Social media is everywhere. It’s how we stay connected, how we learn about the world, and for many organizations, how we engage with our audience. But in the rush to get more likes, shares, and followers, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters: real connection, real conversations, and real impact.
If organizations want to use social media as a tool for change, they must move beyond surface-level metrics and focus on what actually drives action. That means meeting people where they are, telling stories that matter, and ensuring their content doesn’t just get seen but actually makes a difference.
The Shift from Vanity Metrics to Meaningful Engagement
Sure, seeing a post rack up thousands of likes feels good. But what do those likes actually mean? Are people just scrolling by, or are they stopping to read, comment, and take action? Social media success isn’t just about online engagement—it’s about real-world outcomes. At CMRignite, success for our clients means more people attending community health fairs, more small business owners becoming aware of and accessing new funding opportunities, and hard-to-reach audiences engaging with government resources they weren’t aware of before. Instead of chasing viral moments, the focus should be on sparking real conversations and building connections that last beyond a single post or campaign.
For instance, when we partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch vaccination events across the country, we shifted our focus from just impressions and clicks on social media ads to tracking real event RSVPs and attendance. This approach helped us measure the true impact of our efforts, ensuring that our campaigns were driving tangible, in-person engagement (5,000+ RSVPs!) rather than just online visibility.
Tip: Redefine success by tracking real-world actions. Use event RSVPs, sign-ups, or in-person attendance as key metrics, and complement them with polls or sentiment analysis from social listening (more on this later!) to measure impact beyond the screen.
The Importance of Social Listening and
Authentic Storytelling
Before launching any campaign, it’s important to take a step back and listen. What are people already saying about the issue? What questions do they have? What barriers are stopping them from taking action? Social media listening, community surveys, and direct engagement can provide valuable insights into the conversations already happening.
Social listening goes beyond tracking mentions and hashtags—it’s about understanding the emotions, concerns, and conversations shaping the community. By analyzing sentiment and identifying emerging trends, organizations can move beyond assumptions and create content that speaks to real needs. Social listening helps fine-tune messaging, address misinformation, and uncover gaps in existing resources. Most importantly, it ensures that outreach isn’t just about broadcasting information but responding in a way that feels personal, relevant, and actionable. For example, at CMRignite, we use insights from social media listening to shape our messaging for Wisconsin WIC. Through our research, we’ve identified common questions and concerns from current and eligible participants, allowing us to combat stigma and misinformation effectively. This strategy has allowed us to grow WIC’s engaged audience year after year, as we’ve successfully positioned the brand as a trusted resource.
Once organizations understand what matters to the community, they can craft stories that resonate. The most impactful social media campaigns don’t just push out information; they highlight real experiences. Storytelling is about making an emotional connection, building trust, and making the issue feel personal. When people see themselves reflected in the content, they’re more likely to engage, share, and take action.
Tip: Start social listening by exploring platforms like Meltwater, Sprout Social, or Brandwatch to track sentiment, trends, and key conversations in your community.
The Right Partnerships Make All the Difference
No campaign succeeds on its own. One of the best ways to reach the right people is by working with the right partners, especially community leaders and local influencers. And no, we’re not just talking about social media influencers with huge followings. The most effective voices in a community are often the people already doing the work—teachers, small business owners, healthcare workers, and grassroots organizers. They may not have millions of followers, but they have trust. And when they share a message, people listen.
For instance, in our collaboration with the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works (DPW), we launched the “Speeding: We Can Live Without It” campaign to address reckless driving. To ensure the message resonated, we partnered with influencers who authentically connected with different segments of the local community—local rappers, artists, and community members whose families had been directly impacted by speeding. Their content not only drove engagement rates well above influencer marketing benchmarks, but when incorporated into our paid campaign, it led to click-through rates (CTRs) more than 10 times Meta’s platform average. And what happened when the audience clicked through to the campaign landing page? They found stories and photos from real Milwaukee community members who had lost loved ones or were otherwise impacted by reckless driving, and many shared their own stories. This campaign underscored the power of working with trusted, culturally relevant voices to drive both awareness and action. Check out one of the videos from that campaign here.
Finding the right partners means looking beyond follower counts and instead identifying trusted voices in the community—those individuals or groups already leading similar conversations and who can speak to the issue in an authentic way. When the right voices are leading the charge, the message hits home in a way that paid ads can’t.
Tip: Find local influencers by searching relevant hashtags on Instagram and TikTok, checking community Facebook groups, and exploring local media outlets. Engage with trusted voices by attending grassroots events and collaborating with neighborhood organizations.
Social media is more than a promotional tool—it’s a platform for change. By shifting our focus from vanity metrics to meaningful engagement, prioritizing authenticity, and fostering real-world impact, we can create campaigns that go beyond the likes and truly empower communities. Through social media, we have the opportunity to educate, uplift, and drive action. And when done right, that’s where the real impact happens.
Ready to make an impact? Contact us today to chat about how we can help elevate your social media presence and create campaigns that truly matter. Meet Katie Smallwood, Social Media Director at CMRignite
Meet Katie Smallwood, Social Media Director at CMRignite
Katie Smallwood is CMRignite’s Social Media Director, bringing more than a decade of experience leading digital strategies that drive engagement and impact. She specializes in social media strategy, influencer partnerships, and performance analysis, helping government agencies and nonprofits and mission-driven brands expand their reach. Katie has led initiatives for clients including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the National WIC Association.
At CMRignite, she oversees the development of creative, data-driven content strategies while leveraging social listening and influencer collaborations to enhance campaign effectiveness. Her expertise in emerging trends and platform best practices ensures clients stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape. For more information, visit cmrignite.com.
