Don't Compare Your Social Media to Others

It’s easy to feel like you're falling behind. You put time into a video or post, it gets 132 views, and then you scroll past someone else doing similar content with 30,000 views, thousands of likes, and endless comments.

It makes you question everything. Are they better than you? Is your strategy failing? Are you just not good at marketing?

Let’s take a breath.

Some Metrics Are Manufactured

Behind the scenes of some (more than a few) “successful” social media accounts are engagement pods and click farms that artificially inflate numbers. These systems use bots or paid users to like, comment, and view posts to make them look like they're going viral. Need more followers? You can buy them. Need engagement? You can buy that.

The reason? These inflated metrics are used to sell products, services, or courses. The goal is to create the illusion of authority so they can sell the dream to others.

This might be something totally new to you. You're busy running a business. You can't stay up to date on all the ways people are out there cheating on social media to look good.

Not Everyone Plays Fair

Even when metrics are real, they’re not always useful comparisons. Some people have a natural camera presence. Others have been producing content for years and have built an audience slowly and intentionally. You don’t see the full journey. You’re only seeing the highlight reel.

You also don't know how much money they are spending. Some "organic" accounts are heavily supported by paid advertising. That’s not a problem, but it does make their engagement numbers misleading if you’re only counting your unpaid reach. Showing up more through paid ads gets accounts seen by more people which leads them to other content and helps increase overall views and engagement.

Don't assume that other accounts you are watching are doing the same things you are and you're the only one not successful on social media.

Focus on Metrics That Actually Matter

At Round 2 It Marketing, we always tell clients to pay attention to what leads to actual results.

If you're working to build brand awareness and test organic content, these are better indicators:

• Direct traffic in Google Analytics (visitors typing your website URL directly into their browser)
• Branded search traffic in Google Search Console (people searching for your business name)

These reflect brand recognition and message retention. You can read more about how to track these in our article: How to Measure Brand Awareness Without Guessing.

When you see these metrics start to change and improve, it shows that you are having an impact and people are seeing you. Even if the metrics being reported by the social platforms sometimes feel like they aren't moving, if you see these two metrics improve, then what you're doing is working.

The 200 View Mindset

Let’s say your last video got 200 views. That might feel small but imagine being invited to speak in a room with 200 people. You would probably feel honored. That is how you should look at your content reach. These are real people taking a moment to hear your message.

Instead of trying to go viral, aim to build consistent visibility. Small efforts compound over time, and the businesses that show up consistently are the ones that stay top of mind when it's time to buy.

Final Thought

Stop chasing someone else’s numbers. Stop measuring yourself against what is likely a curated or inflated version of reality. Stay focused on creating valuable, consistent content. Track metrics that matter, not the ones that just look impressive.



Success doesn’t come from hacks. It comes from showing up. Over and over again.