1. Introduction

With the rapid development of Internet technology, the digital age has fully arrived, and social media has become an indispensable part of people's lives [1]. According to statistics, the number of global social media users has exceeded billions and is still growing at a rate of 5.2% annually. Against this backdrop, social media marketing has emerged as an important way for enterprises to gain a competitive edge [2]. From the perspective of operations management, understanding how social media marketing drives brand building and sales growth is of great significance for enterprises to optimize resource allocation and formulate marketing strategies.

Traditional marketing methods have many limitations in information dissemination, such as limited reach and long feedback cycles. The emergence of social media has broken these limitations. It provides a bridge for enterprises to directly reach consumers and enables the rapid and widespread dissemination of information. The diversity of social media platforms allows enterprises to select the most suitable platform for marketing activities based on the characteristics of their target audience, thus achieving precision marketing. Therefore, in-depth research on the dual-driving mechanism of social media marketing has important practical significance for enterprises to achieve sustainable development in the digital age. Hence, based on the perspective of operations management, starting from enterprise brand building and market expansion, this paper studies the driving mechanism of social media marketing in the context of the digital age, and combines specific case analysis to provide specific ideas and practical paths for promoting the high - quality development of enterprises in the new era.

2. Overview of Social Media Marketing

2.1. The Concept of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing refers to marketing activities in which enterprises use social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to achieve goals such as brand promotion and product sales by creating and sharing content, interacting with users, and carrying out online activities. Compared with traditional marketing methods, social media marketing has the characteristics of low cost, fast dissemination speed, strong interactivity, and precise target positioning.

Taking WeChat as an example, enterprises can create official accounts to regularly release product information, brand stories, etc., to attract user attention. At the same time, by using the mini-program function of WeChat, enterprises can directly achieve product sales on the platform. Moreover, WeChat has a large user group covering all ages and social strata. Enterprises can push personalized marketing content to different groups through precise user portraits.

2.2. The Main Forms of Social Media Marketing

2.2.1. Content Marketing

Enterprises create valuable content such as text, pictures, and videos to attract user attention and establish a professional image. For example, Xiaomi Company publishes product evaluation videos and technical popular science articles on Weibo. These contents not only demonstrate the performance and features of the products but also allow users to feel the professionalism and innovation of the brand, thus enhancing the brand's reputation.

2.2.2. Influencer Collaboration

Collaborate with influential influencers on social media to promote products with the help of their fan base and influence. For example, beauty brands cooperate with beauty bloggers to promote products. Influencers often have specific fan groups, and these fans have a high degree of trust in the recommendations of influencers. For example, when a well-known beauty blogger recommends a new lipstick product, it may trigger a large number of fans to buy the product in a short time.

2.2.3. Social Media Advertising

Place advertisements on social media platforms to accurately reach target customers, such as WeChat Moments ads and Douyin in-feed ads. These ads can be accurately targeted according to users' interests, behaviors, and other characteristics, improving the conversion rate of the ads. For example, a sports brand can target its ads to user groups interested in sports and fitness, thereby improving the effectiveness of the ads.

2.2.4. Topic Marketing

By creating popular topics, trigger user discussions and dissemination, and enhance brand exposure. For example, Coca-Cola's "Nickname Bottle" topic marketing. Coca-Cola printed various popular nicknames on the bottle, triggering a collection craze among consumers and extensive discussions on social media, greatly enhancing the brand's popularity and influence.

3. The Driving Mechanism of Social Media Marketing on Enterprise Brand Building

3.1. Precise Positioning of Brand Image

Social media platforms have powerful data analysis functions. Enterprises can accurately position their target audience based on multi-dimensional data such as users' age, gender, region, hobbies, etc., and then clarify their brand image. For example, for young and fashionable consumer groups, beauty brands can shape a trendy and innovative brand image; for middle-aged and elderly consumers, health-preserving brands can create a professional and reliable brand image. Through precise positioning, the brand image can be more accurately conveyed to target customers, enhancing brand recognition and attractiveness [3].

