Why Arts Organizations Are Rethinking Social Media (And Why You Should Too)

If you've been feeling like social media isn't working the way it used to, you're not imagining things. Across industries—from luxury fashion to local arts nonprofits—organizations are questioning whether social platforms deserve the time, energy, and resources they demand.

At Font Squared, we've watched this shift unfold in real time. Our clients in Miami's arts community are asking harder questions about where to invest their limited marketing budgets. And the data is backing up their instincts: social media might not be the best answer anymore.

The Algorithm Problem: Your Audience Isn't Seeing Your Posts

Remember when you could post an event announcement and actually reach your followers? Those days are gone. Organic reach on platforms like Facebook and Instagram has plummeted as algorithms prioritize paid content and engagement bait over genuine community updates.

The numbers tell a stark story. According to research from Keefomatic, Facebook's organic reach averaged just 1.37% in 2024, with engagement rates at a median of 0.2%. Instagram fares slightly better at around 3.5%, but that's still a 12% year-over-year decrease.

For arts organizations operating on shoestring budgets, this creates an impossible situation. You're expected to maintain an active presence on multiple platforms, create endless content, and respond to comments—all for the privilege of reaching maybe 5-10% of your own followers. Unless, of course, you pay to boost every post.

The platforms have essentially turned your audience into hostages. You built that following through years of work, but you don't actually own the relationship. They do.

The ROI Reality Check

Let's talk numbers, because the math tells a story that's hard to ignore.

According to Litmus's State of Email 2025 report and data from OptinMonster, email marketing delivers an average return of $36 for every $1 spent—that's a 3,600% ROI. Multiple industry sources confirm this consistently high performance across sectors.

Social media? The return is dramatically lower, typically under $3 per dollar invested. For nonprofit arts organizations where every dollar counts toward your mission, that's not just a significant difference—it's potentially the difference between a successful fundraising campaign and one that falls short.

We've seen this play out with our own clients. When we shifted Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator's strategy to prioritize email and owned channels, they raised $35,000 on Give Miami Day with email open rates of 25.3%—far exceeding typical social media engagement.

Platform Instability and the Exhaustion Factor

How many times have you had to completely relearn how a platform works? Instagram pivots to video. Twitter becomes X and changes everything. Facebook deprioritizes Pages. TikTok faces potential bans. The constant churn is exhausting.

For small arts organizations with limited staff, keeping up with these changes while also trying to create compelling content, run programs, and serve your community is simply unsustainable. The platforms demand more and more while delivering less and less.

The Values Question

There's also a growing ethical dimension to this conversation. Many arts organizations are mission-driven, focused on community well-being, social justice, and cultural preservation. Yet they're building their presence on platforms that have been credibly linked to mental health crises, misinformation, and social division.

When Lush Cosmetics left social media in November 2021, they cited concerns about the mental health impact on their customers—a decision that came after Facebook whistleblower revelations confirmed platform harms. That decision aligned with their values—even if it meant walking away from millions of followers.

For arts organizations that prioritize community care and authentic connection, this values misalignment is increasingly hard to ignore.

What You Actually Control

Here's what makes this moment so important: you have alternatives. Channels where you own the relationship with your audience. Where algorithm changes can't suddenly make you invisible. Where you can communicate directly without paying a platform tax.

Your email list. Your website. Your blog. Your in-person events. These are owned channels, and they're more valuable than ever.

This doesn't necessarily mean abandoning social media entirely—though some organizations are making that choice. But it does mean rethinking where you invest your limited time and resources. It means building your house on land you own, not renting space in someone else's ever-changing digital mall.

What's Next for Arts Marketing?

The organizations thriving right now aren't the ones with the most followers. They're the ones building genuine relationships through channels they control. They're creating content that serves their community rather than feeding an algorithm. They're measuring success by mission impact, not vanity metrics.

At Font Squared, we're helping Miami's arts organizations navigate this transition. Because we believe your work is too important to be held hostage by platforms that don't share your values or serve your community.

In our next post, we'll share real-world examples of companies that left social media and thrived—including strategies you can adapt for your organization.

Ready to rethink your digital marketing strategy? Let's talk about building a sustainable approach that actually serves your mission. Contact Font Squared at team@fontsquared.com.