Why Community Engagement Beats Paid Ads (Most of the Time)

Ah, paid ads—the shiny coffin that promises quick riches. Drop $100 into Facebook or Instagram and customers will come crawling out of the grave, right? Not exactly. For many small businesses, ads are a gamble. They can burn through your budget faster than a witch’s bonfire, and unless you know exactly what you’re doing, the return isn’t always worth it.

Community engagement, on the other hand, is old-school magic that actually works. It’s slower, yes, but it builds trust, loyalty, and long-term customers who buy again and again. And unlike ads, you don’t have to sell your soul (or your wallet) to get results. Here’s why community engagement will outlive paid ads most of the time—and how to cast this spell effectively in 2025.

1. Trust Is the Real Currency

People don’t trust ads anymore. According to Nielsen’s Trust in Advertising Report, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and community members more than traditional ads. Think about your own habits: when was the last time you saw a Facebook ad and bought immediately? Probably rare. But when your best ghoul raves about a product, you’re way more likely to check it out.

Community engagement builds that trust. By replying to comments, answering DMs, and showing up in groups, you prove you’re not just another faceless seller—you’re a real human who actually cares. That trust is priceless and can’t be bought with ad spend.

2. Loyal Ghouls Buy More (and Tell Their Friends)

Ads are like one-night stands—they might get you a sale, but rarely loyalty. Engagement is where long-term relationships are born. Loyal customers not only come back, they become your hype team. According to Forbes, repeat customers spend 67% more than new ones. That’s huge, babe.

Case Study: Lush Cosmetics built a cult-like community by engaging deeply on social platforms and encouraging user-generated content. They don’t rely on heavy ad spend because their customers literally do the marketing for them. That’s the power of building a loyal coven.

3. Community Is Free (Well, Except Your Time)

Running ads costs money, and costs keep climbing. Engaging with your audience costs nothing but time. Comment on your followers’ posts, shout them out in stories, or create polls to ask their opinions. These little actions may not feel like sales tactics, but they’re investments in relationships that eventually pay off big.

4. Organic Buzz > Paid Clicks

Engagement creates organic buzz—your community shares your posts, tags friends, and spreads the word. Paid ads can’t mimic that authenticity. A repost from a customer is worth 100 random ad impressions. And because the content is coming from real people, it cuts through the noise in a way ads never can.

5. Ads Work Better When You Have Engagement First

I’m not saying ads are useless. They can be powerful amplifiers—but only if you already have an engaged community. Cold ads to strangers often flop, but warm ads (to people who already follow or engage with you) convert much better. Engagement lays the foundation so ads don’t become money pits.

How to Work Your Engagement Magic in 2025

• Start conversations: Ask questions in your captions. Example: “What’s one spooky tool you can’t live without in your biz?”
• Show up in Stories: Share daily updates, behind-the-scenes, and polls. Stories are the best place to build casual trust.
• Reply fast: Don’t let comments rot in the graveyard. Reply quickly and thoughtfully. It shows you care.
• Join communities: Don’t just build your own—hang out in other groups where your ideal customers live. Give value before ever selling.
• Celebrate your coven: Shoutout customers, share their photos, and thank them publicly. Recognition is a strong loyalty potion.

Closing the Coffin

Paid ads can be useful, but they’re not your lifeline. Engagement is the beating heart of sustainable growth. By investing in your community, you build trust, loyalty, and organic buzz that money simply can’t buy. Show up consistently, treat your customers like ghouls in your inner circle, and watch your coven grow stronger than any ad campaign could ever dream.