Taking a fashion beauty brand as an example, through data analysis on social media platforms, it was found that its target customers are mainly young women aged 18-30 who are sensitive to fashion trends and pursue individuality. Based on this, the content released by this brand on social media mainly includes fashion and trendy makeup tutorials, new product trials, etc., and the brand image is also shaped to be more youthful, fashionable, and personalized. This has made the brand highly recognized among the target customer group, greatly improving brand recognition.

3.2. Enhancement of Brand Awareness

3.2.1. Widespread Dissemination

The dissemination speed of social media is extremely fast. A high-quality piece of content can be forwarded and shared by a large number of users in a short time. For example, content related to Apple's new product launch can obtain millions of views and a large number of forwards on Weibo within a few minutes, quickly spreading globally and greatly enhancing brand awareness. This is because users on social media platforms form a huge social network, and information can spread rapidly within this network.

3.2.2. Multi-channel Exposure

Enterprises can carry out marketing activities on multiple social media platforms simultaneously to achieve multi-channel brand exposure. Huawei, for example, has official accounts on platforms such as Weibo, WeChat, and Douyin. By releasing characteristic content on different platforms, it covers a wider range of user groups and increases brand exposure opportunities. On Weibo, Huawei mainly releases product technical information and industry trends; on the WeChat official account, it shares product usage experiences and brand stories; on Douyin, it showcases product functions through creative short videos. Through this multi-channel layout, Huawei's brand awareness has been greatly enhanced [4].

3.3. Strengthening of Brand Reputation

3.3.1. User Interaction and Word-of-Mouth Communication

Social media provides a platform for direct interaction between enterprises and users. Enterprises that promptly reply to users' comments and private messages and solve users' problems can improve user satisfaction. Satisfied users will spontaneously conduct word-of-mouth communication for the brand on social media, such as sharing their good product-using experiences on Xiaohongshu, attracting more potential users and enhancing the brand's reputation. For example, after receiving feedback from a user on Xiaohongshu, a skin-care product brand promptly solved the user's problem and sent a small gift as a token of gratitude. The user then posted a detailed positive review note on Xiaohongshu, attracting the attention of a large number of users and bringing good word-of-mouth to the brand.

3.3.2. Demonstration of Social Responsibility

Enterprises can win users' recognition and favor by demonstrating their social responsibility activities on social media, such as public welfare projects and environmental protection actions. For example, Alibaba's "Ant Forest" project, through social media promotion, allows users to see the enterprise's efforts in environmental protection, enhancing the brand's image in the eyes of users. During the process of participating in "Ant Forest", users not only contribute to environmental protection but also have a more positive evaluation of the Alibaba brand.

4. The Driving Mechanism of Social Media Marketing on Enterprise Sales Growth

4.1. Guiding User Purchase Decisions

4.1.1. Content Recommendation and Product Promotion

The product introductions, usage tutorials, user reviews, etc., released by enterprises on social media can guide users' purchase decisions. For example, numerous beauty product promotion notes on Xiaohongshu introduce the product's efficacy, usage methods, and user experiences in detail, stimulating users' purchase desires. These promotion notes are often presented in a real and vivid way, making it easier for users to resonate and thus prompting them to make purchase decisions.

4.1.2. Personalized Recommendation

Based on the big data analysis of social media platforms, enterprises can provide users with personalized product recommendations. For example, Taobao pushes relevant products to users on the Taobao APP according to their browsing records and interest preferences on social media, increasing the probability of users finding their favorite products and promoting purchase conversion. This personalized recommendation can accurately meet users' needs and increase users' purchase willingness.

