Do Likes Still Matter? Why Comments, Shares & Community Are the New Currency of Social Media

Would You Rather Have 1,000 Likes or 100 Loyal Customers?

Would you rather have 1,000 likes on your post or 100 loyal customers who regularly buy from you, advocate for your brand, and recommend you to others? For years, the number of likes on social media has been seen as a digital stamp of approval. A high like count was a badge of popularity and influence. But now, the game has changed. Social platforms, brands, and creators now recognize that likes are often empty vanity metrics . They may show surface-level popularity, but they don’t reveal much about intent, trust, or conversions. Today, the real measure of success lies in meaningful engagement—things like comments, shares, saves, private messages, and community interactions. These signals not only reflect deeper audience interest but also drive actual business outcomes like sales, loyalty, and advocacy.

Why Likes Became the Default Metric

In the early days of social media, likes were everything. They were the first universal signal of approval—quick, visible, and easy to measure.

• ➦ Instant Validation: Users could show support without effort.
• ➦ Social Proof: More likes meant credibility and trust.
• ➦ Simplicity: Brands and influencers could compare performance at a glance.

Over time, this created a “like culture,” where people chased vanity metrics for validation. Businesses judged influencer partnerships based on like counts. Users measured self-worth by the number of hearts and thumbs-up.

Why Likes Felt Valuable

• ➦ Quick to Track: Anyone could see how well a post performed.
• ➦ Status Symbol: More likes meant more visibility and prestige.
• ➦ Platform Design: Early algorithms rewarded like-heavy posts with greater reach.

Problems With Likes

But as social media matured, cracks appeared:

• ➦ Shallow Signal: Tapping “like” takes no time or thought.
• ➦ Easily Manipulated: Bots and fake engagement could inflate numbers.
• ➦ Weak Link to Results: A post could go viral with likes yet generate little revenue or loyalty.

Example

Consider two creators:

• ➦ One has 2 million likes but no audience interaction beyond that.
• ➦ Another has 20,000 followers but sparks discussions, shares, and repeat customer purchases.

The second creator generates more trust, conversions, and business value despite lower vanity metrics.

What Changed — Platforms and Algorithms

As social media evolved, platforms recognized that likes weren’t the best way to measure success. Their goal shifted: keep people on the platform longer, encourage conversations, and build meaningful interactions.

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Key Shifts in Platform Algorithms

• ➦ Engagement Depth Over Volume: Algorithms prioritize comments, saves, and shares because they indicate higher interest.
• ➦ Time Spent on Content: If users watch, rewatch, or discuss content, it signals stronger relevance than a quick like.
• ➦ Private Interactions: Direct messages and group discussions now carry weight, reflecting personal recommendations.

Why Platforms Made the Change

• ➦ User Experience: People grew tired of chasing likes, leading to stress and inauthentic posting.
• ➦ Authenticity: Platforms wanted to encourage genuine conversation.
• ➦ Advertising Potential: Deeper engagement correlates with higher ad effectiveness and purchases.

Implications for Brands

If your strategy is still built around likes, your reach and returns are likely shrinking. To grow visibility and impact, you need to create content that sparks conversations and shareable moments.

Why Comments, Shares, Saves & Conversations Are More Valuable

Real engagement shows intent, effort, and emotional connection. Let’s break down why each signal matters.

Comments = Interest & Feedback

• ➦ Require effort and thought.
• ➦ Provide insights into audience sentiment—praise, objections, or questions.
• ➦ Spark conversations that increase visibility.

Shares = Amplification & Trust

• ➦ When someone shares content, they vouch for it.
• ➦ Shares extend reach organically by tapping into peer networks.
• ➦ Shared content carries more trust than brand-driven promotion.

Saves = Value & Future Intent

• ➦ Saves show content is practical or worth revisiting.
• ➦ Strong predictor of future purchase decisions or deeper research.
• ➦ Particularly valuable for educational or resource-heavy posts.

DMs & Private Conversations = High Intent

• ➦ Private interactions often turn into customer inquiries or conversions.
• ➦ Direct conversations create stronger one-to-one trust.
• ➦ Essential for social commerce and community building.

Real-World Examples & Case Studies

Example 1: Viral Conversation-First Campaign

A lifestyle brand launched a campaign asking users to share personal experiences in the comments. Instead of chasing likes, they prioritized comment volume and sentiment. The result? Thousands of genuine stories, improved community loyalty, and a surge in product inquiries.

Lesson: Open-ended questions outperform like-bait posts.

Example 2: Shareable Short-Form Content

A small business created short, relatable videos designed for easy sharing. These videos didn’t receive record-breaking likes but were shared across private groups, leading to organic discovery and new customer leads.

Lesson: Content designed for shareability spreads further than like-heavy posts.

