Let’s be honest.

Every Monday morning someone, somewhere in marketing land, is opening a report and proudly declaring: “We got 10,000 likes this week!”

Cue the applause.

But here’s the thing… what exactly are those likes doing for your business? Spoiler alert: probably nothing. Unless your boss accepts “hearts” as legal tender, likes are just digital confetti.

The Myth of the Almighty Like

Likes make us feel good. They’re dopamine hits. They look amazing in a screenshot when you want to impress a client. But in reality, likes don’t pay the bills. Conversions do.

Think about it. If I post a reel of a cat wearing sunglasses (tempting, I know), it’ll get 100k likes. But how many of those cat enthusiasts are buying your real estate, your crypto, or your SaaS product? Exactly.

What Actually Matters

• Saves and Shares: That’s your audience saying, “I need this again” or “my friend needs to see this.”

• Comments and DMs: That’s intent. That’s your customer raising their hand.

• Website Clicks, Leads, Sales: The stuff you can actually show your CFO without getting laughed out of the boardroom.

The Harsh Truth

We’ve built an entire social media industry worshipping the Like button, and it’s time we admit: it’s overrated. At Mutant, we tell clients straight up, don’t obsess over likes. Obsess over content that creates conversations, moves people to action, and ultimately grows your business.

So, Do Likes Still Matter?

Sure. They matter if your only goal is vanity. If you want to impress your ex or prove to your mom that people actually do see your posts.

But for brands? For businesses? For people serious about growth? Likes are the least interesting metric in the room.