Social Media Is Doing More Than You Think

View from inside a warmly lit shop towards pedestrians passing along a British high street at dusk.

Not everyone who notices your business will stop, respond or make contact straight away.

I’ve always found it slightly strange how much importance we place on the number of likes a social media post receives. We can spend time producing something genuinely useful, publish it and then feel rather disappointed when only six people appear to appreciate the effort. But social media can be doing considerably more for a business than the numbers suggest.

What about the people who saw the post and didn’t react? Perhaps they recognised the company, remembered something they’d read previously or registered that the business was still active. We have no way of knowing, and that’s rather the point.

Social media has become so focused on measuring reactions that it’s easy to forget why businesses are there in the first place. Most aren’t trying to become internet celebrities. They want to be known, remembered and considered when somebody needs what they offer.

People need to remember you before they need you

Most people aren’t looking for your services every day. Someone might not need an accountant until their circumstances change, or a new website until their business reaches a point where the old one is holding them back.

Regular social media activity helps keep your business on their radar. People encounter your name, become familiar with your work and gradually develop an understanding of what you offer. When the need eventually arises, there’s a better chance they’ll remember you.

There’s another side to maintaining a presence. Imagine discovering a company through Google, visiting its Facebook page and finding that the last post was published eighteen months ago. You might wonder whether the business is still trading or whether anyone is monitoring its messages.

The company could be thriving, of course, but an abandoned account can suggest otherwise. A consistent presence provides reassurance that the business is active and paying attention.

White delivery van parked outside shops on a traditional British high street.

Familiar businesses become part of everyday life, even when we’re not consciously paying attention.

The algorithm has a say in who sees your content

Publishing regularly doesn’t guarantee that people will see what you’ve shared. Social media platforms use algorithms to decide which posts appear in people’s feeds, and even followers who have deliberately chosen to hear from your business won’t necessarily encounter everything you publish.

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Publishing content doesn’t guarantee that everyone in your audience will see it.

A carefully researched article or an excellent video might reach relatively few people, while something far less substantial attracts considerable attention. The platform’s priorities, the presentation of the content and the audience’s initial response can all influence its distribution.

Low reach is worth investigating, but it isn’t automatically evidence that the subject was uninteresting. Sometimes we need to reconsider how we’re presenting our material rather than what we’re saying.

It’s also a reminder that social media platforms are effectively rented space. We can build an audience there, but somebody else controls much of our access to it.

Your website gives social media somewhere useful to lead

At Video & Web, we encourage businesses to publish useful articles and videos regularly on their own websites, then use social media to introduce that material to a wider audience.

Your website is the space you control. An article answering a common customer question can remain available for years, attracting visitors through search and providing information whenever somebody needs it.

Social media gives that content additional opportunities for discovery. A short LinkedIn video might introduce the subject, while a Facebook post could highlight a particular point and encourage readers to explore the full article.

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Useful content deserves a permanent home where people can return to it whenever they need it.

We don’t need to reproduce everything on every platform. Often, an interesting observation or a useful question is enough to encourage somebody to read more.

Nor should a good article disappear from our marketing schedule after one post. We can revisit it from another angle, introduce it to a different audience or bring it back when the subject becomes relevant again.

The result is a continuing conversation built around the content on our website, rather than a succession of unrelated social media updates.

Search and social media influence one another

People rarely follow the neat journey we imagine when planning marketing campaigns.

Someone might encounter your business through a LinkedIn video, recognise the name when they see it elsewhere and eventually search for you on Google. Another person could discover an article through search, find it helpful and decide to follow your social channels.

Likes and shares aren’t direct Google ranking factors, but social media can help people discover useful website content and create opportunities for other websites to link to it. Greater familiarity may also encourage people to search for a business by name.

It’s all part of the same marketing mix. The channels influence one another, even when the connections aren’t immediately obvious.

Aerial view of winding country roads connecting fields and a village in the English countryside.

Different marketing channels can lead people towards the same business, often by unexpected routes.

The results might not appear where you expect

Suppose somebody sees several of your posts over a few months but never interacts with them. Eventually, they need the service you provide, remember your company and visit your website directly.

Your social media report won’t necessarily show anything remarkable. The enquiry might be recorded as direct traffic, even though those earlier encounters helped put your business in the customer’s mind.

We shouldn’t use that possibility to excuse poor results, though. Marketing still needs to justify the time and money invested in it.

Reach, engagement and video viewing figures offer clues about visibility and audience interest. Website visits, tracked links and enquiries help us understand what happens beyond the social platform.

That’s part of the thinking behind POV Analytics by Video & Web. By bringing website activity, search performance, social media statistics and link clicks together in one place, we can see how the different elements of a marketing strategy are performing alongside one another.

It doesn’t mean we can follow every customer’s journey or attribute every enquiry to a particular post. What it gives us is a clearer overall picture, helping us recognise trends and make better decisions about where to concentrate our efforts.

Make every post part of the bigger picture

Social media works best when we know why we’re using it. Some posts introduce a business to new people, others maintain familiarity, while some encourage readers to visit a particular article or service page.

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Every post contributes something, but the wider marketing strategy brings the pieces together.

Those different purposes deserve different measures of success. We also need to be realistic about what we can sustain. A consistent flow of worthwhile material is preferable to posting constantly without a clear purpose.

For me, the starting point is always the wider strategy. What does the business want to achieve, who does it need to reach, and how can its website and other marketing channels work together to make that happen?

Social media has an important role in that process, but its contribution won’t always be obvious from the statistics on the screen. A quiet post might help somebody remember your name, while a well-timed link could introduce a future customer to an article that answers exactly the question they were asking.

The numbers are worth studying, but we shouldn’t mistake them for the whole story. Sometimes, the most valuable thing social media does is make sure your business comes to mind when somebody finally needs it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does posting on social media help SEO?

Social media likes and shares aren’t direct Google ranking factors, but sharing useful website content can increase its visibility, encourage backlinks and help people discover your business. Regular activity can also build brand awareness, which may lead to more people searching for your company by name.

How often should a business post on social media?

There’s no universal posting frequency. The right schedule depends on your audience, available resources and marketing objectives. Consistency matters more than publishing every day, particularly when your posts introduce useful articles and videos from your website.

Why do my social media posts get so few views?

Social media algorithms influence which posts appear in people’s feeds, so even followers won’t necessarily see everything you publish. Low reach can reflect distribution, timing or presentation rather than poor content. Looking at performance over several weeks can help identify patterns.

Should social media posts link back to my website?

Where appropriate, yes. Your website provides a permanent home for articles, videos and information about your services. Social media can introduce these resources to new audiences and encourage interested visitors to explore further. Not every post needs a link, however; some are intended simply to build familiarity.

How can I tell whether social media is helping my business?

Look beyond likes and follower counts. Consider whether you’re reaching relevant people, attracting visitors to your website and contributing to enquiries. Comparing social media statistics with website analytics and search performance provides a more useful picture than examining each channel separately.

Need help turning this advice into action?

If you are reviewing your website, marketing or online visibility, we can help you work out what to improve first.

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