I’ve been running Social Impressions for over a decade now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is tell them the truth they don’t want to hear.
Your in-house social media manager is probably great at their job. They’re hustling, they’re trying, they’re doing their best with limited time and resources. But there are some uncomfortable truths about the current state of social media that they might not be telling you, either because they don’t realize it themselves, or because it’s awkward to admit.
As an outside agency, we don’t have that baggage. So here are five things you need to know about your social media strategy right now.
1. You’re Ignoring UGC and It’s Costing You
User-generated content isn’t just “nice to have” anymore. It’s the content format that actually converts. Your customers trust other customers way more than they trust your polished brand photography. But most businesses are still cranking out branded content while their customers are posting authentic reviews, unboxing videos, and real-life testimonials that you’re not capturing or repurposing.
According to whop.com: 93% of marketers who used UGC said it outperformed traditional branded content.
On average, brands spent $178 per UGC creator, making UGC:
- 80% cheaper than influencer marketing on YouTube.
- 54% cheaper than influencer marketing on Instagram.
- 53% cheaper than influencer marketing on TikTok.
Here’s what to do: Start a UGC campaign. Offer incentives for customers to share their experiences. Create a branded hashtag. Reach out to customers who’ve already posted about you and ask permission to share their content. Make it easy for people to show off your product, then amplify those voices.
The content your customers create will outperform almost anything you produce in-house. Use it.
2. AI Is Making You Lazy (And Your Audience Can Tell)
Look, I get it. ChatGPT is seductive. You can pump out a week’s worth of captions in 10 minutes. But here’s the problem: so can everyone else.
When everyone starts writing social media posts with AI, everyone starts sounding eerily the same. That same chipper tone. Those same sentence structures. That vague, inoffensive nothing-burger of a message that could apply to literally any business in any industry.
Your audience isn’t stupid. They can feel when content is phoned in. They can sense when there’s no human on the other end.
AI is a tool, not a replacement. Use it to brainstorm, to get past writer’s block, to speed up your process. But for the love of all things holy, edit it. Add your voice. Make it sound like a human being who actually cares about what they’re saying. Double-check your work. AI hallucinates facts, makes stuff up, and gets things wrong all the time.
If you’re just copy-pasting AI content without even reading it, you’re not doing social media. You’re doing busy work.
3. Facebook Isn’t Dead, You Just Stopped Paying Attention
I know, I know. TikTok is shiny. Instagram Reels are fun. Everyone’s talking about Threads. But while you’ve been chasing the new platforms, Facebook has been quietly evolving and—here’s the kicker—your customers are still there.
The most popular age group of Facebook users according to Statista:
- 67% of people aged 18-29
- 75% of people aged 30-49
- 69% of people aged 50-64
- 58% of people aged 65+
Facebook is constantly launching new monetization programs to lure back influencers. Their ad network is still arguably the best in the business for targeting and conversion. And despite what the cool kids say, the majority of adults with actual purchasing power are scrolling Facebook every single day.
According to research done by Backlinko:
Facebook Income Demographics in the US are as follows:
- 63% of people earning less than $30,000
- 70% of people earning between $30,000 to $69,999
- 61% of people earning between $70,000 to $99,999
- 68% of people earning more than $100,000
Yes, you should be on TikTok if it makes sense for your brand. But don’t abandon the platform where your customers actually are just because it doesn’t feel trendy anymore. With TikTok’s recent sale and uncertain future as it potentially becomes “MAGATok,” betting your entire strategy on one volatile platform is risky at best.
Here’s what to do: Audit where your actual customers spend their time. Look at your analytics. Where are your conversions coming from? Where is your engaged audience? Then allocate your resources accordingly, not based on what platform is getting the most hype.
4. Influencers Only Matter If They Help You Reach Your Goal (And Measuring Them Is Still Really Hard)
Let me be blunt: hiring an influencer because they have a lot of followers is like buying a billboard because it’s big. It might work. It might not. The question is—can you track it?
Influencers matter when the end result is reaching your desired goal. Period. Not impressions. Not engagement. Not “brand awareness” (unless you have a very specific, measurable definition of what that means).
For average-sized businesses, measuring influencer ROI is still incredibly difficult. Sure, there are tools that can help, unique discount codes, affiliate links, UTM parameters, but let’s be honest, it’s messy. And many influencers will promise you the moon while delivering… not much.
Here’s what to do: Before you spend a dime on influencer marketing, define what success looks like. Is it sales? Email signups? App downloads? Then make sure you have a way to track it. Start small with micro-influencers who have engaged audiences in your niche. Test, measure, adjust. And don’t be afraid to walk away if the numbers don’t work.
5. No Social Network Cares About Your Business (And They Really Hope You Don’t Know That)
This is the big one. The uncomfortable truth that makes everyone squirm.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn: none of them care about your business. At all. They care about keeping users on their platform as long as possible so they can serve more ads. That’s it. That’s the whole game.
Have you ever tried to reach anyone at Meta for help beyond an ad rep? If so, let me know how that went in the comments. I have worked with several assigned “meta ad reps” and found their advice to be hit or miss, but when it came to getting support beyond how to spend more of my client’s budget, I hit a black hole. Why? Because these companies are so massive, they don’t have to care, and unfortunately, we have proven them correct.
Ever been hacked and tried to get support? Signed up for Meta “Verified” and found out that only meant your 30-minute on-hold wait went to 29 minutes? Why? Because they don’t have to care until someday we figure out how to make them care…but that’s another blog.
Ooh, and next year? 2026? They really, really want you to spend more money with less reporting. They want you to believe that their AI tools will give you brilliant strategic advice. They want you to think that if you just boost this post, run that ad, try this new feature, success is right around the corner.
But here’s what they won’t tell you: you’re often pitching money into a black pit with no real strategy behind it.
The platforms will change their algorithms whenever it suits them. They’ll promote whatever content format makes them the most money. They’ll dangle organic reach in front of you and then yank it away. They’re not your partner. They’re a slot machine that occasionally pays out.
Here’s what to do: Build owned assets. Grow your email list. Create a community that exists outside of social platforms. Use social media as a tool to drive people to things you actually own and control. And when you do spend money on ads, do it strategically with clear goals, proper tracking, and realistic expectations.
The Bottom Line
Social media is busier, slower, more complex, more confusing, and has a lower barrier to entry than ever. And, as for 2026, the forecast is cloudy with a guarantee of AI Video Slop. The rules keep changing literally and figuratively. The platforms keep moving the goalposts. And everyone’s fighting for scraps of attention in an increasingly noisy landscape.
But here’s the good news: when you cut through the noise with authentic content, strategic thinking, and a genuine desire to connect with your audience, it still works. Your customers still want to be made to feel special. There is value in that, and whether you do that all on your own, with the help of an AI sidekick, or by outsourcing to someone else, there is value in making your customers feel special and connected to your brand.
At Social Impressions, we’ve been helping businesses navigate this chaos for years. We create content that actually sounds human. We run campaigns that are built on strategy, not hype. We manage ads, influencer partnerships, customized AI Avatars, and UGC programs with the kind of empathy and creative thinking that actually moves the needle.
Because at the end of the day, social media is just a tool. What matters is how you use it.
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re shouting into the void, or if you just want someone in your corner who will tell you the truth instead of what you want to hear, we’re here to help.
Let’s talk.