Likes Are Nice, Leads Are Better: Building a Social Funnel That Works

Likes are lovely. Like a cheeky “nice shirt” from a stranger at the bar. But if that stranger doesn’t buy your shirt—or at least ask where you got it—what’s the point? 

Welcome to the social media struggle: a whole lotta engagement, not a lotta return. 

Here’s the no-nonsense truth: likes are the small talk of marketing. Leads? That’s where the real conversation starts. The one that ends in a sale. Or a contract. Or an “OMG, where have you been all my business life?” 

So let’s talk about building a social funnel that actually, you know, works. One that doesn’t just feed your ego—but feeds your pipeline. 

Likes are lovely. Leads are better. 

Yes, engagement looks good in your metrics report. But let’s not kid ourselves—likes don’t keep the lights on. 

We’ve seen brands with thousands of followers but fewer sales than a corner shop on a Monday morning. Why? Because followers aren’t funnels. 

A social funnel is what turns your follower into a fan, your fan into a lead, and your lead into a paying customer. Ideally one who raves about you and comes back for more. 

Most brands are just winging it 

Posting “because it’s Tuesday.” Crossposting because it’s easy. Writing captions that sound like a soggy press release. 

If that’s your approach, no wonder your socials aren’t converting. 

Here’s a secret: it’s not about how often you post. It’s about what your posts do. If they’re not leading somewhere—email signup, booking page, freebie download—then you’re just adding to the noise. 

And we’ve got enough noise, thanks. 

Engagement is not a KPI (unless you’re an influencer) 

For most businesses, a comment saying “🔥🔥🔥” is not progress. It’s a digital shrug. 

Real KPIs are things like: 

• Who clicked? 

• Who signed up? 

• Who actually gave a damn—and gave you their email? 

That’s what matters. Not how many people tapped a heart without reading your caption. 

What your funnel should actually do 

At the very least? Point people somewhere useful. 

Maybe it’s a juicy freebie that lands in their inbox. Maybe it’s a sales page that makes them go “yes, this!” Maybe it’s just a booking link so you can have a real conversation. 

The point is: don’t leave people hanging. Give them something that pulls them deeper into your world. Something that makes them want to stay. 

You’ve got their attention—don’t waste it. 

Where funnels go to die 

Here’s what usually happens: 

You post a great reel. It gets views. You get excited. But there’s no CTA. No link in bio. No follow-up. 

Just vibes. 

And vibes are not a business strategy. 

If people don’t know what to do next, they’ll do nothing. And if you’re not tracking what they do click on, you’re flying blind. 

Enter UltimateCRM: your funnel’s secret weapon 

Look, you can’t manage what you don’t track. And spreadsheets are not the vibe. 

UltimateCRM lets you see exactly how your content converts. Who clicked what. Where they came from. What happened next. 

It’s the difference between hoping and knowing. Between guessing and growing. 

With UltimateCRM, you can: 

• Follow your followers—literally, through your funnel 

• See which posts pull weight and which ones just look pretty 

• Nurture leads like a pro without living in your inbox 

It connects the dots so your socials become a system, not a gamble. 

What a working funnel actually looks like 

Let’s say you post a “how-to” carousel on LinkedIn. It ends with a link to download a cheat sheet. People click. You grab their email. You follow up with a cheeky “saw you downloaded this” message. A few days later, they’re on a call with you. 

That’s not magic. That’s a funnel. And it’s not complicated. It’s just intentional. 

The key? You planned it. You made it easy. You gave them a reason to stick around. 

Why this stuff matters more than ever 

The algorithm isn’t your friend. People are scrolling faster than ever. And attention? It’s shorter than a British summer. 

So when you do get someone’s eye, don’t waste it. 

Make every post part of a path. Give your audience breadcrumbs they can (and want to) follow. Lead them somewhere better than the next dance trend or generic quote. 

Mistakes that make us weep 

Let’s list them, shall we? 

• Posting with no plan (aka “we’ll just see what sticks”) 

• Asking people to “visit our website” with no real reason to do so 

• Hiding links or making them hard to find 

• Treating every post like it needs to be a sales pitch 

• Forgetting to follow up because “we’re too busy” 

All avoidable. All fixable. Especially when you’ve got the right system in place. 

Social should support your sales—not sit on the sidelines 

If your posts aren’t pulling their weight, it’s time to upgrade your funnel. 

Start with strategy. Add clarity. Plug it all into a CRM that actually understands marketers (ahem, UltimateCRM). 

Then sit back and watch your social stop shouting into the void and start bringing in business. 

📌 Want leads that don’t ghost you? 

Let’s take a proper look at your social funnel. 

Book a FREE strategy consultation with Ultimate Marketing. We’ll show you where your social is slacking, what’s working (even if you don’t realise it yet), and how to build a funnel that feeds your business. 

No jargon. No spreadsheets. Just smart strategy that gets you leads instead of likes. 

Shall we?