Why Treating Social Media as “Free Advertising” Sets You Up for Failure
How much do you spend to avoid ads? Services like Netflix and Spotify Premium have thrived on the fact that people hate ads so much they will pay money just to avoid them. Social media avoids this pitfall by making advertising ‘opt out’ - you can choose to just scroll past an ad.
So when you post photos of product that are an attempt at ‘free advertising’, the user just sees advertising, and scrolls past. To put it bluntly, this tells social media that no one cares about your content, and the social media platforms don’t function if people are bored as f**k, so they stop showing users your posts.
Social Media Algorithms Have Changed: Content Saturation and Declining Reach
Social media algorithms have evolved. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook no longer prioritise follower count; instead, they focus on delivering content that entertains or engages quickly. This means posts that are overtly “advertising” will rarely get the reach they once did, no matter how many followers you have. Lacking the capacity to retain a user’s engagement, your posts stop reaching your disinterested followers.
On the other hand, high-performing posts often focus solely on entertainment. These posts may get strong engagement, but they rarely drive sales. For example, many successful social posts showcase humor, trends, or personal stories that capture attention but don’t necessarily translate into meaningful interest in the product. Even if you manage to create content that’s both entertaining and sales-focused, it’s challenging to replicate this success reliably—especially through an agency that lacks a deep, personal connection to your brand. This is before you consider the fact that half of the people engaging in your posts could live in Peru.
When Engagement and Advertising Finally Cross Paths
Social media can be used to rapidly push out information about new specials and deals, and these posts can both perform well and generate sales - however, there is a misconception at play here: the social media posts did not create this strong response, the valuable offer did. If people like what you are selling, and they hear about it, they will buy it and tell your friends about it. They will look at the post for seconds longer, share it, like it - valuable engagement metrics that boost the reach of your post. In this case, social media is well-utilised as an advertising tool, but should be used in this way sparingly: if you don’t have anything new and interesting to advertise, don’t advertise; build brand loyalty instead.
Social Media Doesn’t Create Instant Sales—It Creates Brand Awareness
Social media is a place to establish a relationship with potential customers by sharing your brand story, showing the people behind the product, and staying on a customer’s radar. By doing this, you position your business as familiar and likeable. When you do occasionally promote a product, it reaches a more receptive audience.
But keep in mind: if your social feed is filled with product-heavy posts, people will eventually stop engaging. People want to see content that feels authentic and person-focused. Remember, no one has to look at your posts. The minute your feed starts feeling like an ad break, you lose that engagement.
People Over Product
Businesses that find long-term value on social media often focus on people-centric content. Showing the team, sharing personal stories, providing value to the user through experienced team member sharing their wideom, offering insight into the philosophies behind the brand create; all of these formats create a more sustainable form of engagement.
If you’re looking to drive sales, it’s more effective to use a combination of brand-driven social media and direct marketing tools like email and paid ads—methods that target people when they’re ready to buy and allow you to measure impact. Social media acts as your upper marketing funnel- get your business in customer’s minds, and get them thinking positively about you. Then when they see your Google Ad or GMB profile, they are better positioned to make that all-important sale.
The Best Content Comes From Within
At The Small Business Agency, we don’t claim to be social media experts, and for good reason. The best social media content is authentic—often made by your own staff, showing real moments and stories that only they can tell. People hate ads, but in this age of ever-growing digital separation, we search more and more for a genuine connection with a real person across the digital void.
So, instead of endless product shots, try sharing more of your team’s stories, your personal journey, and the moments that make your business unique. If you want us to run your social media, we will insist that you opt for another one of our services in addition to socials, because we are not a PR firm; we want to make you money, and organic social media is terrible for generating sales.