Beyond the like: building trust in the quiet social media era

We are living the age of digital spectatorship, a time where audiences scroll, swipe, observe, but rarely engage. Engagement online is reportedly dropping year-on-year, signalling a shift in interaction patterns. Although users are not liking or commenting in droves, they’re paying more attention than ever. So, what might feel like yelling into the void could present new opportunities.

We used to assume that audiences are uncritical and unquestioning, and that messages could be “injected” directly into people’s brains, to be absorbed without question. This is certainly not the case today; we’re more critical than ever. But there is a perceptible element of passivity – or perhaps it’s more a lethargy – online, a panoptical voyeurism where everyone is watching, very quietly… All the time.

Nowhere is this truer than on social media. What began with endless status updates, and public interactions has faded into a theatre of quiet observation. Users increasingly engage through private messages and unsolicited memes, indicating a move towards more personal communication. In the age of the doomscroll, engagement is in the lingering. According to the 2025 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report by Rival IQ, engagement rates on likes, comments and shares are falling across social media platforms, particularly on X – which dropped by 48% compared to Facebook’s 36%, Instagram’s 16%, and TikTok’s 34%. As a result, traditional engagement metrics no longer tell the full story, as audiences become less likely to react. Impressions, sentiment analysis, share of voice, dark social tracking, and behavioural insights now offer a truer picture. 

Audiences are forming impressions, building trust, and making judgments, all without saying a word. They’re building relationships quietly. This means brands should be doing more than chasing likes. They can be curating identity and building trust in these quiet moments. It’s about being consistent, credible, and compelling – even when it feels like no one’s listening.

This is where authenticity cuts through. This means showing up with a clear, honest, and consistent voice online. The brands winning online aren’t the loudest, they’re the ones who feel authentic. 

We shouldn’t be treating a social media presence as a filler, it’s a trust-building tool. Communication is the engine behind that trust. In the age of a fast-moving hyper-observed media landscape, brand voice can act as an anchor. It makes you recognisable, relatable, and reliable. A strong voice builds connection – turning lethargic voyeurs into loyal advocates.