Are You Using Social Media Successfully? (Or Just Shouting Into the Void?)

Social media can still be incredibly intimidating for companies.

Back in the early days of digital marketing, the advice was simple: “Get on Facebook, post every day, and the customers will come.” It was the Wild West, and for a while, it worked. Reach was free, algorithms were simple, and competition was low.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed entirely. We often talk to clients who feel completely overwhelmed. They are churning out content, chasing trends, and posting religiously, yet their bottom line hasn’t moved an inch. They are stuck in a jungle of tweets, Reels, algorithm updates, and influencer noise.

If you’re struggling to build an effective campaign, or if you’re starting to suspect your current efforts are a waste of time, it’s time for a reset.

Here is the Platform81 guide to moving from “being on social media” to actually using it successfully.

1. The “Post and Pray” Fallacy

The biggest mistake we see businesses make is confusing activity with achievement.

You might have a schedule. You might be posting three times a week. But if there is no strategy behind those posts, you are essentially just shouting into the void.

Success isn’t measured by how busy your social media manager is, it is measured by how that activity serves your business goals. Before you write your next caption, ask yourself:

• Who is this for? (If the answer is “everyone,” you’ve already lost).
• What do I want them to do? (Click a link? Share with a friend? Trust my brand?)
• Does this look like us?

If you are posting just to keep the feed alive, you are likely hurting your brand more than helping it. Algorithms punish low engagement content. It is better to post once a week with something incredible than five times a week with filler.

2. The “Social” Aspect (It’s Not a Megaphone)

The key to social media is still in the name, Social.

Yet, so many businesses treat their profiles like a broadcast tower. They blast out sales messages, “Book Now” graphics, and press releases, and then wonder why nobody engages.

Imagine you’re at a networking event. You wouldn’t walk into the room, stand on a chair, and scream “BUY MY PRODUCT” through a megaphone. You’d be escorted out.

Instead, you would work the room. You’d listen. You’d offer advice. You’d build a relationship first, and then hand over a business card.

Social media is exactly the same. It should be used to reach out and build relationships with new clients or extend existing ones. Light hearted company news, genuine tips, and behind the scenes culture content will always outperform a hard sell.

3. Content vs. Marketing (The Value Exchange)

In 2014, we said content is king. In 2025, value is king.

Your customers are doom scrolling. They are bored, busy, or looking for a specific answer. To stop their thumb from scrolling past your post, you need to offer a value exchange.

• Educate them: Solve a specific problem they have.
• Entertain them: Make them laugh or feel something.
• Inspire them: Show them a result they desire.

If you focus on high quality content that is genuinely useful to your followers, the marketing takes care of itself. When you provide value, you earn the right to ask for the sale later. This helps establish E E A T, ensuring clients feel reassured they’ve made the right choice.

4. The “Free Reach” Myth (Why You Need to Pay to Play)

This is the hardest pill to swallow for many businesses.

Ten years ago, you could post on a Business Page and half your followers would see it. Today, you are lucky if two percent see it. The platforms have become pay to play.

Does this mean organic social media is dead? No. It just has a different job now.

• Organic Social is for retention, brand building, and customer service. It proves you are active and trustworthy.
• Paid Social is for acquisition.

If you want to reach new customers at scale, you cannot rely solely on organic posts. You need to integrate Paid Search Services and Paid Social ads into your strategy. By putting a budget behind your best performing content, you can ensure your message lands in front of the people who actually need to see it.

5. Visuals Matter More Than Ever

We live in a visual first world. You can write the best caption in history, but if the image is blurry, stock heavy, or badly cropped, nobody will read it.

Your social feed is often your shop window. If your grid looks messy, users assume your business is messy. This is where investing in professional social media assets becomes a necessity, not a luxury.

You do not need a film crew for every post, but you do need a consistent visual identity. Your colours, fonts, and image style should be instantly recognisable as yours.

6. Which Platform Should You Be On?

Another common error is trying to be everywhere at once. You only need to be where your customers are.

• TikTok: If you are targeting a younger demographic or have a product that benefits from visual demonstration, you need a strategy for TikTok. Authenticity wins here, not polish.
• Facebook: If you are a local business, a B2C brand, or looking to build community groups, Facebook remains strong for local discovery and retargeting.
• X: If your brand relies on real time updates, fast paced industry news, or direct customer service, X is still the place to join the conversation.

Stop trying to force your B2B industrial machinery content onto every platform. Pick the ones that fit your audience and dominate them.

7. Measuring Success (Beyond the “Like”)

Finally, how do you know if you are using social media successfully?

If you are reporting on Likes and Followers, you are looking at vanity metrics. These numbers look nice on a graph, but they do not pay the bills.

Real success is measured in:

• Engagement Rate: Are people actually talking to you?
• Click Through Rate: Are they leaving the app to visit your website?
• Conversions: Are they filling out enquiry forms or buying products?

This requires a joined up approach. You need to ensure your website is ready to receive that traffic. If you have not looked at your site strategy recently, check out our 4 Steps to Digital Marketing Strategy Success.

Conclusion: It’s Time to Get Strategic

Social media is no longer the free and easy option. It is a complex, competitive, and highly technical marketing channel. But done right, there is still no better way to build a community around your brand.

If you are tired of posting without purpose, or if you want to understand how paid and organic social can work together, it might be time to bring in the experts.

Our Social Media Marketing team can audit your current presence, identify the gaps, and build a strategy that turns likes into leads.

Contact us today and let us get your social media working as hard as you do.