By Rebecca Wiessmann

This was one of those conversations that makes you want to throw out everything you thought you knew about social media. Brooke Sellas, a digital marketing expert who recently spoke at SMASH, completely flips our understanding of how social media should work.

It’s not just a theory — she has data showing that companies focusing on customer experience see a 20-40% revenue lift just by paying attention to customers. It seems simple, yet so many organisations struggle to connect with their audience.

The CARE Method: It’s Not About Posting More

Most of us are doing social media the old way. Post more content. Hope something sticks. Check that box. Move on.

Brooke’s CARE framework turns this upside down: Conversations, Acquisition, Retention, Engagement. 

Here’s the truth: the algorithm doesn’t care about your content anymore — it cares about conversations.

Here’s what blew my mind: People are talking about your brand constantly, but they’re not tagging you. Nike doesn’t get tagged every time someone mentions their Air Jordans. Same with your community — families and residents are discussing you right now, and you have no idea it’s happening.

Your Cut-and-Paste Responses Are Making It Worse

If you’ve spent time checking out reviews of senior living communities online, you know what you see … The same generic response to negative reviews: “Thank you for sharing your concerns. Please contact us.”

Steve puts it plainly, “When I see that repeated over and over, I think … you’re an idiot. Seriously.”

Brooke has a better approach. Acknowledge the person by name. Empathise with them — “Hey Steve, I’m so sorry that happened. I’d be frustrated too.” Watch their anger drop from a 10 to maybe a 5. Then say, “Let’s get this solved for you as quickly as possible.”

That’s how you turn your worst critic into your biggest fan.

The Mindset Shift Nobody Wants to Make

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most companies are company-centric. They operate with profits over people. But when you flip that and become customer-centric — putting people over profits — the profits come anyway.

Steve gave a first-hand example of his experience moving his 92-year-old stepfather into senior living. The first community was a nightmare. Every time he called, the staff saw his number and thought, “Oh no, there’s that family member from hell.” The mindset was that of, “What extra work is this going to cause me?”

Now his stepfather is in a small six-bed community that is doing an amazing job. And when Steve calls, they are happy to hear from him. Why? Because they work in partnership. They solve problems together.

Same family member. Two completely different experiences. The only variable? Their approach to customer care.

What Actually Works on Social Media

This customer-centric thinking goes for your social media too. You can’t force what other people want to engage in. Stop posting self-serving content. Start posting conversational content designed to spark discussions.

Behind the scenes, everyday content crushes it every time. Steve mentions a friend who posted a picture holding his new baby with a poopy diaper and got massive engagement. Meanwhile, his professionally crafted thought leadership posts get less traction. It can be so frustrating to feel like you’re putting so much effort into creating great content to get upstaged by a poopy diaper.

But here’s Brooke’s genius move: Use those high-engagement, casual posts strategically. Respond to every single comment — not with “thanks,” but with real dialogue that keeps people coming back. This signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable, expanding your reach beyond your normal bubble. 

Then, the next day, post something about your services. It won’t get as much love, but all that previous engagement means more people will see it.

The Dark Social Gold Mine

Nine times out of ten, people talking about your brand aren’t tagging you. These “dark mentions” are happening constantly, and you’re missing all of them.

Use social listening tools to find these conversations. You can passively collect voice-of-customer data, or you can jump in and gently guide conversations — especially complaints — in a better direction.

The data you’ll collect is pure gold for marketing and sales.

The Bottom Line

Social media isn’t about broadcasting anymore. It’s about having real conversations with real people who care about what you do.

Companies with full occupancy and zero customer acquisition costs? They get all their business from referrals. And referrals come from people who feel heard, valued, and cared for.

Want that 20-40% revenue lift? Stop treating customer experience as a cost center. Start treating every interaction — especially complaints — as an opportunity to create raving fans.

The irony? You have complete control over whether someone becomes your biggest promoter or your worst enemy. The choice is entirely yours.

What’s your biggest frustration with social media marketing? Drop a comment below — I actually want to know.

You can watch the full interview with Brooke and Steve HERE.