4.2. Expanding Sales Channels

4.2.1. Social E-commerce Model

The integration of social media and e-commerce has given rise to the social e-commerce model, such as WeChat mini-program-commerce and Douyin stores. Enterprises can directly open stores on social media platforms to achieve product sales. For example, Perfect Diary opened an official mall on the WeChat mini-program and attracted users to directly purchase products through the promotion of WeChat official accounts and Moments, expanding the sales channels. This social e-commerce model shortens the path from users discovering products to purchasing products, improving sales efficiency.

4.2.2. Online-Offline Integration

Social media marketing can attract customers to physical stores. By releasing offline activity information, coupons, etc., enterprises can attract users to consume in-store. For example, Starbucks releases new product launch activity information on social media and provides coupons for offline stores, attracting users to come to the store to taste new products, and promoting offline sales growth. The integration of online and offline can provide users with a more abundant shopping experience and enhance user loyalty.

4.3. Improving Customer Loyalty and Repurchase Rate

4.3.1. Membership System and Exclusive Benefits

Enterprises launch a membership system through social media platforms, providing exclusive benefits such as point redemption, pre-purchase rights, and exclusive discounts to members, improving customer loyalty. For example, Sephora provides exclusive beauty courses and new product trial opportunities for members on its social media accounts, enhancing the members' stickiness to the brand. The membership system can not only improve customer loyalty but also provide a stable customer group for enterprises.

4.3.2. Continuous Interaction and Care

Enterprises that continuously interact with users on social media, pay attention to users' usage experiences and changes in needs, and regularly provide users with valuable content and care can increase users' repurchase rates. For example, a baby-care brand regularly shares parenting knowledge on social media and launches preferential activities for old users, encouraging users to purchase products again. Through continuous interaction and care, enterprises can establish closer connections with users and increase users' repurchase rates.

5. Case Analysis - Taking Xiaomi Company as an Example

5.1. Xiaomi Company's Social Media Marketing Strategy

5.1.1. Building a Brand Community

Xiaomi has established social media platforms such as the Xiaomi Community and MIUI Forum. Users can share their usage experiences, put forward suggestions, and participate in product discussions on the platforms. The official Xiaomi team actively interacts with users, collects user feedback, and uses it for product improvement and new product development. For example, in the Xiaomi Community, users put forward improvement suggestions for the camera function of a certain mobile phone, and the Xiaomi R & D team optimized subsequent products based on these suggestions. This approach not only enhances users' sense of participation but also improves product quality.

5.1.2. Content Marketing

On platforms such as Weibo and Douyin, Xiaomi releases a large amount of content about product performance testing, scientific and technological popularization, and new product pre-announcements. For example, the disassembly and evaluation videos of Xiaomi mobile phones show the internal structure and hardware performance of the mobile phones in detail, attracting the attention of technology enthusiasts. These contents not only demonstrate the advantages of the products but also convey Xiaomi's brand concept of pursuing extreme cost-effectiveness and technological innovation.

5.1.3. Influencer Collaboration and Fan Marketing

Xiaomi collaborates with many technology-field influencers, inviting them to experience and evaluate Xiaomi products. At the same time, by holding fan meetings and offline activities, it enhances fans' sense of identity and belonging to the brand. For example, Xiaomi invites well-known technology bloggers to evaluate new products, expanding the product's popularity with the help of the bloggers' influence and fan base. At the fan meetings, Xiaomi provides fans with the opportunity to communicate with product R & D personnel, further enhancing fans' loyalty to the brand.

5.2. Impact on Brand Building

Through a series of social media marketing strategies, Xiaomi has successfully shaped a brand image of high cost-effectiveness and innovative technology. On social media, the brand topics of Xiaomi have continued to be popular, and brand awareness and reputation have been continuously enhanced. The formation of the Xiaomi community and fan groups not only enhances users' stickiness to the brand but also attracts a large number of potential users through users' word-of-mouth communication, laying a solid foundation for brand building [5]. For example, after the release of the Xiaomi 10 series mobile phones, they triggered extensive discussions and attention on social media, and users highly praised their performance and cost-effectiveness, which further enhanced Xiaomi's brand image.

