Social media is now the top marketing channel for SMBs, according to BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor. And it goes beyond SMBs: national companies like franchises and chains are utilizing social media to engage local customers.

Last week we covered how social commerce is on the rise, including buy buttons and other calls to action that are popping up all over social apps. But when it comes to social, there is another “flavor” of local marketing we’re seeing.

This involves “social sharing,” which is sharing social status, photos or video over multimedia-based social apps like Instagram. But it’s not just recreational;  users are increasingly capturing moments in and around local businesses.

That has given way to the opportunity for local businesses to capture and amplify this activity. The upside is that it can be very powerful because it is often real, organic and genuine customer experiences. The art is in capturing it.

Uhaul, Genghis Grille and a few others are showing the way, as we discussed in a recent Insight Paper. This is also the subject of the latest episode of Analyst Briefs: Insights in Under 5 Minutes. You can see the full episode below.

This will also be a key topic at BIA/Kelsey SMB which is now only one week away. Hope to see you there.