You Don’t Need More Followers. You Need More Believers.

Stop thinking your work will speak for itself. It won’t.

Not in 2025. Not in this economy, and definitely not in the one that’s coming next.

Over the past few decades, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how people build influence, earn opportunity and create value. Each phase has reshaped the rules of visibility, access and trust. Those who adapt lead the future.

Let’s revisit the progression:

1. The Knowledge Economy (What You Know). In the late 20th century, expertise was everything. Degrees, certifications and résumés were the currency of upward mobility. You advanced by being the most qualified person in the room.
2. The Network Economy (Who You Know). By the early 2000s, relationships became the differentiator. LinkedIn launched in 2003. Warm intros, alumni networks and handshakes mattered more than bullet points.
3. The Attention Economy (Who Knows You). Social media changed the game. Platforms like Twitter, YouTube and Instagram let anyone build a platform. Visibility became its own currency. The most known, not necessarily the most qualified, stood out.

Related: 4 Ways to Stop Getting Distracted and Start Hitting Goals

Now we enter the trust economy (who believes you)

Today, AI can generate content faster than we can read it. Algorithms filter what we see. Attention alone isn’t enough. We want to believe the people we hear from.

This is the Trust Economy.

In this era, your influence isn’t based on how many people know your name. It’s based on how many believe in your values, credibility and consistency.

AI can write a blog post or mimic your tone. But it can’t build real trust. That only comes from lived experience, sound judgment and meaningful connection — things that can’t be faked or automated.

Why this matters

Some will say, “Trust has always mattered.” They’re not wrong. But here’s what’s changed:

In the past, trust was the outcome of success.
Now, it’s the requirement for opportunity.

We used to build trust slowly — through boardrooms, coffee chats and years of work. Today, people form opinions about you in seconds, based on what they see online.

And the data backs it up:

• Nielsen says 92% of people trust individual recommendations over brands, even from strangers.
• According to Brunswick Group, 3 out of 4 people trust a company more when its CEO is active on social media.

That’s not a coincidence, it’s a signal. In the trust economy, leaders are the brand.

Whether you’re a founder, executive, advisor or creative, your digital presence is no longer optional. It’s your reputation at scale. The new business card. The new due diligence.

People Google you before they meet you.
They scroll before they schedule.
They judge your credibility before you say a word.

So, what do they find?

Trust is built, not claimed

In a world flooded with content, trust isn’t earned through titles or followers. It comes from:

• Clarity – Are you consistent in what you stand for?
• Transparency – Can people see the real you behind the polished bio?
• Proof – Do your stories and track record back up your message?

Trust is the long game. And in a world where content can be cloned, it’s your most defensible asset. To thrive in the trust economy, you need to move beyond being visible and focus on being believable.

That doesn’t mean oversharing or pretending to be someone you’re not. It means showing up with integrity, intention and a point of view rooted in lived experience.

Because the reality is:

AI can fake the message.
Only you can prove the messenger.

Final thought

The trust economy won’t be led by the loudest. It will be led by those with the clearest values, the strongest signals and the deepest credibility.

So if you’re not shaping how you’re seen and believed, someone else — or something else — will do it for you.

In this next economy, your greatest advantage isn’t being seen.

It’s being trusted.