Social Media is now Social Search: What this means for Founders & CEOs looking to grow
There’s a quiet but powerful shift happening in the way people use social media – and it should be on every founder and CEO’s radar.
Social media is no longer just a place for broadcasting updates or building community. It’s become a search engine. Whether someone is looking for a marketing agency, a niche product, a productivity tip, or real stories from business leaders – they're searching inside TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Twitter/X instead of heading straight to Google. This change transforms how startups and scaleups need to think about their visibility and growth. Here's what it means – and what to do about it.
1. People are searching for problems, not brands
Search on social is intent-led. People aren’t typing your company name – they’re typing things like:
“How to grow a DTC brand in 2025”
“Affordable CRM for small teams”
“Best pitch deck examples”
“VC tips for early-stage founders”
If your brand isn’t creating content that answers these questions, you’re invisible. That’s a missed opportunity not just for visibility – but for trust.
Tip: Make a list of the top 10 questions your target customer asks, then create short-form content that answers each one – with you (or your team) in front of the camera.
2. Algorithms reward relevance, not just reach
In the past, going viral was the goal. Now, relevance is the real currency. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels serve content to users based on what they’re searching, watching, and engaging with. Even smaller accounts can rank highly if the content is timely, keyword-rich, and useful.
Tip: Treat every post like a mini landing page. Use searchable phrases in your captions, hashtags, on-screen text, and even in how you speak in the video. Think: “how to,” “tools for,” “ideas for,” and industry-specific terms.
3. LinkedIn is now a place for discovery, not just networking
LinkedIn has evolved into a powerful social search tool for B2B founders. Users search for insights, recommendations, frameworks, and expert takes on topics relevant to their role or industry. Being found on LinkedIn now means regularly posting useful, insightful, or behind-the-scenes content with clear relevance to your audience’s problems.
Tip: Don’t just talk about your company – talk about your thinking. Share the ideas behind your strategy, what you’re learning, frameworks you're using, and how you’re solving real problems. This is how you show up in someone’s search when they need what you offer.
4. Your team can help you scale faster
If your Head of Product shares product lessons on LinkedIn, your growth marketer breaks down paid ad strategies on TikTok, and your CEO shares vision and leadership tips on Instagram – you’re covering more ground. Social search isn’t about pushing everything through one brand account. It’s about turning your team into discoverable nodes of knowledge, insight, and value.
Tip: Encourage team members to post regularly and authentically. Give them content prompts or a “question of the week” they can answer on camera or in a carousel.
5. Search-first content wins – and builds trust faster
Unlike ads, social search content is pulled by your audience. They’re coming to you for the answer. That makes it far more powerful than push-style marketing. If someone finds your video when searching for “how to choose a digital marketing agency” – and you show up with clarity, insight, and personality – you're already ahead of the competition.
Tip: Create a content plan that prioritizes discovery content. Think short how-tos, honest takes, “3 mistakes we made,” tool recommendations, and story-driven posts that start with a strong hook.
From Feed to Find
For founders and CEOs looking to grow, this shift to social search is a massive opportunity. It changes how your brand shows up, how people find you, and how you build authority in your space. The brands winning in 2025 and beyond won’t just be active on social. They’ll be searchable.
Want help creating a social search strategy for your startup or scaleup?