Are your numbers down on social media? Here's why
Your numbers may be down. Here’s why:
If you got curious early in January, you may have gone to take a look at your social media metrics from 2025, and if you were really curiousyou may have compared them to 2024.
Despite a successful 2025 in your business, and positive engagement on your channels, you may have noticed that your numbers were actually down compared to the previous year, roughly 18% lower in 2025.
What gives? Your social media has been amazing (likely because you’ve outsourced it to a stellar team like ours), and you’re getting great feedback, so why on Earth would your numbers be down?
Well, there are a few reasons:
1. Bots
Most internet users know that there are fake accounts out there, but don’t fully understand their power or their prevalence. For the past few years they truly have been everywhere, and they are getting better and better at fooling other users into thinking that they’re the real deal. They’re not, and they’re not doing any favours for your business.
Fake accounts have overrun social media platforms in the last few years, and while some are painfully obvious, others are not.
Platforms such as LinkedIn and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) have recognized the issue, and are working to systematically delete and block these accounts. It’s a bit like playing Whack-A-Mole, but over time the number of bots on these platforms has been decreasing. As a result, so are your numbers.
It may seem like a hit if you’re looking at vanity metrics, but this is actually a GOOD thing. It means that the people who are seeing your content are real people, which means that an increasing number of them are within your target audience. Declining numbers may seem like bad news, but think of it as fine tuning your audience.
2. Algorithms
If you think of social media as a game, remember that it’s a game where the rules are ALWAYS changing. These platforms realize that businesses are constantly trying to play the games to attract more followers and get more sales, and if they keep edging out the competition then there will be no room for others to succeed.
The way that everyone can succeed? Changing the rules, usually without notice! If no one can predict the magic formula for success, then everyone has the same opportunity to guess what it may be. If they can predict it, then platforms realize that the rules simply need to change again.
This means that strategies and techniques that may have driven huge traffic to your page 6 months ago will not have the same impact today, and today’s trends won’t have the same impact tomorrow. But it means something deeper than that as well. It also changes the way that people outside of your network view your content.
The numbers help to tell this story. Instagram’s organic reach, for example, which means the number of users who are finding content organically (without paid, targeted ads) is down 15%, to just 2-3%.
If you’ve noticed you’re getting less traction from 2nd and 3rd degree connections, that’s because one of the rule changes means that people outside your immediate network are seeing your content less frequently. Whereas second degree connections may have seen it frequently when people in their network engaged, that’s often no longer the case. This means that even your best posts are receiving less and less exposure from new audiences.
3. Trends
Are you still using hashtags for everything? Have you wondered why the number one song from the summer of 2022 just isn’t making the same splash that it used to? It may be because social media trends have changed, but your approach hasn’t.
If you’re handling your own social media, you may be tempted to jump on everything that you see as a trend. This can work sometimes, but the challenge is that trends are fickle! Internet culture has an entire life of its own, and it’s impossible to determine what’s going to stay hot and for how long.
Part of our job as social media professionals is to stay on top of the latest, hottest friends while still understanding your business and your clients. What you post matters, and how you post it can make a big difference in how you reach your audience! Just because a TikTok dance is all the rage this week, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for your brand. It also means that your numbers may be lacking if you’re using something that’s even a few weeks out of date.
Final Thoughts
Remember that your views and clicks are ultimately vanity metrics, and it’s the ones that translate into real revenue that make the biggest difference. The beauty of social media is the ability to analyze that traffic. If you’re getting less views overall, but more engagement from your target market, you’re winning the day.
If you haven’t considered a paid media campaign before, this may be the time to start. People are noticeably spending less time online, and so the time that is spent on these platforms is getting eaten up by those who are paying to get noticed. There are ways to launch paid campaigns even on limited budgets that can still be impactful, but working with a qualified team like OMG Social Media Agency can be invaluable.
Ultimately your customers and clients aren’t coming in because they saw one hot post, or liked one story. Yes it’s fun to have something go viral, but it’s that continued engagement over time that builds and fosters relationships, and that’s what continues to drive revenue. Social media gives you the ability to meet your audience where they’re at, and that’s what matters most.
Need support? Reach out to the team at OMG and let’s make your socials shine in 2026!