5.3. Impact on Sales Growth

Xiaomi's social media marketing has directly promoted product sales growth. When new Xiaomi mobile phones are released, through pre-heating and reservation activities on social media, a large number of users are attracted to participate, and the new products are quickly sold out after they are launched. At the same time, Xiaomi's ecological chain products have also achieved good sales performance through promotion on social media platforms. The expansion of social e-commerce channels, such as the operation of Youpin on the WeChat mini-program, has further expanded the scope of the promoted sales growth [6]. For example, at the launch of a new Xiaomi mobile phone, through social media pre-heating, the number of reservation users exceeded 500,000, and the sales volume exceeded 1.8 billion yuan within a few minutes after the launch.

6. Strategic Suggestions for Enterprises to Implement Social Media Marketing

6.1. Develop a Scientific Social Media Marketing Strategy

Enterprises should develop a scientific and reasonable social media marketing strategy based on their brand positioning, target audience, and marketing goals. Clearly define the marketing focus and content plan on different social media platforms, and rationally allocate marketing resources to ensure the pertinence and effectiveness of marketing activities. For example, for fashion brands targeting young consumers, the marketing focus can be placed on platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, and content such as fashion outfit tutorials and new product displays can be released; while for brands targeting business people, professional content can be promoted on platforms such as LinkedIn.

6.2. Focus on Talent Cultivation and Team Building

Social media marketing requires professional talents with various skills, including content creation, data analysis, and user operation. Enterprises should focus on cultivating and introducing relevant talents, and form a professional social media marketing team to improve marketing effectiveness. For example, enterprises can regularly organize internal training to improve employees' social media marketing skills; at the same time, recruit experienced social media marketing talents from the outside to strengthen the team.

6.3. Strengthen Data Monitoring and Analysis

Through the data analysis tools provided by social media platforms, enterprises should monitor the data indicators of marketing activities in real-time, such as exposure, interaction rate, conversion rate, etc. According to the data analysis results, adjust marketing strategies in a timely manner, optimize marketing content, and improve marketing efficiency [7]. For example, if it is found that the conversion rate of a certain social media ad is low, enterprises can analyze users' behavior data to find out the problem and adjust the ad content or placement strategy.

6.4. Maintain Brand Consistency and Authenticity

In the process of social media marketing, enterprises should maintain the consistency and authenticity of the brand image. Whether it is content creation or interaction with users, it should revolve around the core values of the brand, avoid false propaganda and excessive marketing, and maintain a good brand image. For example, when an environmental protection brand promotes products on social media, it should always emphasize the environmental protection concept and ensure that the environmental protection performance of the products is real and reliable [8]. Otherwise, once false propaganda is discovered by users, it will cause serious damage to the brand image.

7. Conclusion

In the digital age, social media marketing has a significant dual-driving effect on enterprise brand building and sales growth. By accurately positioning the brand image, and enhancing brand awareness and reputation, social media marketing provides strong support for brand building; by guiding user purchase decisions, expanding sales channels, and improving customer loyalty, social media marketing promotes enterprise sales growth. Enterprises should fully recognize the importance of social media marketing, start from the perspective of operations management, develop scientific marketing strategies, strengthen team building and data monitoring, and use social media marketing to stand out in the fierce market competition and achieve the win-win goal of brand building and sales growth.

In the future, with the continuous development of social media technology and changes in user behavior, enterprises need to continuously innovate social media marketing strategies to adapt to the changing market environment and achieve sustainable development. For example, as the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in social media gradually becomes popular, enterprises can explore the use of these technologies to provide users with a more immersive marketing experience, further enhancing the brand's competitiveness. At the same time, as consumers' attention to privacy protection continues to increase, enterprises also need to pay more attention to the security and privacy protection of user data in the process of social media marketing to win consumers' trust.