As a small business owner, you may believe that showing up on social media by posting content your audience engages with is enough to “check the box” of what you need to do for social media engagement. 

In case you need a refresher: Social media engagement is interacting with social media content. This can be liking, commenting, and replaying comments on posts, interacting with stories (reactions and messages), and direct messages. 

Of course, posting content that your audience engages with is essential to a successful social media strategy. However, as social media platforms continue to evolve, you, as a small business owner and brand manager, need to adapt your strategy.

Your social media posts are your public billboard. This is where people come to discover what you and your business are generally about. Adding intentional social media engagement from your brand’s account can take your social media presence to another level and grow your business. 

After reading this blog post, you will better understand the benefits of engaging on social media and why it should be a part of your social media strategy. (Psst! If you're hoping for a cheat sheet on how to do this, read until the end!)

Let’s put on our social media strategy hats and get to work. This is us:

Why Engagement Matters More Than Ever?

It all comes back to the “dreaded and mysterious” algorithm.

Each social media platform has its version of the algorithm: a behind-the-scenes formula that curates what users see in their feeds. It decides what gets shown (and what doesn’t) based on what people search for, how long they watch, what they like, save, share, and comment on.

Translation? The algorithm decides who sees your posts and how many people see them. And you can’t control it.

So if you can’t beat it, join it.

Think of it like this: the algorithm is a robot. And that robot loves human connection. It rewards meaningful interaction: posts that spark conversation, encourage clicks, and keep people engaged.

Your business and brand are human. And your audience? They want to feel like part of something. They’re not just looking for products or services but for connection, belonging, and brands that talk back.

That’s why engagement matters. Not just likes and comments, but actual conversations and community.

Want to grow your business and attract loyal customers? Don’t just post. Engage.

Social media is a two-way street. Show up for your people, and they’ll show up for you. You want to create content that your audience can engage with, and, in turn, you need to engage with their interactions and other pockets of the platform to build trust and rapport. 

As a more-than-just-busy small business owner, I know this is easier said than done. I can guess that you just said this under your breath:

“RYANN, I don't have time to scroll, like, and comment on random posts for my business!” 

Or maybe this: 

“I scroll to avoid doing real work, like thinking about everything I must do to grow my business.” 

I get it. I often fall into that same trap. Let me even add this one:

“This mindless scrolling is for work ‘research’.” Wink wink.

I am about to give the who and the how, keep reading!

Who Should You Engage With?

The short answer is: your followers and accounts that should know about you. 

But there is more to that. Here is a quick list of the criteria for account types you can engage with on social media in order: 

1. Existing Customers & Clients
2. Ideal Customers & Clients
3. Industry Partners or Referrals
4. Complementary Businesses and Competitors
5. Local Influencers or Community Builders

Do you have to follow and engage with EVERYONE who may meet this criteria right away? 

 Not right away, but if you are working on building a broader digital presence, you should continue to build on this as you work on engaging more. 

How do you discover the accounts that aren’t your followers or accounts you may already follow? 

The easiest thing to do is to search on the platform you are engaging in. If you already follow any accounts above, look at who they follow. If any accounts match the criteria, plan to engage with them. The easiest way to do this is to follow the account. Perk: You may even get a follower back. Is it a vanity metric? Yes. But is it building a larger community of people that may engage with you and purchase from you? Also, yes. 

My little secret/pro tip:

I do social media management for a local fitness studio, and another franchise location of the same brand has opened in the territory closest to us. I spend time weekly looking at their posts and who is engaging with their content. If any accounts meet the criteria above, they get followed, and I plan to engage with them as the fitness studio’s brand.

If you have expended all of that well (or feel like a lurker 👀), it might be time to branch out more. I encourage exploring hashtags and keywords related to your industry, location, or customer interests to discover new accounts. Think of it like digital networking, except you don't have to leave your couch.

For example:

• A florist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, might search #milwaukeeweddingplanner or 'Wisconsin Wedding Trends'.
• A nutritional coach might explore #antidietculture or 'Coaching for working moms'.
• An Author might look for hashtags like #bookishcommunity or 'Books are magic NYC'.

Once you find a relevant post or account, engage with it in a human way. More on that below!

How do you do it?  

The basics of this are the same thing you hope people will do with your content:

• Like a recent feed post.
• Comment, or reply to someone else's comment on a recent feed post.
• You can reply to their story and engage with interactive elements like polls, sliders, or question boxes. 
• Start a conversation in the DMs.

How long and how often should you plan on engaging? 

I promise you don’t need to spend hours daily on engagement to see results. Here are three ways to make it doable.

• Set a timer for 10–15 minutes daily to engage. Maybe even pick the same time each day if that helps to add it to your routine.
• Choose a theme for the day (e.g., Mondays = engage with clients, Tuesdays = local businesses).
• Engage right after a post is published. This can signal to the algorithm that you’re active and is a great way to kick off conversations while your content is fresh! 

Intentionality and consistency beat intensity here. 

So, let’s put it all together, shall we? 

Here is the more extensive and strategic Who, Why, and What to do cheat sheet when it comes to social media engagement: 

A question you may have: 

Does this work for service-based online AND brick-and-mortar businesses in the same way? 

Kind of. 

For a service-based online business:

As an online business, your social media currency is a big part of your business. You need to make engagement a larger piece of your social media strategy pie because you do not get the typical “Word of mouth” marketing of friends and family out in the world talking about you. Your social media presence and website are your storefronts. You can squeeze a little more juice out of these platforms by hosting lives and maybe being a little more sales-forward in content, because you do not have a location where sales can happen. 

For brick-and-mortar small businesses:

You need to build a community online AND in person. Social media engagement can help! 

Your online presence should not be solely transactional; it should reflect your physical presence when you have a brick-and-mortar business. 

Explore your digital neighborhood and your real one at the same time! If a new business opens nearby, stop by in person and digitally. There is power in being locally known and loved. Being a welcoming neighbor is good for business, it keeps you front of mind for them and the people scrolling their posts. 

You must be social on your business's social media to maximize its potential. You already know that you need to be strategic about what you post to be seen on social media, but in 2025, that’s not all. This must be combined with engagement, not just getting people to comment on your content. You need to put in some work as well. 

You don’t always need more posts in your social media content strategy. You need to add better conversations. Posting is still important, but prioritize people and relationships, too! 

The algorithm is here to stay. It's not going away. Work with it to create more community and more customers. 

Need help turning your social posts and scrolling into a lead-generating strategy that grows your business? We’ve got two ways to help:

We offer done-for-you social media services for businesses ready to hand it off content creation so you can focus on intentional engagement. Then, for DIYers who just need guidance, our Stratos Social Media Club offers practical tips, creative prompts, and training that helps you confidently build your presence. If you are ready for either,  let’s chat about which path fits your business best.