Is Facebook Still Relevant for Business in 2025? Mari Smith Thinks So.

If Facebook is part of your marketing plan (and it should be), this episode of The Social Media Takeaway (available on all the leading podcast platforms including iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube) is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.

In my latest podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Mari Smith – the Queen of Facebook.

I kicked things off with a question I hear all the time:

“Is Facebook dead?”

Here’s the truth.

Facebook is still the most used social platform in the world.

Over 3 billion users.

That’s double TikTok. A billion more than Instagram.

So why do people think it’s gone?

Mari explained,

“They’ve got like a filter on… If you see a lot of people in your immediate circles complaining about low reach or saying it’s for old people – you believe it’s true. But it’s not.”

I shared how Facebook is still the top driver of sales for our agency clients.

“Meta ads are still the most cost-effective way to run ads.”

And yes – the algorithm has changed. A lot.

🔥 The Big Shift: The AI Discovery Engine

What worked on Facebook five years ago won’t cut it today.

Mari explained that Meta now works like TikTok – showing your content to people who don’t follow you, based on interest.

“The most important metric now is how much of your reach is to non-followers. If it’s low, you’re probably posting boring content.”

But don’t panic.

You can still win.

📹 Mari’s Advice: How to Create Content That Performs

Mari shared a big mindset shift.

You’re no longer creating just for your audience. You’re creating for discovery.

Her advice?

• ✅ Use AI tools like ChatGPT to craft strong hooks that grab attention in the first second.
• ✅ Scroll intentionally. Pay attention to what makes you stop. That’s your content research.
• ✅ Follow creators beyond your niche. Get inspired by styles and formats that work, even if they’re not in your industry.
• ✅ Test relentlessly. Put different types of content out there and see what the algorithm picks up.

And remember, format matters.

She pointed to creators using bold single-sentence posts with value-packed comment threads. No fancy production. Just good storytelling and interaction.

🤳 Business Pages vs Professional Profiles

Where should you post?

According to Mari,

“Professional mode for personal profiles is working better for reach than business pages. Pages are mostly pay-to-play.”

She gave an example of Austin Armstrong, who reached 300 million views in 28 days.

Most of his reach came from bold text-based posts with value delivered in the comments.

💸 What About Ads?

I asked Mari about Meta’s $65 billion investment in AI this year.

Her response?

“Meta’s Advantage+ wants advertisers to go hands-off. It finds your audience. It tweaks your creative. It optimizes placements.”

I added:

“If your content is good, the algorithm will find the right people – and retarget them automatically. You don’t even need to build retargeting audiences anymore.”

But we both agreed – bad creative means wasted money.

As I said:

“If it’s crap and you put money to it, you’re just wasting your money.”

📈 New Rules of Reach

Facebook doesn’t owe you reach. But it gives you tools.

“Don’t obsess over going viral,” Mari said. “Use ads to get results, and use organic content to build your brand presence.”

She encourages business owners to stop relying on outdated tactics.

“Forget the strategy of just posting more and hoping people see it. Focus on great content and smart ads.”

And here’s the thing.

Even if your organic reach is small – your profile still matters.

It’s your portfolio. Your digital shopfront. Your chance to show what you’re about.

So, is Facebook still worth it?

Absolutely.

“It still works for business. And it still makes money,” I said. “Don’t ignore it just because everyone is talking about Instagram.”