The Engagement Paradox: Why Your Best Work Gets the Quietest Applause
Deep work often gets few public likes. That isn't failure; it's the Engagement Paradox. Your best readers share in Dark Social where you can't see it. Track trust signals: opens, low unsubscribes, private replies. Silence can mean focus or disinterest. Check the data. Measure, then iterate. Smart.
TL;DR (for those already sharing this in private channels):
- The more effort and depth you put into your content, the less visible engagement it usually gets. That’s not a failure. It’s a feature.
- Your most valuable readers are sharing and thinking in Dark Social (Slack threads, emails, internal chats). You just don’t see them.
- Public likes/shares are high-risk signals, especially for senior professionals. Reading is invisible; liking is reputational.
- Trust quiet signals: open rates, low unsubscribes, private replies. Silence may not mean apathy and may signal focus.
- But be honest: silence can also signal disinterest. Check your hard data before telling yourself it’s “hidden success.”