I’m often asked: what has really changed in social media over the last decade and a half since I started in social Media?

If you look at LinkedIn, the biggest shift is obvious, people have moved from not being present at all, to showing up and posting

For many marketers, that posting is done in “broadcast mode.” 

It feels familiar, comfortable, and safe

But here’s the hard truth: if you’re spending time and effort on social without a return on investment (ROI), then what’s the point?

Too often, I see people posting without any real strategy

We call this “posting and hoping”, adding to the noise without creating value

And the platforms themselves are catching on

In fact, LinkedIn recently shared advice recently on tuning your timeline to filter out the noise and highlight only content that delivers value

When the platform itself is pushing users away from empty posting, you know the end of “posting and hoping” has begun

So what should brands and professionals do instead?

The answer lies in strategy

Strategy means creating content that is insightful, educational, and meaningful, not brochures thinly disguised as posts

It means knowing not just how to post, but how to engage, harvest conversations, and build relationships that actually drive outcomes

We recently spoke to a highly successful figure on social media and asked him, “What do you do to harvest the engagement?” His silence was telling

Even those who appear successful often don’t have a plan beyond posting

Conclusion

The era of “posting and hoping” is over

Social media without strategy is just noise

To achieve ROI, brands and individuals must shift from broadcasting to building value, from pushing content to cultivating conversations

Those who make that transition will not only rise above the noise but will also see the true business impact that social can deliver