Yes, social media is still relevant. You should be on the platforms your ICP uses. In my case, I target SaaS founders who are very active on X, many of them are the #buildinpublic crowd. I share free tips that they might find useful and engage with them in normal conversations about SEO.
No. And I'm living proof. I've run a web consulting and development agency for over 20 years, and social media has never been a meaningful driver of business for me. Not because I haven't tried. I've posted on LinkedIn, put up videos, and written thought pieces. Some of it got decent engagement, good comments, and people sharing it around. But engagement and revenue are two completely different conversations, and in my experience, they barely overlap. Here's what I've learned about my corner of the market: when someone needs a web partner for their nonprofit or small business, they're not scrolling Instagram looking for options. They're asking a colleague they use, searching Google, or, increasingly, asking an AI tool to help them find the right fit. The buying moment for professional services rarely starts on a social feed. It starts with a problem and a search for someone who can solve it. My business runs on referrals and reputation. A client has a good experience, tells someone at a board meeting or conference, and that person calls us when they're ready. No amount of LinkedIn posts could replicate the trust that comes from someone saying, "Call Shane, he'll take care of it." I've tried to reverse-engineer that through content and social presence, but it just doesn't work the same way. I'll be honest, I don't know if I'm the cautionary tale or the success story here. Maybe if I'd built a huge social following ten years ago, it'd be paying dividends today. But I also know plenty of business owners with massive followings and thin client lists. What I do know is that the time I would have spent maintaining a social presence went into doing better work for existing clients, which generated the referrals that actually grew the business. Social media is a tool. It's a great one for some businesses. But "you have to be on social media to succeed" is one of those rules that sound true until you meet enough people who've broken it.
We find that while social media can be a powerful tool, it's by no means the only path to business success in 2026. Choosing marketing tools (social media or otherwise) should always start with a clearly defined strategy that aligns with your business goals, target audience, budget, and desired sales timeline. For instance, campaigns aimed at immediate results will look very different from initiatives focused on long-term brand building. I often compare it to investing: understanding your risk tolerance and time frame informs which tools and tactics you use. For example, we built an SEO-optimised blog and automated email funnel for a client that generated consistent leads over six months without relying on social media. This showed how aligning tools with the overall strategy delivered measurable results and sustainable growth.
In 2026, social media is not necessary for business success; however, it is critical that you provide customers with a visible path to finding you, building trust, and contacting you. Many businesses are successful due to the use of referrals, email, a good website, and a rapid response to customer inquiries. In many cases, customers only require clarity with regard to the information they want as well as their next step to proceed with their business. Based on my experience with social media and your customer base, if social media corresponds with how your audience discovers you and your business, it may help. However, social media will not always be your primary source of new customers. Most times, for growth, simple communications followed by quick responses and good procedures for working with customers will have a greater impact than constantly posting.