about topics relevant to the company’s business.

These relationships encourage discovery and learning, potentially leading to greater mutual understanding that can ultimately result in a sale.

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Increasing Company Visibility

From a corporate communication perspective, social media help improve (and expand) the dissemination of content. Sustained work in this area contributes to enhancing the company’s image, increasing reach, and—most importantly—strengthening positioning (both strategically and online).

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Customer Service

While not applicable to all organizations, this is increasingly common in certain sectors. The need to provide immediate, high-quality service is demanding, requiring a capable team. But even in cases where a “technical” or customer support service is not necessary, social media can still be used to gather feedback, detect trends, or explore potential offerings.