Social Media all But Useless to Local Stations

This was part of the FTVLive Newsletter that was sent out on Monday morning. I thought I would share it here.

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Subject: We Told You So: The Failed Promise of Social Media

Do you remember?

It wasn't that long ago that your news director, their boss, and jejich boss were all convinced they had found the silver bullet for viewership: social media.

The directive came down from corporate: "We need more engagement!" Newsrooms were suddenly consumed with a frantic race for likes and follows. We ran contests—"Like our page for a chance to win a $50 gift card!"—treating our audience like a commodity to be bought. Talent was told, in no uncertain terms, that their social media clout was the new measure of success. The message was clear: social media was the be-all and end-all, the golden gateway to a new generation of viewers.

And where has it gotten us?

Today, the platforms we were told to champion have largely devolved into a digital cesspool. The comment sections are a minefield of bots, trolls, and vitriolic haters. Misinformation spreads faster than any well-sourced story we produce. The "engagement" we were so desperate to cultivate has become toxic, and the algorithms that once promised a direct line to our audience now hold our content hostage.

For years, FTVLive has been waving a red flag, advising stations and journalists to pull back. We argued that building your brand on someone else's platform—"rented land," as some call it—was a dangerous long-term strategy. The real goal was never to get a "like" on Facebook or a "follow" on X; it was to get viewers to come directly to your platform: the station website.

The data doesn't lie. Social media as a reliable gateway to your content is on its deathbed.

Here at FTVLive, we practiced what we preached. Today, a full 90% of our traffic comes directly to FTVLive.com. Our readers have us bookmarked or they type the URL straight into their browser. And social media? It accounts for less than 5% of our overall traffic.

The lesson is clear. The focus should have always been on making your own website the destination, not just a link in a social media bio. It’s time to stop chasing fleeting engagement on dying platforms and start reinvesting in the one online property you actually own. Build a direct relationship with your audience, and they will come to you, no algorithm or hashtag needed.