Is Anyone Out There? The Hidden Value of Low-Engagement LinkedIn Marketing Posts

LinkedIn - the value of invisible engagement.l

Let’s talk about social media KPIs. Are they truly valuable indicators of success, or just noise? How do you know if your content is moving the needle, or if likes, shares, and comments are mere vanity metrics boosted by internal engagement? And ultimately, how do you know if you’re driving meaningful engagement?

As marketers, we sometimes wonder if social media success can be accurately measured. Despite our best efforts, marketing measurement can feel more like art than science—a sentiment that doesn’t always sit well with sales partners or board members.

Metrics that Matter?

I recently came across a post questioning whether marketing teams should focus on the number of comments on LinkedIn posts. The debate centered on whether “likes,” “comments,” or “shares” truly predict critical outcomes, like increased web traffic or leads.

Many organizations—especially company leaders—put weight on followers, likes, shares, and comments. This raises questions: Are these metrics important as indicators of critical outcomes like closed/won sales? Should marketing teams pour time, energy, and resources into LinkedIn over other channels?

Most B2B marketing teams strive to use data to guide decisions. But let’s be honest: metrics aren’t always as clear-cut as we’d like, especially given the countless channels and tools available. In a digitally driven world, identifying which metrics matter most is challenging.

Back to the LinkedIn discussion: my team and I try to gauge the value of social posts by tracking comments, reshares, and other engagement metrics. These insights can indicate if thought leadership resonates or how a particular type of content is performing. Until recently, I put a lot of stock into these metrics, sometimes bemoaning a lack of likes on content we thought was strong—until I read that post.

When Likes Don’t Tell the Whole Story

A participant in the discussion shared an anecdote: her organization recently won a major logo deal after a prospect mentioned seeing a couple of LinkedIn posts that piqued their interest. The marketing team looked up the posts but couldn’t find any evidence that this prospect had ever interacted with them—not a single “like,” “share,” or “comment.”

Initially, I would have written this off as an isolated case until my organization experienced two similar situations (which we only know about thanks to proactive sales reps!). In one instance, the buyer from a large technology company saw our sizzle reel video on LinkedIn and reached out for a demo. We narrowed it down by post recency, but there was zero visible engagement from anyone at that company on our posts. And yet, we now have a highly engaged prospect.

More recently, we posted content that was reshared by several clients and prospects, but they didn’t “like” it before sharing. While the reshares were visible, it showed us that people are engaging in unexpected ways.

When engagement is invisible, it’s easy to doubt the impact. Yet, it’s clear that even without a visible footprint, social media can drive leads and conversations. Sales often hears from prospects who’ve quietly followed us—no likes or shares—yet decided to reach out based on what they’ve seen. It’s a reminder that influence doesn’t always leave a visible trail.

The KPI Conundrum

While it’s tempting to dismiss likes, shares, and comments as unimportant, there is value in tracking them alongside other metrics. Each piece of data contributes to the broader picture of marketing’s impact on organization success, helping prioritize where to invest time and resources.

So, how can we measure success when the most valuable engagement isn’t always visible? Start by diversifying your KPIs. Look at LinkedIn-referral traffic, track demo requests, and collaborate with sales to capture anecdotal evidence. Together, these metrics tell a fuller story than social KPIs alone.

Algorithms also prioritize interaction. LinkedIn boosts high-quality content with meaningful engagement, helping it reach a broader, more relevant audience. So yes, tracking engagement matters. Understanding what resonates with your target audience should always be the goal. While these metrics aren’t the sole indicator of ROI, they do play a role in building a wider audience and raising awareness of your organization.

Key Takeaways

Social KPIs aren’t the be-all, end-all—they’re just one part of the equation. Rather than focusing solely on likes and shares, align content with strategic goals like brand awareness, lead generation, and engagement quality. Acknowledge the limitations of those visible metrics and view them as just one layer of engagement.

Likes, shares, and comments do have value, but the bigger picture is about delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Certainly track those metrics, but don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal: building relationships and sparking genuine interest, even if the engagement isn’t obvious.

Marketing still comes down to this fundamental truth: it’s about reaching the right person with the right message at the right time. As frustrating as it can seem on a daily basis, you just don’t always know what’s going to strike a chord with a potential buyer… or when.