The End of 'Likes', 'Reach' & 'Impressions': Trust Is the New Metrics Brands Care About

This episode explores one of the most profound shifts happening in marketing and media today — the collapse of traditional vanity metrics like likes, views, and impressions, and the rise of trust as the defining measure of influence. The discussion begins by unpacking the saturation of the digital world — endless content, AI-generated posts, and consumer fatigue leading to widespread skepticism. Audiences are overloaded, advertisers are frustrated, and the old playbook of counting followers or measuring reach no longer works. The hosts follow the data trail, revealing how metrics once treated as gold standards have lost credibility, and how brands are rewriting the rules to focus on authenticity, measurable trust, and real-world results. Through research and case studies, the episode explains how marketing has evolved from a volume game to a value game. It outlines the collapse of engagement fraud — bots, purchased followers, and artificial likes — and details how brands now demand hard ROI metrics such as ROAS, CPA, LTV, and conversion per follower (CPF). The conversation highlights why smaller, trusted creators often outperform massive influencers and how transparency, credibility, and audience belief have become the ultimate differentiators. Listeners also learn how the new “Modern Metrics Toolkit” works — analyzing comment authenticity, sentiment scores, saves, shares, brand lift, and Net Promoter Scores to quantify trust in action. The episode dives into how performance-based contracts, retention metrics, and brand sentiment tracking are redefining success across industries — from fast-moving DTC brands and fashion to long-cycle B2B deals. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Economy of Attention 03:05 The Breakdown of Vanity Metrics 05:59 The Shift to Trust as a KPI 09:06 Measuring Trust and Influence 12:07 The Modern Metrics Toolkit 15:04 Engagement Quality and High-Intent Actions 18:00 Conversion Rates and Performance Metrics 21:09 Long-Term Relationships and Customer Loyalty 24:11 Brand Sentiment and Advocacy 27:03 Industry-Specific Metrics 30:06 The Future of Trust in Marketing Connect with Michael Wildes mikewildes.com LinkedIn: Michael Wildes X: @Captainwildes YouTube: @MichaelMJWildes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices