Social media is an important tool for branding and marketing businesses. The document discusses how social media conversations will happen regarding brands whether a business participates or not, so it is important to have a direct connection with customers and prospects through social media. It notes that social media usage has increased across all age groups in recent years. The document then outlines several things businesses can do with social media, including engaging customers through contests, sharing helpful content and industry news, driving traffic to websites, and more.