If you’ve noticed that your social media ads are behaving unpredictably, your organic reach has dropped, or your website traffic is declining, you’re not alone. Right now, digital marketing is in a state of flux, with platforms rolling out backend changes that are affecting performance across the board.
For businesses, this means unpredictability—what worked last month might not work today, and keeping up with shifting algorithms feels more frustrating than ever.
Here’s what’s happening, why it feels so messy, and what you can do to adapt.
1. Ad Performance is Unstable
One month, your cost-per-click is reasonable. The next, it has doubled. Some brands are seeing record-low ad costs, while others are struggling to get conversions at all.
This is not random. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has been quietly tweaking its ad platform, adjusting how campaigns are served, optimising for advertiser competition, and potentially prioritising higher-budget accounts.
Why This is Happening
- Meta constantly tweaks its ad auction system, impacting how much you need to bid to get visibility.
- Algorithm adjustments are changing how ads are delivered, favouring some audiences while deprioritising others.
- Seasonal fluctuations always impact ad costs, particularly around major shopping periods or slow months when fewer advertisers are spending.
What You Can Do
- Avoid reacting impulsively to short-term changes. Monitor trends over weeks, not days.
- Test multiple creatives and audience segments. Meta’s AI currently favours diverse ad content.
- Review your placement strategy. Manual placements may perform better than automatic ones.
- Run retargeting campaigns to nurture leads instead of relying solely on cold audience targeting.
2. Organic Reach is Declining
Instagram feeds feel different—and not in a good way. If you’ve noticed fewer posts from people you follow and more suggested content, it is because Instagram is shifting priorities. The platform is trying to behave more like TikTok, prioritising discovery over community.
Why This is Happening
- Instagram is pushing recommended content to keep users on the platform longer.
- More advertising slots mean organic posts are competing for even less space.
- Users are engaging less with business content and spending more time on entertainment-driven posts.
What You Can Do
- Focus on Instagram Stories and direct messages, as these remain reliable touchpoints with your audience.
- Create carousels and text-based posts that are more likely to be saved and shared.
- Engage with your community manually. Likes and comments from real users signal to Instagram that your content is worth surfacing.
- Run low-cost paid campaigns to boost engagement on high-performing posts.
3. The Bot Problem is Back
Spam comments, strange direct messages, and waves of bot followers are becoming increasingly common.
Instagram and TikTok are both experiencing a rise in bot activity—likely due to changes in how content is recommended. Mass follows and engagement farming are inflating follower numbers without providing real value to businesses.
Why This is Happening
- Algorithm shifts are recommending content more aggressively, leading to more spam engagement.
- Some bot accounts are being used for fake engagement farming, artificially increasing likes, follows, and comments.
- The platforms themselves have not implemented effective measures to combat the issue, allowing the problem to escalate.
What You Can Do
- Avoid wasting time manually blocking bots—it is a losing battle.
- Focus on building real engagement through direct messages, comments, and community-driven content.
- Review your audience quality. If your follower count is increasing while engagement is dropping, you may have bot followers.
- If running ads, exclude bot-heavy audiences by refining geographic and demographic filters.
4. Google Search is Changing (And Not in a Good Way)
Google’s AI-powered search results are rolling out, making it harder for businesses that rely on SEO to maintain website traffic. AI-generated summaries are reducing the need for users to click on actual websites, leading to a decline in organic visits.
Why This is Happening
- Google is prioritising zero-click searches, where users receive answers without visiting a website.
- AI-generated results are pulling information from existing content, meaning your site’s value could be diminished.
- Featured snippets and AI summaries are appearing more prominently, pushing actual websites further down in search results.
What You Can Do
- Focus on long-form, in-depth content that AI cannot summarise easily.
- Strengthen your email list to ensure direct communication with your audience.
- Build alternative traffic sources such as LinkedIn, Reddit, and social media referrals.
- Optimise for branded search terms so your business appears first when people search for you directly.
5. Consumer Buying Habits Are Changing
If your conversion rates have dropped, it is not necessarily an issue with pricing—it is a shift in how consumers are making purchasing decisions. People are researching more, waiting longer to buy, and prioritising value over impulse purchases.
Why This is Happening
- The cost of living is affecting spending habits, making people think twice before making purchases.
- Consumers are doing more research and seeking proof before committing to a product or service.
- Trust in brands is evolving, with buyers placing greater importance on reviews, testimonials, and authentic interactions.
What You Can Do
- Provide more product details and social proof to reassure potential buyers.
- Use testimonials and case studies to build trust with your audience.
- Offer value-driven content instead of purely promotional posts.
- Focus on long-term audience building rather than short-term conversion tactics.
Final Thoughts: What This Means for Your Business
Right now, digital marketing feels unpredictable, but that does not mean businesses should panic. Instead of chasing every new algorithm change, the best approach is to focus on what is within your control:
- Build direct audience relationships through email lists, communities, and loyal followers.
- Diversify your traffic sources so you are not reliant on one platform for visibility.
- Adapt your content strategy by focusing on engagement, real conversations, and value-driven content.
- Keep testing and adjusting. Platforms will continue to shift, and staying flexible is key.
If your numbers are fluctuating, know that it is not just you—the entire digital space is in transition. What matters now is how you adapt.
