Social Media CX Podcast

Why Safe Brand Content Fails to Build Trust

Your brand content might be too safe to build trust. In this final episode of the Social Penetration Theory series, I’m talking about the deepest layer of human connection online: feelings. Because while most brands say they want loyalty, advocacy, and emotional connection, their content is often designed to avoid risk instead of create relationships. And customers can feel it. I share the story behind how getting laid off in 2009 eventually led me to build B Squared Media, why “think conversation, not campaign” became our foundation, and what 14 years in social media customer experience has taught me about trust. We also unpack why so much content feels emotionally empty right now, especially in the age of AI, and why the brands standing out today are the ones willing to sound human again. This conversation is also the foundation behind our free Talk Worthy Content Course because trust is not built through content calendars or one-off campaigns. It’s built layer by layer through conversations people actually care about. In this episode: * Why safe content often creates forgettable brands * The real reason emotionally resonant content stands out * Why customers trust human brands more than polished ones * What AI still cannot replicate * How stronger customer relationships are built over time MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Talk Worthy Content Course: https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content [https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content/]

Why Nobody Responds to Brand Content

The algorithm doesn't care that you posted. It cares that you said something worth responding to. This week, I'm breaking down why so much "safe" content underperforms, why applause isn't the same as engagement, and what platforms are actually rewarding right now. It's layer three of Social Penetration Theory: opinions. The layer where real conversations start, trust builds, and brands either become memorable or disappear into the noise. We'll get into the difference between controversy and conviction, why disagreement is often a sign your content is working, and how to drive conversation without manufacturing drama. Plus, I’ll share practical ways to get your audience actually talking back. Inside this episode: * Why disagreement can actually strengthen your content * What social media algorithms are rewarding right now * How brands accidentally water down their messaging * Simple ways to get your audience talking back * How to create conversation without being controversial Mentioned: Free Talk-Worthy Content Course: https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content [https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content] Connect with Brooke Sellas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas]

Why Valuable Brand Content Gets Ignored

Most brands think they have an engagement problem when they actually have a conversation problem. Because facts matter. Credibility and data matters. But if your content stops at “here’s a statistic,” you’re probably creating passive engagement instead of real conversation. This week, I’m digging into why some of the smartest, most accurate brands online are still struggling to get people to respond and why algorithms are increasingly rewarding conversation over broadcasting. It’s part two of our May Series on Social Penetration Theory—and how it can help explain why so much brand content gets seen but not responded to. We’ll get into: * Why facts alone rarely create meaningful engagement * What LinkedIn’s analytics reveal about where reach is actually happening * The difference between passive consumption vs. conversation-driven content * How to stay compliant without losing personality or warmth * Why conversation is becoming more valuable than reach Mentioned: Free Talk-Worthy Content Course: https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content [https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content] Connect with Brooke Sellas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas]

The Real Reason Brand Content Isn’t Building Loyalty

Most brands are publishing more content than ever — yet trust, engagement, and loyalty still feel harder to earn. For enterprise marketing leaders, the challenge is rarely a lack of content. The problem is that much of today’s brand messaging stays at the surface level: polished announcements, safe language, and transactional responses that create visibility but not connection. In this episode of the Social Media CX Podcast, Brooke Sellas explores the communication framework that has quietly shaped relationship-building for decades: the Social Penetration Theory, also known as the “Onion Theory.” Originally developed to explain how trust forms between people, this framework offers a powerful lens for understanding why some brands build loyalty while others struggle to create meaningful engagement. You’ll hear why most brand content never moves beyond clichés, how relationship depth impacts customer trust, and why today’s social algorithms increasingly reward conversation over passive engagement. For marketing leaders navigating audience fatigue, declining engagement, and pressure to prove business impact, this episode reframes social media as more than a distribution channel — it becomes a relationship environment. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * Why publishing more content doesn’t automatically create stronger customer loyalty * The four layers of relationship-building that shape trust between brands and audiences * How surface-level messaging weakens engagement and emotional connection * Why customer service interactions on social media can either strengthen or damage loyalty * What social platforms are rewarding now — and why conversation matters more than impressions * How enterprise brands can move from broadcasting content to building relationships WHY THIS MATTERS FOR MARKETING LEADERS Today’s customers expect more than awareness campaigns and polished announcements. They want relevance, recognition, and human interaction. The brands earning trust are not necessarily the loudest or the most visible — they are the brands willing to communicate with greater depth. This episode challenges a common assumption in enterprise marketing: Visibility doesn’t automatically create loyalty. Instead, loyalty is built through trust, and trust grows through conversations that move beyond surface-level messaging. CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Want more insights on social care, customer loyalty, and conversation-driven marketing? Subscribe to Brooke Sellas’ Lost to Loyal Newsletter on LinkedIn for ongoing strategies and real-world examples of how brands turn engagement into loyalty. Join the newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6815661085677383680/ [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6815661085677383680/] Or take the free Talk Worthy Content Course to learn how to create social content designed to spark meaningful engagement. Explore the course: https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content/ [https://bsquared.media/courses/talk-worthy-content/] CONNECT WITH BROOKE SELLAS Follow Brooke on LinkedIn for ongoing conversations about customer experience, social care, and the future of relationship-driven marketing.

AI in Customer Experience: Will It Build Trust or Break It?

AI is everywhere in customer service right now. But faster doesn’t always mean better. In this episode, I’m joined by Matt Price, founder and CEO of Crescendo AI. We talk about what’s actually changing in customer experience, and where I see a lot of brands getting it wrong. We get into why “just adding a bot” often makes things worse, how so many teams are still operating like production lines, and what shifts when you stop thinking about efficiency and start thinking about engagement. Matt shares what he’s seeing across hundreds of contact centers, including how AI is changing customer expectations, where companies are creating friction without realizing it, and why the real opportunity isn’t automation… it’s redesigning the entire experience. We Talk About: * Why adding AI to one part of the process can backfire * The “fast food” approach to customer service * What I think companies still misunderstand about CX * Why customers are fine with AI (until they’re not) * How better handoffs between AI and humans improve outcomes * The pressure CX leaders are under right now * What you’d do differently with unlimited capacity Mentioned in this Episode: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthspecialist [https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthspecialist] * Website: https://www.crescendo.ai [https://www.crescendo.ai] * Email: matt.price@crescendo.ai [matt.price@crescendo.ai] * State of Social Media Care Report: https://bsquared.media/the-state-of-social-care-2026 [https://bsquared.media/the-state-of-social-care-2026]