Why Is My Social Media Engagement Lower?

Insights from 10 Years of Social Media Marketing in Red Deer

If you’ve noticed your likes, comments, or impressions dropping lately, you’re not alone. One of the most common questions business owners in ask is: “Why is my social media engagement lower even though I’m posting consistently?” The short answer: the landscape has shifted. You’re competing in a busier, paid-first social media environment as we ramp up towards the Holidays, and your content isn’t fully adapted for it. Paid advertising is at record highs, organic reach has been quietly declining across platforms, and consumer attention is spread thinner than ever.

After 10 years of helping Central Alberta businesses grow through digital marketing, Rogue Marketing has seen these seasonal trends repeat themselves. Every November through January, as advertisers ramp up holiday campaigns, organic engagement dips, often by 20 to 40 percent. But the good news? With the right strategy, you can ride out the dip and even build stronger long-term visibility!

1. The Ad-Spend Avalanche

In 2024, global digital advertising hit $1.1 trillion USD, growing 7.3 % year-over-year. Social platforms like Meta and TikTok captured a huge portion of that, driving a flood of paid content that naturally pushes organic posts lower in feeds.

During Q4 alone, Meta’s ad spend jumped 15 %. For small businesses, that means you’re competing against global brands for attention, on the same feed. It’s no surprise that engagement feels harder to maintain.

2. Organic Reach and Audience Fatigue

Even without paid pressure, the organic reach decline is real. Instagram’s average engagement rate fell 24 % year-over-year to just 0.45 %.

Add to that the November-to-December rush of ads, gift guides, and seasonal promos, and you have what marketers call “content fatigue.” Audiences scroll faster, interact less, and skip over anything that feels generic or automated.

3. How to Navigate Lower Social Media Engagement

So, how can small businesses stay visible when engagement drops? The key to navigating why your social media engagement is lower during this time of year is to work smarter with what’s already proven effective while staying adaptable to shifting algorithms. A mix of authenticity, consistency, and strategy will help you maintain reach even when feeds are oversaturated.

Here are a few ways to steady your engagement through the seasonal dip:

• Re-use proven content. Revisit your top-performing posts from earlier in the year and republish or remix them. A new caption, video edit, or fresh visual can revive your best ideas and reach new audiences.

• Show your face. Authenticity always wins. Posts featuring real people, you, your team, or your customers, consistently outperform generic, stock, or AI-generated visuals.

• Keep it moving. When creating Reels or video content, switch scenes every 2 seconds. Quick transitions and movement help hold attention and increase watch time.

• Balance paid + organic. Even a modest, well-targeted ad budget can maintain visibility when organic reach dips. Strategic boosts on high-performing posts can stretch your reach further.

• Stay consistent. Posting regularly builds credibility with your audience and signals to the algorithm that your account is active and relevant.

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By combining these tactics, your content remains resilient, engaging audiences even during high-ad competition months.

Ready to Rise Above the Engagement Drop?

At Rogue Marketing, we’ve guided Alberta businesses through a decade of changing algorithms and shifting trends. When you understand why your social media engagement is lower, you can adjust your path, not abandon it.

Explore more insights on our marketing blog, or book a free marketing evaluation to map out a data-driven strategy tailored to your business.