From my experience working with small businesses, the overwhelming feedback is consistent: almost no new customers are arriving solely through social media. That’s not to say social platforms have no value, but rather that we should think carefully about what we put into them and what we’re expecting to get out.
How Do You Measure Social Media Marketing Success?
For any marketing effort, success boils down to sales. It’s that simple. Likes, follows, and shares don’t pay the bills. If social media posts aren’t driving phone calls, quote requests, or website visits that lead to sales, then those “vanity metrics” are adding little real value.
Yes, there’s a modest search engine boost from maintaining social channels, as backlinks can help increase your website’s visibility. This can justify some level of social media activity, but not at the expense of running your core business. Later, I’ll explain how automation can help streamline these efforts without draining your time.
Ask Yourself How You Interact with Social Media Marketing
I know I’ve never purchased a product or booked a service purely from a social media ad. Have you? I’m more likely to be influenced by recommendations from friends or family who mention a business they’ve had a great experience with—often in response to my asking for suggestions.
Think about it: how do you personally use these platforms? Do you follow major brands like McDonald’s or Netflix just to see their marketing messages in your feed? If you don’t want your own feed cluttered with promotions, why would your customers feel any differently? The reality is, unless you’re offering real value—helpful tips, useful information, or genuine insights—your posts are more likely to be tuned out.
Social Media Marketing Can Be Used Successfully For Word-Of-Mouth Referrals
The good news is that social media can excel at amplifying word-of-mouth referrals. When a satisfied customer allows you to share their experience and tag them, that endorsement reaches their friends and followers. Adding a compelling image that represents your product or service helps too. This kind of genuine recommendation is far more impactful than a hundred generic posts about your latest sale.
These posts stand apart because they’re endorsed by someone the reader knows and trusts. This is what I consider true “added value” content. It offers potential customers something substantial—evidence of quality from a reliable source—rather than just another sales pitch.
Your Small Business Website Should Be Doing Most of the Social Media Marketing Work
I’m composing this article in a dedicated writing tool with built-in spellchecking and formatting features. Once done, it will take just a few minutes to publish it on the blog of our WordPress website. From there, our site will automatically push a link to Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook. The post will appear in those feeds, but crucially, the click-through will bring readers back to our website.
By driving traffic to my own site, I keep readers in an environment I control—an environment that’s designed to lead them through relevant content and, hopefully, to my services. This same website can also compile a monthly roundup of articles and send them to subscribers as a newsletter. All I need to do is produce the original content. The automation handles distribution and tracking, giving me insights into which channels are working and which are not. Without a website as the central hub, it’s almost impossible to measure that effectiveness.
Social Media Marketing Should Drive Traffic to Your Website
If your main goal is to increase sales, ask yourself: what is the point of using your social posts to drive traffic back to platforms like Facebook, where they can easily become distracted and bounce away? By linking to your own site instead of uploading content directly to social platforms, you create a more focused environment. Readers who click through to your website are now potential customers on your turf, exploring your offerings with far fewer distractions.
This approach fosters “warm leads” rather than leaving them to drift through an endless newsfeed. It shifts attention and engagement from the social media platform back to your brand, product, or service. Ultimately, that’s how you convert curiosity into genuine business opportunities.
Social Media Marketing Should Add Value, Not Just Pitch Products
If you’ve read this far, it’s likely because this content speaks to a concern you have about your own marketing strategy. This is an example of adding real value rather than just shouting your brand name into the void. By offering insights, I’m hoping to build trust, credibility, and goodwill—factors that often influence whether someone decides to work with a business.
Different businesses can “add value” in different ways. It might be by sharing industry tips, teaching potential customers something useful, or providing a unique perspective that makes them think differently about a problem. The key is authenticity and usefulness, rather than hollow promotion.
If you’re looking to streamline your social media presence and align it more closely with your business goals, I’m here to help. I can work with you to develop a strategy that’s meaningful, time-efficient, and integrated with your WordPress website. Feel free to reach out for a no-obligation conversation about your needs. Sometimes, the most beneficial step isn’t adding more noise—it’s making sure your message truly resonates.