We talk a lot about social as an experience. But sometimes in all the lofty conversation we lose sight of the basic utility of social media.

It still matters as a discovery tool for B2B decision-makers. Beyond distribution or building awareness, a large part of its value lies in better understanding consumers and the industry at large.

More than lead gen efforts, social for a demand generation strategy can mean familiarizing yourself with your customers’ needs through research, listening and nurturing.

By gathering a better idea of your audience through social and how your product offering fits into their lives, demand gen marketers can create and deliver more robust content that shows them the benefits of choosing you. From webinars to guides and even free tools—all to specifically show your product benefits.

Social is often the beginning of a consumer’s journey and the platform itself can only do so much to bring in potential customers. Leverage that added boost of familiarity in your demand gen strategy and amplify your organization’s message.

Tata Communications’ Head of Web & Social, Matthew Sykes, describes the role of social in modern demand generation.