Why I Don’t Recommend Much Social Media Anymore

The time you spend on social media is almost always better spent somewhere else.

In 2008, I built my entire business using Twitter and LinkedIn. I was a huge fan of social media for advisors. But 18 years later, I think it is one of the worst marketing channels available to advisors. Here’s why.

The Time Isn’t Worth the Return

The amount of effort it takes to create posts, stay consistent, and try to get seen is enormous relative to the benefit. That same time spent having coffee with a COI, attending a community event, or following up with a prospect will almost always produce more business. Social media feels productive. But for most advisors, it’s one of the least efficient uses of their limited marketing time.

The Platforms Changed the Rules

Social media used to be about people connecting with people. You followed someone; you saw what they posted. That’s not how it works anymore. Now it’s about gaming algorithms just to get seen, even by the people who already chose to follow you. And algorithms favor the things that get engagement, not the things that might actually be quality content that would resonate with your ideal client. The rules no longer favor the kind of organic, relationship-based presence that made social media worthwhile for advisors in the first place.

You’re Competing in a Game You Can’t Win

The people getting the most attention on social media are influencers and content creators whose full-time job is to post. That’s their entire business. For you, social media is a minor part of your overall business function. You will never out-content a full-time creator.

There are exceptions. If your niche is professionals, some LinkedIn presence makes sense because that’s where they are. If you serve a close-knit local community, some Instagram or Facebook can work because the audience is small enough and connected enough that you don’t need the algorithm to find them. But those are targeted, limited uses of specific platforms for specific reasons.

For most advisors, I’d rather see you spend that time somewhere else.

The takeaway: Social media isn’t the marketing essential it’s made out to be. For most advisors, the time is better spent on activities that involve actual human interaction.