Why I Tell Clients to Stop Obsessing Over Likes
Why I Tell Clients to Stop Obsessing Over Likes
As a social media marketing specialist in Sydney, I’ve worked with enough brands to know one thing for certain: most business owners spend way too much time worrying about the wrong metrics.
Whether you’re a start-up founder, an e-commerce store owner, or a corporate marketing team, I’ve seen the same question pop up in meeting after meeting:
“Why aren’t my posts getting more likes?”
Here’s the blunt truth I give them, likes don’t keep the lights on. They’re the easiest, most meaningless form of engagement. They won’t pay your bills, they won’t automatically fill your pipeline, and they won’t guarantee growth.
I’ve worked with brands that had thousands of likes on their posts but zero consistent revenue from social media. I’ve also worked with brands that averaged fewer than 50 likes per post but were booking clients daily. The difference? They understood that vanity metrics in marketing mean nothing without real conversions.
The Vanity Metric Trap
Let’s get something straight: a “like” is a low-effort tap of a thumb. It doesn’t tell you if someone actually read your caption, clicked your link, or even understood your offer.
The platforms have conditioned us to crave that dopamine hit when numbers go up. But as a marketing consultant, I’ve seen too many brands fall into the trap of chasing likes without asking the right question:
“Is my content actually converting?”
One client came to me ecstatic over a viral post that had racked up over 10,000 likes in three days. The problem? The post brought them zero sales. Not one. The audience it reached wasn’t their target market, it was just random internet traffic that would never buy from them.
That’s why I teach my clients to measure what matters.
Why Likes Don’t Mean Business Growth
Here’s why the “like” obsession is bad for your business:
- It distorts your strategy – You start creating content for mass appeal instead of for your audience.
- It wastes your budget – You end up boosting or promoting posts that look good but don’t convert.
- It creates false confidence – You think your marketing is working when it’s not moving the needle.
If your social media is purely about building awareness, then likes might be one small piece of the puzzle. But if your goal is leads, bookings, or sales, then you need to focus on different metrics.
The Metrics That Actually Matter
When I take over a client’s social media strategy, here’s what I track instead:
1. Click-Through Rates (CTR)
Likes don’t pay the bills. Clicks do. A post with 30 likes and 100 clicks is infinitely more valuable than a post with 1,000 likes and zero clicks.
2. Conversions
This is where it gets real , how many people took the action you wanted? Did they buy? Did they book? Did they sign up?
3. Saves and Shares
These two are gold. A save means they found it valuable enough to revisit. A share means they thought it was worth showing to someone else.
4. Audience Retention and Loyalty
If you’re constantly bringing in new followers but never retaining them, you’re stuck on a hamster wheel. Long-term growth comes from building a loyal audience that stays.
Case Study – The Gym That Stopped Chasing Likes
A boutique gym I worked with was obsessed with motivational quote posts. They always got high likes and comments , but their sign-ups had flatlined.
We did a full content overhaul:
- Swapped generic quotes for transformation stories.
- Added short workout videos.
- Featured behind-the-scenes trainer clips.
Likes dropped by about 40%. But within eight weeks, membership inquiries doubled. Why? Because the right people were finally engaging with the right content.
This is the point I hammer into my clients: the right audience taking the right action beats public applause every single time.
Why Businesses Fall into the Likes Obsession
The obsession comes from a mix of ego and conditioning. Likes are public, so they feel like social proof. They make you feel validated.
But as a marketing consultant, my job isn’t to feed your ego, it’s to grow your business. And when you’re chasing likes, you’re building a strategy for your pride, not your profit.
How the Algorithm Plays You
Social platforms reward content that gets quick reactions. That’s why memes, trending audios, and random viral clips blow up. But these quick wins often bring in irrelevant audiences.
When the algorithm pushes you to create for likes, it’s easy to forget your actual business goals. The problem? Those viral audiences don’t always convert.
Shifting from Likes to Results: A Practical Guide
Here’s how I guide my clients through the mindset shift:
1. Define Real KPIs
Instead of “I want 1,000 likes,” set a goal like “I want 50 new email subscribers this month.”
2. Audit Your Content
Look at your last 30 posts. Which ones led to clicks, inquiries, or sales? That’s where your focus should be.
3. Strengthen Your Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Likes are passive. Conversions are active. Tell people exactly what you want them to do, book, buy, sign up, download.
4. Build for Depth, Not Popularity
Valuable, problem-solving content might not always get huge likes, but it will attract the right audience.
Social Media is a Sales Tool
When I speak to new clients, I tell them upfront:
“Likes are fine for the ego, but they won’t pay your staff or cover your rent.”
Social media is the most powerful business tool available today , but only if you use it strategically. That means focusing on results, not applause.
How to Measure the Right Way
If you want to keep your business focused on results, here’s the system I use:
- Monthly Metric Review – CTR, conversions, saves, and shares.
- Content Category Performance – Which content type is driving the most profitable actions?
- Customer Journey Mapping – Which posts lead people from awareness to purchase?
- Testing and Iterating – Never stop experimenting, but measure everything.
If you take one thing away from this, let it be this: stop obsessing over likes. They’re a vanity metric, and in most cases, they’re a distraction from the numbers that actually matter.
The next time you post, ask yourself:
“Will this get me more customers, or just more approval?”
Because the truth is, your business needs loyal customers, not casual scrollers. And the right social media strategy will always prioritise conversions over clicks of a heart icon.
If you found this helpful, you might also enjoy my other deep dives, like Too Many Marketing Ideas, Not Enough Time: Why You Need a Team