This past week, I had the opportunity to present at the Truckee Chamber of Commerce’s Lunch and Learn series. My topic? Meta Business Suite 101—a deep dive into DIY ad placement for small businesses. Typically, these sessions draw 20–25 attendees, but this time, over 60 people registered—a clear sign that I hit a nerve.

Originally, I planned a short presentation followed by an extended Q&A, but with such a large group, I pivoted to a more traditional talk while still leaving room for plenty of questions.

One question kept surfacing: engagement.

My Stance on Engagement Marketing

At one point, I stated plainly: "I do not do engagement marketing."

I heard audible gasps.

Let me clarify: I’m not against engagement marketing—it can be highly effective in many strategies. However, it is a choice, not a necessity.

Engagement marketing can be a valuable tool in social media, but it is also a massive time and resource commitment. When done properly, it requires a qualified professional checking in 1–3 times daily—not an employee who thinks they “have it down” and wants to give it a try. For the small businesses I serve, I cannot make the numbers work to justify this investment.

Instead, I prioritize paid advertising because it offers measurable ROI, scalability, and predictability. That said, I recognize that not every business is ready for paid ads yet, so today, I want to outline two paths:

1. Engagement for Small Businesses That Need It (without getting sucked into the time-wasting abyss).
2. How to Avoid Engagement Altogether (while still maintaining visibility).

Guidelines for Intentional Engagement

If a business chooses engagement, it should be strategic and limited, not a free-for-all. Here’s how:

1. Engage with Intention

• Not all engagement is worth your time. Focus on real customers, DMs, and key conversations—not mindless comment threads.
• Show up in the right spaces (e.g., groups, industry pages, strategic partnerships) rather than responding to every tag or post.

2. Time-Saving Engagement Tactics

• Set a daily or weekly engagement limit (e.g., 10 minutes a day, 3x per week).
• Use comment prompts that guide the conversation rather than leaving it open-ended.
• Don’t feel pressured to reply to everything—prioritize meaningful responses.

3. Leverage What Works

• Instead of being everywhere, double down on platforms where your audience already engages.
• Avoid wasting time on platforms where engagement is minimal or forced.

4. Call-to-Action Engagement

• Every post should drive an action: comment, click, share, save, or visit a link.
• The easier you make it for people to engage, the less manual effort you need to keep the conversation going.

5. Transition to Paid Ads

• Engagement is not scalable—at some point, businesses should move toward paid advertising to reach a broader audience without daily interaction.

How to Avoid Engagement (While Staying Visible)

For businesses that want minimal engagement—or none at all—there are ways to maintain a strong presence without constant interaction.

1. Create Content That Doesn’t Require a Response

• Post educational content (tips, how-tos, insights) that provides value without expecting comments.
• Use evergreen content (FAQs, behind-the-scenes, customer stories) to create lasting value without needing engagement.
• Try carousel posts or single-slide infographics—they deliver information but don’t invite long discussions.

2. Write Posts with “Closed Loops”

• Avoid open-ended questions that encourage excessive interaction.
• Instead of “What do you think?”, try:
  • “Here’s what we recommend…”
  • “This works because…”
  • “Here’s what’s next for you…”
• Keep messaging statement-driven, not conversation-driven.

3. Optimize for One-Way Interaction

• Turn off comments on certain posts if engagement is not part of your strategy.
• Use stories instead of feed posts—stories disappear in 24 hours and require minimal interaction.
• Choose polls and reaction buttons over text-based comments—this allows quick, engagement-lite interaction.

4. Use Paid Ads to Bypass Organic Engagement

• Paid ads let you reach an audience without social interaction.
• Run direct-response ads that send customers to a website or email list instead of encouraging public engagement.
• Test lead forms in ads so that potential customers enter their information privately, bypassing social interaction.

Final Thoughts: Engagement is a Choice, Not a Requirement

At the end of the day, engagement marketing is not a must-have—it’s a business decision. Some companies thrive on engagement, while others find it to be an expensive, time-consuming distraction with minimal return. Both approaches can work—the key is knowing what fits your business model, your resources, and your goals.

If you’re in a place where engagement makes sense, be intentional about it—focus on quality over quantity, and don’t get sucked into the engagement black hole. But if you’re a small business that doesn’t have the time or budget for constant interaction, you can still build visibility and credibility without heavy engagement, especially by leveraging smart content strategies and paid ads.

The bottom line? Engagement should serve your business—not the other way around.

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If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means comment below or direct message and I’ll do my best.

Nothing better than a good question to jump into.

Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com

Comment below or share.

Trina Gold

Master Creator

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