There’s something intoxicating about watching your follower count climb. A little dopamine hit with every new like, a smug little grin at every comment—proof, or so it seems, that your organization is making an impact. But what if I told you that most of those likes, those followers, those "viral moments"—don’t actually mean much at all?

The hard truth is that spending money to boost social media engagement is often a waste of funds—not because advertising is inherently bad, but because most organizations are using their budgets in ways that don’t actually benefit them. They’re renting visibility instead of owning influence.

We Don’t Own These Platforms—And That’s a Problem

Imagine building a house on land you don’t own. You spend years perfecting the architecture, decorating it just right, and then one day, the landlord comes and says, “Pack it up. We’re shutting this place down.”

That’s exactly the risk organizations take when they pour money into social media without building their own sustainable audience. We do not own these platforms. And when the landlord decides it’s time to shut the doors, there’s nothing we can do about it.

Just look at what happened with TikTok recently. In January 2025, TikTok became inaccessible to U.S. users due to federal regulations about its ownership structure. Overnight, businesses, influencers, and organizations that had invested heavily in TikTok—some even making it their primary platform—were left scrambling. Years of effort, gone in an instant.

And this isn’t just a TikTok problem. Facebook and Instagram have repeatedly deplatformed people and organizations for posting content that challenges mainstream narratives.

Take the example of our Muslim brother Shaun King, a well-known activist who spent years amassing a following of over 6 million people on Instagram. And then, in a single moment, it was all taken away.

Why? Because he dared to raise awareness about the plight of our Palestinian brothers and sisters… the genocide of our brothers and sisters.

This wasn’t a violation of community guidelines. This wasn’t hate speech. This was simply someone using their platform to share the truth—and for that, his entire digital presence was erased.

If someone with millions of followers can be deplatformed in an instant, what does that say for the rest of us? If your organization’s entire strategy is built on platforms that can erase you with the click of a button (including Youtube), you are one policy change away from irrelevance.

The Illusion of Social Capital

But let’s say your organization isn’t worried about getting shut down. “We’re good” you say. You just want to grow and spread the Da’wa. You want bigger numbers, more visibility, more influence. Marhaban.

So, you pay for boosted posts. You hire one of those flashy agencies that promises to “10X your engagement” and “supercharge your brand.” You start seeing more likes, more followers, more shares. Feels good, right?

Except… it’s really just smoke and mirrors.

Most of these services aren’t actually helping you grow in any meaningful way. They aren’t helping you reach hearts. They’re simply inflating your social capital—the illusion of influence based on how popular you look. Numbers can be bought. Followers can be fake. Likes can be farmed.

Real influence isn’t about looking important. It’s about creating impact.

The Data Doesn’t Lie: Paid vs. Organic Growth

Let’s look at two hypothetical organizations:

Organization A has spent $10,000 over five years to gain 500,000 followers through paid promotions. Their average engagement rate is 0.06%, meaning they receive 300 interactions per post (likes, comments, shares).
Organization B has 10,000 organic followers (no ad spend). Their average engagement rate is 1%, meaning they receive 100 interactions per post.

Now, let’s break this down:

Despite having 50 times the followers, Organization A only gets 3 times the engagement of Organization B.
The engagement rate of Organization B (1%) is over 16 times higher than Organization A (0.06%).

This tells us something important: paid followers don’t engage at the same rate as organic ones. Even if at first glance it appears that Organization A is far more important and influential than Organization B. But thats smoke and mirrors… it only appears that way.

If engagement were proportional to follower count, Organization A should be getting 5,000 interactions per post (assuming the same 1% engagement rate as Organization B). Instead, they’re only getting 300. That means a significant portion of their audience is passive, disengaged, or simply not real.

Why does the organic approach work? Because organic followers are here because they want to be, not because they got tricked the algorithm or a flashy ad promising something it can’t deliver. They show up, stick around, and engage because they actually care, not because they got funneled through a digital turnstile like cattle in a marketing stampede.

So, What’s the Solution?

The goal isn’t to abandon social media—it’s to use it wisely. Instead of dumping money into boosting posts and buying followers, organizations should focus on strategies that create real impact and long-term sustainability. (Note: I’m not saying boosting posts is a total waste—sure, it’ll get you some eyes, maybe even a few clicks. But if that’s your whole strategy, you’re just paying for attention that won’t stick. It’s a rented spotlight, not real influence. The second the money stops, so does the crowd.)

1. Build Your Own Platforms

If social media disappeared tomorrow, how would you reach your audience? Invest in email lists, websites, and community networks that you own. Unlike social media, a website can’t be taken from you overnight.

2. Focus on High-Quality Content

The best way to reach people, create influence, and make an impact hasn’t changed for thousands of years: storytelling.

There’s a reason Hollywood is used as one of the most effective tools for mass manipulation. And there’s a reason it works.

You probably can’t remember the last white paper or research essay you read about climate change, but you remember lines from your favorite movie by heart.

Invest in storytelling, not clickbait.

Get trained storytellers on your team—writers who are readers, video producers who are filmmakers, and creatives who understand the nuances of storytelling.

Clickbait might get eyes on you, but if what you’re presenting isn’t true, isn’t real, and isn’t from the heart, those eyes will quickly look away. People will lose trust in your ability to engage them, and they will stop engaging—or worse, they will never start.

Tell a good story.

3. Leverage Community & Real Engagement

Engagement isn’t just about numbers—it’s about relationships. Organizations that take the time to personally interact with their followers build stronger, more loyal communities than those that just chase reach.

4. Measure What Actually Matters

Vanity metrics (likes, followers) don’t mean much if they don’t translate into real-world action. Instead of asking, “How many likes did we get?”, ask:
✔️ How many people benefitted from our content?
✔️ How many hearts did we change?
✔️ How many people benefitted from the program?

Final Thoughts: Real Influence Isn’t Bought, It’s Built

At the end of the day, real influence isn’t measured in likes. It’s measured in action.

You don’t need 500,000 followers to make an impact. You need an audience that cares, that engages, that actually does something because of your content—even if it’s just one person.

So, the next time someone tries to sell you on “boosting your engagement” or “10X-ing your growth”, ask yourself:

Are they helping you create real impact, or are they just making you look important?

Because looking important won’t change the world. But real influence will.

And real influence takes time, sincerity, wisdom, and patience.

May Allah grant us all of this!