I first wrote about the "Quality vs. Quantity" debate back in 2022, and honestly? It’s even more true today. As dog groomers and small business owners, our Facebook and Instagram pages are our digital shop fronts. But are you inviting the right people into the shop, or are you just trying to look busy?
The "Green Ball" Trap (The Recap): If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know my ball analogy.
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Green Balls: Friends, family, and fellow groomers who "like" your page to be nice, but will never actually buy a bow or book a groom.
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Red Balls: Your actual paying customers and local pet parents.
If Facebook only shows your post to a tiny percentage of your followers, and those followers are all "Green Balls," your "Red Balls" (the ones who pay the bills!) never even see your work.
What’s New for 2026? The algorithm has evolved. It’s no longer just about the "Like." Today, it’s about Meaningful Engagement. Facebook and Instagram now prioritise "Value." If you post a photo of a dog in a beautiful bandana or bow, and 50 other groomers "Like" it but no one saves it or shares it to a local community group, the algorithm thinks the post is "just okay."
Stop the "Like for Like" Cycles: I still see it every day in grooming groups: "Link your page and I’ll like yours if you like mine!" Please, stop doing this! You are telling the algorithm that your target audience is other groomers in different towns. Unless you are selling to groomers (like I am!), this is actively hiding your posts from the local dog mums who live 5 minutes away from your salon.
How to find more "Red Balls":
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Post for the Owner, not the Groomer: Talk about the "Puppy’s first groom" or "Handling a nervous dog," not just technical scissor work.
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Encourage Shares: Ask your clients to share their "after" photo to their personal profile. That’s how you find new local "Red Balls."
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Quality over Vanity: I’d rather have a page with 200 followers who all live in the UK than 10,000 followers from around the world.
The Final Word: Social media is a tool to grow your income, not just your ego. It’s okay to have a "small" page if it’s a mighty page!
Paws has been going for nearly 10 years now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t pay your mortgage with "Vanity Likes." Focus on your customers, keep your content real, and the right people will find you.