Organic reach has been continually declining across platforms, and for 2025, it’s more clear than ever that brands can’t rely on it.

On average, Facebook posts reach only 1-2% of your followers, while Instagram posts reach approximately 3.5%. So, even if you’ve accumulated a massive number of followers, only a very minor portion of your audience will ever see it. To stay visible, marketers must understand how algorithms work as well as how to be flexible.

What’s Actually Going On with Organic Reach

Limiting organic reach is intentional. Social media platforms aim to expose their users to highly engaging content while encouraging brands to pay for promotion. Social media channels are highly saturated, and competition for visibility has become stronger than ever. So what happens? Unless your content is engaging enough to create an instant reaction, it’ll likely not be displayed widely.

How Algorithms Select What Users See

Each large platform utilizes AI-based algorithms to determine what appears in a user’s feed. The primary signals are:

• Engagements beyond just likes (comments, shares, saves).
• Watch time, particularly for short videos. This is why short-form video content is so important.
• Originality, with new created content preferred over reposts.

Algorithms also learn to adapt to user behavior. If someone engages more with polls, videos, or carousels, their feed will include more of that format, no matter who posts it.

Smart Posting & Content Strategies to Combat Decline

To gain visibility, brands need to follow what algorithms are currently favoring including:

• Short video content such as Instagram Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts.
• Compelling hooks, questions, polls, or a call to action 
• Being genuine and trend-sensitive, leveraging fresh content and tapping into timely formats.

Consistency counts, too. Posting at peak times and trying different formats provides algorithms with an increased opportunity to expose your content.

Balancing Organic & Paid for Maximum Visibility

Relying alone on organic reach is no longer possible. The best method is a hybrid strategy:

• Apply organic content to experiment with ideas and foster a sense of community for followers.
• Enhance posts with existing traction to increase reach.
• Retarget interested users with ads to build relationships and generate conversions.

Organic creates authenticity, while paid means your best work is being viewed on a larger scale.

Measuring What Matters & Adapting Quickly

Vanity metrics don’t tell the whole story. The metrics that matter the most are:

• Engagement rate – interaction versus total reach.
• Saves and shares – evidence your content is good enough to save or share.
• Reach per post – how far your content is actually going.

By monitoring these, you can easily see what works and optimize when engagement lags.

The Bottom Line

Dwindling organic reach doesn’t make social media less valuable; it just shows that the rules have changed. By understanding how algorithms work, creating content that resonates, and combining organic and paid approaches, brands can continue to thrive in today’s competitive digital landscape.