Treat social media as a flare that signals a reason to connect, then reach the person directly instead of becoming one more like.
The idea
Your feed shows you two things: what people you know are sharing (a big update, a trip, a shower epiphany), and the reactions piling up underneath. The first is useful signal. The platforms then trained us to react on their turf, so our wish to connect gets bundled with everyone else's: five likes becomes six. Treat social media as a flare, a signal that there is something to connect over. Don't let it replace the walkie-talkie, the way you actually connect with someone.
How to do it
Scroll for signal: a new role, a trip, a milestone, a challenge they're facing.
When you see one, switch channels. Text, call, or send a voice note.
Reference what they posted so it's clearly about them.
Example
Someone posts on LinkedIn about a new job. The predictable move is typing "Congrats!" in the comments, and they see a number go from 66 to 67. The flare move is a text.
Script
"Saw your LinkedIn post. New role sounds perfect for you. How's it been so far?"
The Channel Switch: Respond on a different channel than the one the news came through: a LinkedIn post gets a text, an email gets a call.
The Social Media Signal Review: Set a two-minute timer, scroll one app looking only for real life updates, then close it and reach those people off-platform.
Social Media and Relationships: Marketing is one-to-many visibility and relationship building is one-to-few trust; social media belongs to the first and feeds the second, and you need both.
Event-Driven Outreach: Use moments in their life, from new jobs and kids' milestones to illness and loss, as reasons to reach out between your regular check-ins.