Why silent attention matters: Rethinking reputation metrics.

Your post got 50 likes instead of 500? That might be a good sign. Here is why the right people quietly paying attention matter more than likes.

The vanity metrics trap.

A CEO once told me: "I need to get at least 200 likes on my posts." I asked why that arbitrary number. He could not really give me an answer. And that is the problem with vanity metrics.

Building visibility and credibility takes real work: original content, thought leadership pieces, speaking, partnerships. It does not necessarily pay off immediately, and that can be frustrating (I get that).

The most common complaint I hear: "What is the point? I spent hours crafting LinkedIn posts that did not get hundreds of likes."

I felt that too at times, but low engagement does not mean your reputation strategy is not working. This is why I stopped chasing vanity metrics. Yes, that post did not get hundreds of likes. So what?

What I stopped doing (and why you should too).

1. Refreshing LinkedIn to watch the like count climb.

The dopamine hit from watching numbers go up (or not) felt good (or not) in the moment but told me nothing about whether I was reaching the right people or building meaningful business relationships.

What I do instead? I spend more time crafting the content that will create value to the right people. I post, then I move on to do something else. I keep checking from time to time to engage with comments or messages, but that is it (no more focusing on the like count).

2. Second-guessing myself when engagement seems low.

A post with 30 likes from the right audience is infinitely more valuable than 300 likes from people who will never become clients, partners, or referrals.

What I posted was right, did it go viral? No, but that is not the goal. The goal is to be consistently sharing quality content that resonate with the right people because even if they do not engage publicly, they are still watching.

3. Assuming low likes equal low impact.

The correlation between public engagement and business outcomes is weaker than most people think. Some of my (what it seemed) least-liked posts have generated the most significant business opportunities.

Consistently showing up with the right perspectives is how you make your reputation works harder for you behind the scenes.

The quiet watchers that matter.

This is when the dopamine hit happens: later in the one-to-one conversations.

• The client who says "I have been following you, I love the way you think and want to work with you." This is the signal that your reputation strategy is working. They have been consuming your content, evaluating your perspective, and decided you are the right person for their challenge. The fact that they never liked a single post is irrelevant.

• The speaking invitation from someone who read one article months ago. Your content has a longer shelf life than the 24-hour window most people obsess over. Articles, posts, and thought leadership pieces continue working for you long after publication, reaching people on their own timeline.

• The DM from a CEO who never likes or comments but has been paying attention. Senior executives rarely engage publicly. Yet, they are the ones reading, evaluating and making decisions. If you are only measuring likes and comments, you are missing the entire segment of your audience that actually can hire you.

Why silent attention beats loud engagement.

The right people are watching, even when they do not engage publicly.

In my work helping leaders build their reputation strategy, I see this pattern repeatedly. The leaders who obsess over engagement metrics often struggle to convert visibility into business. The ones who focus on consistent, high-quality perspectives find that opportunities show up through direct conversations.

Senior decision-makers rarely engage on social media, but they are watching. They read your content during commutes, between meetings, late at night when evaluating potential partners or advisors. They form opinions about your expertise without ever clicking like.

This silent attention is far more valuable than visible engagement from people who will never hire you.

This is not about ignoring all metrics. Engagement data can tell you what resonates with your audience and help you refine your messaging. However, engagement should inform your reputation strategy, not define its success.

The real ROI.

Business impact shows up in:

• Direct inquiries. People reaching out because they have been following your work and have a specific need you can address.

• Referrals from people who trust your expertise. Your network recommending you to their contacts because your content has established credibility.

  
  

• Speaking and partnership opportunities. Organisations inviting you to contribute because you have demonstrated thought leadership in your space.

• Shortened sales cycles. Prospects who arrive already convinced of your expertise because they have been consuming your content for months.

None of these outcomes correlate directly with post likes. You can have a post with 1,000 likes that generates zero business conversations. You can have a post with 40 likes that leads to three qualified opportunities.

The reputation metrics to focus on.

If you are building a reputation for business impact, shift your reputation metrics to what actually matters:

• Quality of conversations. Are the right people reaching out? Are they qualified? Do they understand what you do?

  
  

• Relevance of opportunities. Are you getting invited to speak at events that reach your target audience? Are partnership opportunities aligned with your goals?

  
  

• Business outcomes. Are visibility efforts translating to revenue? Are you closing deals faster because prospects already trust your expertise?

  
  

• Long-term relationship building. Are you developing genuine connections with people who can become clients, partners, or advocates?

These reputation metrics are harder to track than likes and comments. They require patience and a longer time horizon. But they are what separates reputation strategy from social media vanity projects.

Keep going when engagement is low.

So if your posts are not getting hundreds of likes? Keep going.

The CEO who will hire you in six months is reading but not engaging. The conference organiser who will invite you to speak is evaluating your perspective. The potential partner who will introduce you to their network is paying attention silently.

They do not need to like your posts for your reputation strategy to work. They need to see consistent evidence that you understand their world and can help them solve their problems. They are watching from the shadows, forming opinions, building trust.

Every piece of content you publish reaches two audiences: the visible engagers and the silent watchers. The silent watchers often hold more power, more budget, and more influence. They are senior enough that they do not need to broadcast their attention. They simply act when ready.

That is what builds reputation. That is what drives business. And that is worth far more than vanity metrics will ever tell you.