Definition:

Social media marketing is the process of including social media as part of your marketing activities for your business.

Most businesses target the major social media outlets for their marketing, including primarily Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

There are a variety of ways that social media outlets can be used for marketing purposes, including strengthening brand recognition, interacting with customers and prospects, and offering special discount codes and coupons to those within the company's social networks to encourage sales and company loyalty.


Social media marketing is employed by both large and small businesses alike. Small businesses especially like to use social media as part of their marketing mix because most social media outlets provide free participation, so other than the time to keep a social media marketing campaign active, expenses are minimal. Additionally, social media provides an opportunity for viral marketing, which can mean a large surge in website traffic in a short period of time.

Also Known As: SMM

Examples: Social media marketing can be an effective way for a small business to engage in marketing activities without spending a lot of money.