Example 3: Community-Led Engagement

A health and wellness coach shifted focus from follower growth to nurturing a private group. By prioritizing direct conversations and repeat engagement, the group generated higher conversions and long-term brand trust.

Lesson: Community-first approaches outperform vanity-driven strategies.

Metrics You Should Track Instead of Raw Likes

If you’re still reporting on likes as your main KPI, it’s time to update your dashboard.

Key Metrics That Matter Now

• ➦ Engagement Rate: Comments + shares + saves ÷ followers or impressions.
• ➦ Comment Sentiment & Volume: Shows audience perception and product feedback.
• ➦ Share Rate: Tracks how often content is amplified through networks.
• ➦ Save Rate: Indicates utility and future consideration.
• ➦ Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures audience movement to websites/landing pages.
• ➦ Conversion Rate: Connects engagement to real business outcomes.
• ➦ Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Efficiency of converting social activity into customers.
• ➦ Community Growth & Retention: Long-term brand value through repeat interactions.

Why These Matter

These metrics not only reflect attention but also predict business outcomes like sales, advocacy, and loyalty.

How to Create Content That Sparks Real Engagement

Step 1: Design for Conversation

• ➦ Ask open-ended questions.
• ➦ Share stories and invite replies.
• ➦ Use calls-to-action like “Tell us your thoughts” or “Which would you choose?”

Step 2: Create Shareable Content

• ➦ Emotional, relatable, or highly useful content spreads faster.
• ➦ Memes, checklists, tutorials, or micro-stories often encourage sharing.

Step 3: Use Interactive Features

• ➦ Polls, quizzes, and stickers encourage participation.
• ➦ Live Q&As and interactive challenges create real-time engagement.

Step 4: Nurture Comments

• ➦ Respond to comments quickly.
• ➦ Encourage back-and-forth threads (algorithms love longer discussions).
• ➦ Mix appreciation, humor, and clarifications in responses.

Step 5: Encourage Saves

• ➦ Create “bookmark-worthy” content such as guides, resources, or step-by-step posts.
• ➦ Remind users with CTAs like “Save this for later.”

Step 6: Leverage Community Contributions

• ➦ Repost user-generated content.
• ➦ Run hashtag challenges.
• ➦ Encourage followers to share experiences or testimonials.

Step 7: Measure & Adapt

• ➦ Use analytics to test what prompts more comments, shares, and saves.
• ➦ Experiment with timing, formats, and CTAs.
• ➦ Continuously refine based on audience feedback.

Organizational & Measurement Changes You’ll Need

Shift in KPIs

• ➦ Marketing teams → From reach and likes to conversions and engagement quality.
• ➦ Community managers → Focus on meaningful conversations and retention.
• ➦ Analytics teams → Link engagement directly to revenue.

New Reporting Approach

• ➦ Highlight top comments, shares, and saves.
• ➦ Track conversions from social interactions.
• ➦ Analyze sentiment to guide product development.

Team Process Adjustments

• ➦ Assign team members to manage comment threads.
• ➦ Set escalation paths for sales leads from DMs.
• ➦ Share weekly insights from community engagement across departments.

Common Objections & How to Handle Them

“But likes are easy to measure!”

Yes, but they only show surface interest. Think of likes as a headline metric—useful for a snapshot, but incomplete without deeper signals.

“We need reach for brand awareness.”

Reach still matters, but pair it with share rate and comment quality to measure meaningful visibility.

“Comments are noisy or negative.”

Moderation is important. Use sentiment analysis and focus on genuine feedback while filtering out spam or trolling.

Quick Checklist for a 30-Day Engagement Experiment

• ➦ Week 1: Post 3 conversation-first posts and measure comment sentiment.
• ➦ Week 2: Publish 2 share-focused posts and track share/DM activity.
• ➦ Week 3: Share 1 save-worthy resource and track saves & clicks.
• ➦ Week 4: Analyze conversions from social interactions to leads or sales.

At the end of 30 days, compare your engagement-driven metrics to traditional like counts. You’ll likely see stronger alignment with business outcomes.

So, do likes still matter? Yes—but only as surface-level social proof.

The future of social media belongs to brands and creators who prioritize conversations, community, and conversions. Likes may boost your ego, but it’s comments, shares, saves, and private interactions that drive trust, reach, and real business growth.

If you want to stand out in 2026, shift your mindset:

• From vanity to value.
• From likes to loyalty.
• From surface approval to meaningful connection.

Your next step? Run your own 30-day experiment and see how real engagement transforms your results.

Ready to Turn Engagement Into Real Results?

Don’t just chase likes—build meaningful conversations, loyal followers, and measurable business growth. Partner with a top digital marketing company in Lucknow to craft data-driven social media strategies, create shareable content, and grow your brand community.