Businesses today pour time and money into their websites, branding, and email campaigns, but so many still leave one of their most visible marketing tools half-finished: their social media profiles. A social account is often the first impression someone gets of a brand. Before they ever visit the website or pick up the phone, they’re checking Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform they’re active on. That first glance matters more than people realize. A strong profile builds immediate trust and credibility. A half-baked or inactive page can quietly cost a business opportunity without anyone even realizing it.
Consumers today are interacting with brands on social media more than ever before. Nearly half say they engage with businesses on social platforms more now than they did just six months ago. It’s not just about being “present” on social media anymore. It’s about showing up and representing yourself well. An outdated profile sends the wrong message. A complete, polished, active profile makes a business look modern, attentive, and professional at a glance.
Social media optimization simply means using all the tools each platform gives to create the best possible impression. That means uploading a high-quality logo and eye-catching cover image that reflect the brand’s identity. It means writing a clear, well-thought-out bio that explains exactly who the business is and what it does and making sure the website links and contact information are up-to-date. It means filling out all the fields that customers might look for, like hours, services, or locations. It also means taking advantage of features like pinned posts, story highlights, and verification badges wherever possible.
And above all, it means consistency. Making sure that no matter where a potential customer finds the business (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or elsewhere), the branding feels familiar and trustworthy across the board. The goal is to leave no doubts. Every visitor should immediately feel like they’re dealing with a real, active, trustworthy business, not a ghost town.
The truth is, almost everyone is on social media now. Over 90% of businesses in North America have an active social presence, and globally, social adoption is almost universal. More than 5.3 billion people use social media. That’s nearly two-thirds of the world’s population. For businesses, not being there, or not putting care into their presence, isn’t just a missed opportunity. It’s a liability. If a potential customer can’t find a brand easily, or finds a page that looks abandoned, it raises real doubts: is the business still operating? Are they reliable? Can they be trusted?
When social profiles are fully optimized, businesses don’t just look better, they perform better too. A strong social presence builds direct engagement with customers, strengthens brand trust, drives website traffic and leads, and keeps the business top of mind even for those who aren’t ready to buy yet. Social accounts also offer a direct window into customer feedback, helping brands adapt, learn, and improve faster.
Neglecting social media means leaving revenue, leads, and brand loyalty on the table. Potential customers end up going elsewhere, assumptions get made, and competitors who prioritize social slowly build a bigger footprint. Every day that a business’s social presence is incomplete, the gap grows wider.
The good news is social media profiles are one of the easiest things to turn around. A focused sprint of updating visuals, filling in missing fields, pinning the right posts, and getting consistent can dramatically level up a brand’s presence in a matter of days. It’s one of the highest ROI actions a business can take when it comes to social media.
Monarch is launching a free Social Media Optimization Tutorial Course at the end of this month to walk businesses through exactly how to do it, step-by-step, with real examples, checklists, and insider strategies. Make sure your brand’s first impression is doing the heavy lifting it should.
Click here to join the waitlist and be the first to know when the course goes live!
As Canadians rethink their travel plans and shift their spending closer to home, hospitality brands have a unique opportunity: attract the domestic traveler who’s looking for adventure without crossing a border. Last year, we helped a North American hospitality brand...
If you’re still thinking of social media as a space dominated by teens and twenty-somethings, you’re missing one of the most engaged, loyal, and financially powerful audiences out there: adults over 60. This isn’t just a feel-good insight. It’s backed by real numbers,...