At Well Known, we love growing dollars—not just followers
In today’s business world, many owners get caught up in the social media frenzy, obsessing over follower counts and engagement metrics while neglecting the main reason for conducting any advertising in the first place— profits. While social media is a valuable tool, it is rarely the primary driver of profits for most businesses. In the majority of cases we witness, it falls to the third or fourth rung on the “driver of profits” ladder.
Business owners must step back and assess where social media truly fits within their overall sales funnel. Understanding its role in relation to other marketing channels can help determine the right amount of time, money, and effort to allocate to it.
The Mistake of Over-Investing in Social Media
Many business owners make the mistake of treating social media as their primary marketing strategy without evaluating its actual return on investment (ROI). Here’s what this misstep looks like:
Don’t Take Time to Understand How to Leverage Their Social Accounts— Business owners get caught up in what to create before they have even asked themselves what social media will do for their bottom line. Understanding where platforms fit into the bigger picture of a brand and its sales is just the beginning; what you need to say comes next.
Spending More Time Creating Content Than Selling—If your team spends hours daily crafting posts but not actively engaging in sales efforts, your priorities may be misaligned.
Chasing Trends Instead of Understanding Customer Behaviour – Copying what competitors are doing on Instagram without analyzing what actually drives conversions for your business is a common trap.
Assuming Followers Equal Sales – A large follower count doesn’t always translate into paying customers. Vanity metrics mean little if they don’t result in actual revenue.
Ignoring Other Marketing Channels – Relying solely on social media while neglecting web presence, email marketing, CRM, community PR, in-store marketing, or traditional advertising can limit business growth.
What Business Owners Should Do Instead
To make smarter marketing decisions, business owners must take a strategic approach and audit where their customers are coming from. Here’s how:
Conduct a Customer Journey Analysis – Track and determine the percentages of your customers who first hear about your business, how they research your products, and what ultimately influences their purchase decision.
Prioritize Marketing Channels That Convert – Focus efforts on the platforms and strategies that generate the highest return, whether that’s SEO, referral programs, or email campaigns.
Use Social Media With Wisdom—First and foremost, treat social media as a tool to build brand awareness and trust. Carefully curate and share content that makes an impact on your business on some level, moving the needle on the company's success. Really get to the heart of what your content is doing for you and your followers.
Set Clear Business Goals Beyond Follower Counts – Shift focus from vanity metrics to tangible results such as lead generation, email sign-ups, and sales conversions. How many followers become or are customers?
Conclusion
While social media has its place in modern marketing, it should never overshadow the ultimate goal of profitability. Business owners need to evaluate its actual impact on their bottom line and allocate resources accordingly. By prioritizing sales-driven channels first and using social media correctly, businesses can build a sustainable and profitable marketing strategy—without getting buried under the weight of likes and follows.
The key is simple: Keep your eye on the prize—profits, in addition to popularity.