About Work Services Journal Contact

February 9, 2026

Social Media Research: How to Make Your Brand Seen

Before you’ve even logged in, culture has moved on. Campaigns have peaked, memes have been made, and your audience has already decided whether you belong in the conversation, or off to the side.

Here’s the kicker: 72.3% of internet users aged 16+ turn to social media to research products before buying. That’s right, more than seven out of ten potential customers are checking your digital footprint before they even think about clicking “add to cart.” Instagram might be the obvious stage, but LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok… no platform is off the table. In fact, 26.6% of LinkedIn users are there for brand research, not just networking.

So, what does that mean for your business?

It means your social presence isn’t optional. It isn’t something you “check in on” when you’ve got time. Your audience is already forming opinions about your brand every second of the day, and whether you like it or not, someone else is shaping the conversation if you aren’t.

Leading the conversation beats playing catch-up.

Monitoring your brand’s social landscape isn’t just a job for the social team. It’s boardroom-level intel. It informs marketing strategy, shapes product decisions, and ultimately impacts sales. Knowing where your brand sits, who’s talking about you, and how you compare to competitors isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

So, how do you take control?

  1. Listen first. What’s being said about your brand, your products, and your competitors? The data is there if you’re willing to look.

  2. Analyse with intent. Surface-level metrics are nice, but understanding sentiment, engagement patterns, and trending topics gives you the actionable insight your business actually needs.

  3. Act decisively. Social media is fast. Relevance fades in hours, not days. When you have insight, use it, whether that’s launching a campaign, responding to chatter, or refining your messaging.

In 2026, social media research isn’t a checkbox. It’s a cornerstone. Because if your brand isn’t being discovered in the right context, or worse, being discovered the wrong way, you’re already losing the battle.

So business owners, marketing execs, or anyone who’d working to establish a brand or service, here’s your truth: people are looking. Are you guiding the narrative, or just hoping for the best?