What Are Likes and Shares on Social Media – and Why Should You Care as a Small Business Owner?

Ever wondered why people keep talking about likes and shares on social media? Do they actually matter for your business? Here’s what they really mean—and how they can help you grow your audience on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Facebook

What does a like mean on Facebook?

• It’s someone saying “I see this, and I like it.”
  
• It tells Facebook your content is worth showing to others.
  
• The more likes you get, the more people see your post.
  

What happens when someone shares your post?

• It shows up in their friends’ feeds.
  
• You instantly reach people outside your own page followers.
  
• It builds trust—people believe posts their friends share.
  

Why should you care?

• Facebook boosts posts with strong engagement.
  
• More likes and shares = more visibility, without paying for ads.
  

What can you try?

• Ask a question.
  
• Share a helpful tip.
  
• Post something relatable or behind-the-scenes.
  

Instagram

What does a like mean on Instagram?

• A quick double-tap means someone enjoyed your photo or video.
  
• Posts with fast likes are shown to more people.
  
• It’s one of the signals Instagram uses to rank content.
  

How do shares work on Instagram?

• People can share your post to their story or in a direct message.
  
• It helps you reach new followers without doing anything extra.
  

Why should you care?

• Instagram rewards content that gets saved or shared.
  
• It pushes those posts higher in the feed and on Explore pages.
  

What can you do?

• Post clean, eye-catching visuals.
  
• Keep captions short and clear.
  
• Time your posts when your audience is most active.

LinkedIn

What does a like mean on LinkedIn?

• Someone agrees with your insight or finds your post useful.
  
• That like sends your post into their network’s feed.
  
• It helps you grow your reach among professionals.
  

What does a share do?

• It puts your post in front of someone else’s network.
  
• It’s often used to highlight useful advice or ideas.
  

Why should you care?

• LinkedIn pushes out posts that get engagement.
  
• Shares show that your content is valuable in your field.
  

What should you post?

• Business tips
  
• Lessons learned
  
• Customer stories or quick wins
  

So, do likes and shares really matter?

Yes—because they:

• Help your content travel further
  
• Bring in new eyes without extra effort
  
• Build social proof around your brand
  

What’s one post you’ve made recently that got people talking?
And what could you post this week that’s worth sharing?

Want help creating posts your audience wants to like and share?

Want to create relatable content but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry! Just connect with us, and we will be happy to create something custom-made that works for your business.