Oct 29, 2025
One of the most frustrating things I see as a marketer is businesses using social media as a publishing platform - not an audience engagement platform.
They treat it like a noticeboard, a dumping ground for product updates, offers, launches, and discount codes - like a shop window they’re hoping someone glances at as they scroll.
Nobody cares about your content because you’re not giving them a reason to care.
You’re just publishing ‘10 reasons why you’ll love our product’ and listing reasons that you’re audience don’t actually connect to. That’s not how successful brands are using social.
When used properly, social media becomes one of the most powerful business tools you have. Not because it’s free, or because it gets you reach, but because it helps you build connection.
I’ve got first-hand proof. Over the past four years, I’ve built a multi-brand ecosystem where some of my earliest followers are still buying from me - not just once, but over and over again.
I know their names, their usernames, their stories. I have a small collective of trusted voices I go to for feedback before I launch anything because that’s what happens when you listen.
A modern brand has a community and a resonance that goes far deeper than a purely transactional relationship.
It’s not about followers, it’s about trust and my community feeling valued.
Connection beats content
Let’s be real - nobody logs onto Instagram hoping to be sold to.
According to Sprout Social’s 2023 Index, 68% of consumers follow brands on social media to stay informed about new products or services, but 76% say they’ll buy from a brand they feel connected to over a competitor, even if it’s more expensive.
This is the emotional edge you can’t fake.
The brands doing this well aren’t just posting for the sake of visibility. They’re creating spaces for dialogue. They’re asking questions. Replying to DMs. Sharing behind-the-scenes content. Featuring real customer stories and actively shaping their strategy based on what their audience is saying.
Glossier built an entire product pipeline from their community’s input. Their Milky Jelly Cleanser was the result of asking their followers what they wanted in a face wash and then creating exactly that.
Duolingo turned their brand persona into a cultural phenomenon by treating TikTok like a playground instead of a product page. They leaned into absurdity, responded to comments in real-time, and built a brand people wanted to engage with.
And on the smaller scale, indie brands like @ayoosha.studio (who I mention because she’s nailing this) use TikTok not to sell, but to show up as the founder solving a real problem - then showing how that solution works in real life. Her customers don’t just buy, they advocate.
What you’re missing if you’re only publishing
Broadcasting is easy - you write a caption, schedule it in, move on. Engagement is harder because it requires listening.
But that’s where the good stuff is.
When you use social as a listening tool, you start to understand the gaps in your messaging. The questions your customers actually have, the barriers to purchase, the language they use to describe the problems they want solved.
You stop guessing and you start hearing.
This insight is gold for every other part of your business:
Website copy that speaks directly to what they care about
Email flows that answer their unspoken objections
Product development that reflects what’s actually needed
Customer loyalty that grows because they feel seen and understood
It’s the foundations of marketing but it’s still being missed by too many businesses.
According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, 81% of consumers say trusting a brand is a deal-breaker when deciding to buy, and trust is built through relevance, responsiveness, and respect - not a discount code slapped on a Canva tile.
If your social media is all output and no input — you’re leaving money on the table.
And if you’re letting AI spit out vague, poetic nonsense that ends in phrases like “like a squirrel on a Sunday in Southend”... I need you to log out and have a word with yourself.
Your audience deserves better and so does your brand.
The truth is: a brand is more than a product. It’s what people connect with on an emotional level. It’s the feeling people get when they interact with you. It’s how they see themselves reflected in your content, your tone, and your story.
When you show them you’re paying attention - that you’re building for them - you build trust. When people trust you, they buy - again and again.
So ask yourself: Is your social media a one-way street?
Or are you building something people genuinely care about?
Find out how we can help your business today and book a free discovery call.