The Evolution of Social Media in Business

Not long ago, businesses treated social media as an afterthought — a place for family photos, personal updates, and maybe the occasional post about their hours or a seasonal sale. Fast forward to today, and the facts are undeniable: social media is no longer optional. It is one of the single most important drivers of visibility, trust, and revenue in the digital age.

Consider this: more than 4.8 billion people worldwide use social media as of 2023, according to Statista. That’s over half of the global population logging in, scrolling, sharing, and buying. For businesses, that means the marketplace is no longer just in a storefront or on a website — it’s inside the feed, in the comments, and in the direct messages.

The shift from “optional marketing channel” to “core business engine” didn’t happen overnight. In the mid-2000s, platforms like Facebook and Twitter were seen as novelty spaces. Businesses that joined early were experimenting more than strategizing. But as the user base exploded, the platforms themselves evolved. They became not just places for connection but also advertising powerhouses, equipped with targeting tools that traditional media could never dream of.

By the 2010s, the proof was impossible to ignore. Facebook’s advertising model showed measurable ROI, Instagram became a launchpad for product discovery, and LinkedIn established itself as the professional networking standard. In 2018, GlobalWebIndex reported that 54% of social media users research products on these platforms before buying. That figure has only climbed, showing how discovery and decision-making are intertwined with social interaction.

Today, social media doesn’t just influence buying decisions — it often completes them. The rise of Instagram Shops, Facebook Marketplace, and TikTok Shop shows the direct line between engagement and transaction. A consumer can see a video, read the comments, and click “buy now” without leaving the app. That’s not a trend; that’s a new economy.

And it’s not just retail. B2B companies rely on LinkedIn for lead generation, personal brands are built on YouTube channels, and entire communities rally around creators on TikTok. The businesses thriving today aren’t the ones asking, “Should we be on social media?” They’re the ones asking, “How do we adapt our strategy to where our audience already spends their time?”

Here’s the reality: if your business isn’t active on social media, it’s invisible to most of your market. People aren’t flipping through phone books. They aren’t watching commercials in the same way. They’re scrolling — and every swipe past your competitor’s content is a missed opportunity.

This is the evolution of social media in business: from novelty to necessity, from side project to survival tool. And it’s not slowing down. In fact, it’s accelerating. Businesses that recognize this truth position themselves for growth. Those that ignore it risk being forgotten.

Next week, we’ll take this conversation further by looking at the force that now decides who sees your business online: the algorithms. They aren’t random, and they aren’t neutral. They are the new gatekeepers of visibility — and understanding them is critical.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start leveraging social media strategically, let Victory Assistants review your social strategy today.