Likes, Comments, and Shares, Oh My
As a small business owner and user of social media to promote my business, I have been doing a lot of research on how to build a following. And as a follower of many local businesses on social media, especially online only businesses, I have been trying to do my part to help their social media pages build a following as well.
One thing I have noticed when scrolling Instagram or Facebook (I don’t use X, formerly Twitter, or YouTube so I can’t speak for those platforms) is that people tend to like (heart or thumbs up) more than they actually engage via comments. I get it, sometimes you just “like” the content or the picture and move on about your merry way. But did you know that commenting goes a lot further than a like. And especially more so than just simply passing the post all together. When you comment on a post you significantly increase engagement with the content, allowing for better interaction with the creator by building a community around the topic, and boosting the visibility of the post through social media algorithms that prioritize content with high engagement levels. This simply does not happen through a “like.”
Likes are the most basic form of engagement. A like is a quick, passive response from a user, signaling approval or interest. It’s the easiest form of interaction but often carries the least weight in terms of influence. A post with many likes indicates visibility but may not lead to deeper engagement.
I’m sure you’ve seen posts encouraging supporting local businesses as opposed to big box companies. These are great! Especially when you follow or like a page of a local business. Keep in mind though, these local businesses don’t necessarily have the means to afford fancy websites or pay for marketing campaigns that will provide them with new customers all over the globe. They simply rely on users like you and me. And while you may not have any interest what so ever in what they are selling, just supporting them by being a follower just isn’t enough now a days. I am not saying you have to purchase what they are selling, but actually engaging with their posts is a far better way to support them.
Let’s be honest - we all mindlessly scroll our favorite social media platforms multiple times a day (depending on your age it might be multiple times in an hour) and we are missing opportunities to help our friends, community and local businesses. Yet, when we see a post about them having to close shop, that’s when we get on their posts and write things like, “awe, I hate to hear this” or “we are going to miss you” or just something as simple as a sad or crying emoji. Where were the comments when they were pushing out content when they we building or trying to maintain their business?
Comments require more effort than likes, as they involve sharing opinions, asking questions, or engaging in conversation. They demonstrate a higher level of commitment and signal that the content resonates with the audience on a deeper level. Comments often fuel further discussions and boost the post’s algorithmic reach.
I am not trying to make you feel bad for scrolling past these posts. On the contrary, I am hoping that I can encourage you to be more deliberate in your support of friends and local businesses who are trying to make a living and keep their brand afloat. Commenting and sharing are the two best ways to support a social media page and the their products.
Sharing content represents the highest level of endorsement. When someone shares your post, they effectively recommend your content to their network. Shares increase the content’s reach exponentially, as it travels beyond the immediate audience. It’s an organic way to spread brand awareness or grow personal influence.
Something I do every time I scroll is seek out ways to help other local businesses. When a local restaurant posts a picture of a meal they are featuring, if I think something in my head when I see it, I post exactly that: “OMG, that looks amazing!” It’s literally that simple. If I see a post where they are asking a question to seek engagement like “what is your favorite holiday movie?” I simply post my favorite movie and move on. Sometimes I will even engage with other users who have answered if I noticed the post ins’t getting a lot of traction. I do this for two reasons 1) continue the engagement and create a community within their post and 2) advertise my own business: no I am not putting my own content in their comments but when I comment using our business page Van Family Fit, someone may click on it because they are curious as to who I am. And that could illicit a new follow or like. So it’s a win-win situation.
So now that I've got you thinking - likes, comments, and shares, oh my - next time you are scrolling social media, be more deliberate in your support. Again, you don’t have to buy anything - but a comment and share sure does go a long way.
If you are wondering how likes, comments and shares affect content on Facebook and Instagram, see the below information I pulled from LinkedIn.
Likes: Facebook’s algorithm considers likes to be a low-level interaction. It can help a post show up in more feeds, but it rarely boosts content significantly without other types of engagement.
Comment: Facebook prioritizes posts that generate conversations. If users are commenting, it signals to the algorithm that the content is meaningful, which increases its visibility.
Share: A share on Facebook can send your content to a completely new audience. Posts that are shared are more likely to go viral because they reach beyond your direct circle of friends or followers.
Like: Likes on Instagram show visual appeal, which is essential in this platform's image-driven environment. While they can increase your post’s visibility in the short term, their value diminishes without comments or shares.
Comment: Comments are critical on Instagram, as they boost the visibility of posts on followers’ feeds and the Explore page. They also signal to the algorithm that the content is engaging and worth showing to a broader audience.
Share: Share is used especially for stories or as DMs (direct messages), which are a great way to get your content noticed by new users. Shared posts often go viral, particularly in niche communities or when backed by influencers.
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