Burning Out: What Consumers Really Want to See on Social Media

Burning Out: What Consumers Really Want to See on Social Media

What consumers want to see on social media is not what most brands are publishing. A clear gap exists between the content marketers push and the content users actually want, leading to disengagement, declining trust, and audience fatigue with branded social media output. Brands that ignore this disconnect risk losing relevance entirely.

What Do Consumers Actually Want from Brands on Social Media?

Consumer preferences for branded social content are specific and consistent. According to Sprout Social, 72% of consumers want information about sales and discounts, and 60% want content about new products.

This stands in stark contrast to what marketers believe. The same research found that 61% of marketers think consumers want to be taught something via social posts, and 58% believe consumers want story-driven content. Neither assumption matches what consumers actually say they want.

What consumers want on social media is practical, value-driven content — not branded storytelling. What consumers do not want is content that prioritises the brand’s narrative over their own needs.

Why Are Consumers Disengaging from Branded Social Content?

Consumer disengagement from branded social media content is driven by a combination of irrelevance and broken trust. Public confidence in large businesses has not fully recovered since the 2008 financial crash, and brands that continue to broadcast self-serving content are compounding the problem.

The reach of brand content does not guarantee its impact. According to Brandwatch, 96% of people who discuss a brand online do not follow that brand’s own social page. This means the vast majority of brand-related conversation happens entirely outside the brand’s control — making the quality and relevance of owned content even more critical for those who do choose to engage.

Disengagement is not a platform problem — it is a content relevance problem.

How Can Brands Rebuild Trust on Social Media?

Rebuilding consumer trust on social media requires a deliberate shift in both content strategy and engagement behaviour. Broadcasting to a large audience is ineffective if that audience is ignoring the content. The following steps outline how brands can begin to repair the relationship.

1. Publish content consumers ask for. If 72% of consumers want sales and discount information, make that content a priority. If 60% want new product updates, build a content cadence around announcements.
2. Respond to direct messages. Acknowledge and reply to messages sent by followers. This basic action signals that a real person is behind the account.
3. Reply to comments and engage with posts. Going beyond DMs to engage in comment threads and acknowledge user content increases the perception of the brand as approachable.
4. Prioritise engagement over broadcast reach. A smaller, genuinely engaged audience is more valuable than a large audience that scrolls past your content.
5. Appear more human. The more personable a brand’s social presence, the more trustworthy it becomes in the eyes of consumers.

What Happens When Brands Get Social Media Content Right?

When brands align their social media output with what consumers want to see, the results compound over time. Users who find content useful are more likely to follow the brand’s page, engage with posts, and eventually extend trust to the business itself.

• Relevant content drives follower growth from audiences who would not otherwise follow the brand
• Consistent engagement builds a perception of the brand as personable and human
• Trust, once rebuilt through consistent and useful output, translates into stronger brand loyalty
• Social channels become a two-way relationship rather than a one-way broadcast channel

Social media accounts are essential for brands — but only when used in a way that puts the consumer’s needs first. Creating content that disengages audiences wastes resource and actively damages brand perception.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do consumers most want to see from brands on social media?

According to Sprout Social, 72% of consumers want to see sales and discount information, and 60% want updates about new products. Practical, value-driven content consistently outperforms storytelling and educational content in consumer preference surveys.

Why are consumers losing trust in brands on social media?

Consumer trust in large businesses has remained fragile since the 2008 financial crash. Brands that use social media primarily to broadcast self-serving content — rather than to provide value or engage directly — accelerate this erosion of trust.

How can brands improve engagement on social media?

Brands can improve engagement by publishing the content consumers actually want (deals, product news), responding to direct messages, replying to comments, and generally treating social channels as a space for conversation rather than broadcast advertising.

Does having a large social media following matter if engagement is low?

A large following has limited value if the audience is not engaging with the content. According to Brandwatch, 96% of people who talk about a brand online do not follow that brand’s page — meaning reach without relevance produces very little return.

What is the difference between what marketers think consumers want and what consumers actually want on social media?

Marketers tend to believe consumers want educational content and brand storytelling. In reality, consumers prioritise transactional content: information about sales, discounts, and new products. Closing this gap is essential for brands looking to rebuild social media trust and engagement.