Why social media stops working when it becomes only selling

The fastest way to kill a social presence is to treat every post like a commercial. Nobody logs on hoping to be pitched. They log on to see something useful, entertaining, or human.

That does not mean you cannot sell. It means the selling has to live inside a relationship. Think of it as a dinner party. The person who only talks about their product is the one nobody invites back.

The accounts that win in a local market are usually the ones that show the work behind the work. The messy desk, the finished project, the question someone asked, the lesson learned. These posts build recognition before anyone needs to buy.

A good rule of thumb: four out of five posts should give something. The fifth can ask for something. If you reverse that ratio, people stop listening long before they stop following.

Social media is a reputation tool first and a sales channel second. Use it to become known, then trust that the sales happen naturally when the need lines up.

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