Can social media marketing really help my business?

It depends on your business. But in general, all exposure is good exposure. The real question is if it's worth investing your time into it.

I think it gives you the head start that you will not normally find, and getting the first visitors is really challenging. So, if you can capitalize this, you'll have a lasting benefit. What I mean by that is, social media will get you the visitors, then it's your job to keep them engage. You need to give them valuable content/resource so they find it helpful. That's how you grow the business.

It can help you business get discovered and reach a new audience. Right now, its most popular and cost effective way to increase your brand awareness and generate leads.

It can increase the visibility of your business.