If someone had told us five years ago that people would be using TikTok to choose a holiday, Instagram to find a restaurant and ChatGPT to recommend a service provider, we’d probably have smiled politely and carried on checking our Google rankings.
Yet here we are.
One of the biggest conversations we’ve been having with clients recently isn’t whether search matters anymore. It absolutely does. The real conversation is about where people are searching, because the answer is no longer as simple as “Google it”.
Think about your own habits for a moment. If you’re looking for somewhere to eat, there’s a good chance you’ll head to Instagram before opening a search engine. If you’re planning a trip, you’ll probably watch a few TikTok videos. If you’re researching a product, you’ll likely check reviews, comments and recommendations across several platforms before you even think about visiting a website. And if you need a quick answer to a question, there’s every chance you’ll ask ChatGPT.
That’s why social media has quietly become one of the most important discovery tools available to brands.
For years, social media sat comfortably at the top of the funnel. It was where people became aware of your business before moving on to your website to do their research. Today, much of that research is happening on social itself. People are scrolling through your content, reading comments, watching videos, checking reviews and deciding whether they trust you, all without leaving the platform.
In many ways, social media has become the new product page.
That’s a big shift because it means your content has a much bigger job to do. It’s no longer just about grabbing attention. Your social content is often answering questions, building confidence and helping people decide whether you’re the right fit before they’ve even visited your website.
The brands seeing the strongest results aren’t necessarily the ones posting the most. More often, they’re the businesses creating content that helps people make decisions. They’re answering common questions, showing real customer experiences, sharing useful insights and making it easy for people to take the next step.
At the same time, AI is adding another layer to how people discover brands. Increasingly, people are asking tools like ChatGPT for recommendations, comparisons and answers instead of scrolling through pages of search results. That doesn’t mean websites, SEO or content matter less. In fact, it means they matter more.
AI doesn’t create expertise. It finds it.
The information that appears in AI generated answers comes from businesses, publishers and creators who are consistently sharing useful content and building authority online. The brands helping people today are helping shape the answers people see tomorrow.
What we’re really seeing is a shift away from channel thinking. Social media, content, email marketing, SEO and paid advertising no longer sit neatly in separate boxes. They work best when they’re connected. A blog becomes social content. A social post drives email sign ups. An email drives traffic to a website. Paid campaigns amplify what’s already working.
That’s why the most resilient businesses aren’t relying on one channel. They’re building visibility wherever their audience spends time.
The good news is that doesn’t mean being everywhere. It means understanding where your audience is looking and showing up consistently with content that’s genuinely useful.
That’s often where we come in. Not to replace your team, but to become part of it. Helping connect the dots between content, social media, email marketing and paid advertising so everything works a little harder together.
Because while search has changed, the fundamentals haven’t. People still buy from brands they trust. They still look for recommendations. They still want reassurance before making a decision.
The difference is that today, they’re looking in a lot more places.
Need a helping hand?
We spend our days helping businesses navigate social media, content, email marketing and paid ads, so if you’re not quite sure where to focus next, let’s have a chat.
Drop into our Instagram DMs. Connect with us on LinkedIn. Send an email. Give us a Google. Joking… not joking. 😆
People discover brands differently these days, so whichever platform you prefer, we’ll meet you there. Contact us.Â
