If your social strategy feels stuck, your content probably isn’t the reason why.
If your team is posting consistently, following best practices, and still not seeing meaningful results, content isn’t the issue. The real problem is that most brands are still using social media like a broadcast channel, while customers are using it for sales, service, and trust-building moments.
That disconnect is costing brands loyalty, revenue, and relevance.
The Social Media Strategy Mistake Most Brands Still Make
One of the most common questions social teams ask is, “What should we be posting right now?” Closely followed by, “How often?” and “What does the algorithm want this week?”
Those questions assume content is the main lever for success.
But customers don’t experience brands through posting calendars. They experience them through interactions.
When brands treat social as a one-way publishing channel, they miss what customers are actually using it for: asking questions, expressing frustration, seeking reassurance, and making buying decisions in real time.
Why Conversations Matter More Than Content
In today’s experience economy, content alone doesn’t build loyalty. Conversations do.
Social media has become the front door to brand experience. Long before someone clicks “buy,” they’re testing trust in comments, replies, and DMs.
With a quick sizing question, a shipping concern, or even confused or frustrated replies. These moments shape perception far more than a polished post ever could.
Customers Don’t Experience Campaigns. They Experience Moments.
Customers don’t think in terms of campaigns. They remember moments.
- How fast you respond.
- How human your reply feels.
- Whether you actually listen.
Every interaction is a micro-experience, and those experiences stack up quickly.
Why We Skipped the 2025 State of Social Care Report
Social care didn’t evolve slowly in 2025. It shifted rapidly.
By the time a traditional “look back” report would’ve been released, the insights were already outdated. Instead of documenting the past, we choose to focus on what’s happening now and where social care is headed next.
This decision reflects the reality brands are facing: customer expectations are changing faster than most organizations can keep up.
The Experience Gap Brands Can’t Ignore
Despite years of data showing the impact of customer experience, many brands still under-resource social care.
- They post.
- They monitor mentions.
- They respond occasionally.
But intentional, structured social care, actually delivering real customer experience through social conversations, is still treated as optional. This creates what we call the experience gap: the widening distance between what customers expect and what brands consistently deliver.
Customer Experience Is at an All-Time Low
According to Forrester’s CX Index, customer experience quality has declined for four consecutive years and is now at an all-time low.
That doesn’t mean brands don’t care. It means they’re still operating with models built for tickets, not conversations. Efficiency, not emotion. Publishing, not presence.
The Cost of Ignored Conversations
Every ignored comment, canned response, or delayed reply creates a small fracture in trust.
Trust rarely breaks in one dramatic moment. It erodes quietly, one interaction at a time. These micro-fractures do hurt sentiment. They also impact retention, loyalty, and long-term revenue.
This is why social care isn’t a support function or a cost center. When done well, it becomes a growth engine.
What the Data Says About Growth
Research from Forrester shows that companies excelling in both brand experience and customer experience grow revenue up to 3.5 times faster than those that don’t.
That’s not a vanity metric. That’s real business impact.
When teams say they “can’t prove social ROI,” what they often mean is they’re measuring social like a publishing channel instead of an experience channel.
The Key Mindset Shifts for Social Strategy in 2026
As social care continues to evolve, several mindset shifts are becoming unavoidable.
From Content to Conversations
Content used to be the currency of social media. Now, conversations are.
- Reach doesn’t equal trust.
- Virality doesn’t equal loyalty.
- The real value is created in replies, not impressions.
From Support to Experience
Social conversations aren’t just about resolving issues. They’re about shaping how customers feel.
When teams treat social interactions as experiences rather than as tickets to close, they unlock growth AND efficiency.
From Automation to Augmentation
Automation has its place, but it can’t replace human connection.
The goal isn’t to automate experience out of social spaces. It’s to augment teams so they can show up faster, smarter, and more human when it matters most.
From Metrics to Meaning
Metrics still matter, but meaning matters more.
- Intent.
- Context.
- Emotion.
Loyalty forms in the conversation, not the dashboard.
Where Real Social ROI Comes From
When social care is done well, brands see measurable impact:
- Faster response times
- Increased retention
- Reduced churn
- Earlier visibility into pre-purchase intent
Those “quick questions” customers ask on social are often buying signals. Showing up in those moments influences revenue long before a transaction occurs.
This is how social becomes a revenue-influencing channel, not just a content one.
What Comes Next
Over the coming weeks, we’ll continue breaking down insights from the State of Social Care Report 2026, including:
- Why AI without empathy creates risk
- Why social listening deserves a seat at the leadership table
- Why doing social care right is hard, but unavoidable
Conversation Is the New CX
If content defined the campaign era, conversation defines the connection era.
Social care is where that connection is either built or broken.
How is your brand showing up in the moments that matter most? Let us know in the comments section below!
Listen to the episode, now:
FAQs About Content And Your Social Strategy
1. Is my social strategy failing because of bad content? No, if you are posting consistently and following best practices, weak content usually is not the core problem in your social strategy. The bigger issue is treating social media like a one-way broadcast channel while customers are trying to use it for sales questions, support, and trust-building conversations.
2. How can I make my social strategy more conversation-first? Shift your social strategy from “What should we post?” to “How can we show up in comments, replies, and DMs when it matters most?”. Prioritize fast, human, and helpful responses to questions, concerns, and buying signals so that every interaction becomes a small but meaningful customer experience moment. Check out our Talkworthy Content course to build a bulletproof strategy!
3. What does a good social strategy for customer experience look like? A strong social strategy for customer experience treats every interaction as a micro-experience that either builds or breaks trust. That means structured social care, clear ownership for responding, and workflows that support ongoing conversations instead of just closing tickets.
4. How do I measure ROI from a conversation-led social strategy? Instead of only tracking impressions and reach, a conversation-led social strategy measures things like response time, resolved issues, repeat purchases, retention, and reduced churn. As social care improves, brands typically see earlier visibility into purchase intent and faster revenue growth compared with companies that only optimize for publishing metrics.
5. What mindset shifts are essential for a modern social strategy? Modern social strategy requires shifting from content to conversations, from support to full experience, and from pure automation to human-augmented interactions. Teams that focus on intent, context, and emotion in social conversations build more loyalty than those who only chase algorithms and viral reach.
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