The rules of social media keep changing on you, you’re not imagining things. The digital landscape really is constantly shifting beneath our feet and understanding what’s happening can help you make smarter decisions about where to put your energy.

What’s Been Happening?

If you’ve been using social media to promote your business in the last 5 years, here’s something that won’t surprise you…. Between 2022 and now, the amount of traffic flowing from social media to websites has dropped by about 30%. That’s a huge shift.

Why? Well, platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X have been making it harder for people to click away from their apps and visit your website. Instead, they’ve been pushing video content that keeps people scrolling inside their world. Frankly it’s surprising it’s that little. But smart cookies worked out how to get around it by putting links in the comments and link in the bio services etc.

But I’m constantly surprised by how many people I talk to in my consults don’t realise that their posts aren’t getting seen because Facebook’s algorithm shows less of a business page’s posts that contain external links. This is simply because posts that lead to external sites result in a loss of ad revenue for Facebook.

That’s why short form video was all the rage. It was good for the social media platforms–lots of engagement, difficult to convert. They were pushing it hard so it was a good idea to experiment. But it didn’t pay off for everyone. Many businesses got lost in a sea of content, couldn’t get traction, or clickthrough and spent so much time, effort and money making content that got them nowhere. Lots of likes on a video doesn’t equate to sales or reputational boost – just ego.

But Something’s Changing

Here’s the interesting bit – and the reason I’m writing this today. Those same platforms are starting to open the gates again, just a crack.

X is testing ways to make it easier for people to click links while still being able to like and comment on posts. Instagram is apparently trying out clickable links directly in posts. These might sound like small changes, but they’re actually quite significant.

Why the Change of Heart?

So why reverse course on linking away after spending years doing the opposite?

Well, it all comes down to engagement being down. They need to overcome the double audience killer of Ad fatigue and user burnout.

• Content creators are pushing back. The people who make content for these platforms need to be able to send their followers somewhere – to their online shops, their newsletters, their websites. If the platforms make that too hard, creators simply take their audiences elsewhere.
• The endless scroll is getting old. Mindlessly swiping through short videos and suddenly it’s been an hour? No judgement. Platforms realise people are getting tired of this and they need to offer something different to keep us engaged.
• They’re learning to track us better. This sounds creepy. Because it is. But when you click a link, platforms can now keep track of what you’re interested in even while you’re reading something off their site. That helps them show you more relevant content (and ads) when you come back.
• Publishers and businesses matter. News sites, blogs, and business websites provide the variety and credibility that keeps social media interesting. Without them, everything’s too samey-same.
• Money talks. When platforms saw how much money was flowing through “link in bio” tools like Linktree, they realised they were missing out. Letting people click through to buy things or sign up for services can actually be profitable for everyone.

What Does This Mean for You?

If you’re running a business and trying to figure out where to focus your online efforts, this shift is actually good news.

It means that sharing links to your website, your blog posts, or your online shop might start working better again. You’re not shouting into the void quite as much as you were a year ago.

But – and this is important – we’re not going back to the “good old days” of 2015 when Facebook would happily send floods of traffic to your website. This is more like a careful compromise. The platforms are letting people click away, but they’re doing it in ways that still keep them in control.

The Bottom Line

The social media world is finding a new balance. After years of locking everything down, platforms are realising that being too controlling doesn’t work. They need creators, they need businesses and they need variety to keep people interested.

For you, this means it’s worth putting thought into the links you share. Make them count. Don’t just post for the sake of posting – share things that genuinely help your audience, that take them somewhere valuable.

The ground is always shifting online, but right now, it’s shifting in a direction that might just work a bit better for small businesses like yours. And that’s something worth knowing about.

Want to chat about how these changes might affect your business specifically? That’s exactly the kind of conversation I love having. Get in touch and let’s figure it out together.