Want better-performing social media posts? Start with trust

Read time: 5 minutes.

I once had a boss tell us:

Fair enough.

But what does that really mean for public institutions to build trust on social media?

For many, “trust-worthy” comms is still saying “the right thing, at the right time, in the right tone”.

But trust is much more than that - it's about being believable. It means showing up in ways that feel:

• real (not robotic),

• relevant (not abstract),

• and relatable (not institutional).

Let’s break it down.

Trust is created online like any other relationship

It’s not that different from how we trust people in real life - it’s a process.

We call this the KLT framework - Know, Like, Trust.

First, we need to know you - your presence is consistent and recognisable.

Then they begin to like you, because you show values, tone, or personality they connect with.

Only then do they trust you, because they believe you're competent and have their best interests in mind.

For institutions, the ultimate goal of trust-building isn’t just awareness.

It’s getting people to buy into your mission.

So, how do you actually build that trust?

The three drivers of trust

To answer that, let’s borrow a brilliant framework from Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss, who wrote Begin with Trust for the Harvard Business Review.

Although their work focused on leadership, it maps perfectly to social media too. They describe three pillars that form what they call the Triangle of Trust:

1. Authenticity – "I see the real (human!) you."

2. Logic – "Your ideas make sense and your message holds up."

3. Empathy – "I feel you care about people like me."

When trust breaks down online, you can almost always trace it back to a gap in one of these three.

A practical check: what does your last post say?

Let’s put this into action with a real post from the EU Bubble.

Here’s a GDPR post by the Council of the European Union:

That post sounds important. But does it build trust?

• Authenticity: Somewhat. It refers to values like trust, but it leans to slightly bureaucratic tone. The phrases like “… changed the way we think” and “… a day worth remembering” sound generic.

• Logic: Yes, the post is well-structured and it has a good high-level clarity. But it lacks tangible examples and doesn’t clearly answer “so what?”.

• Empathy: Not really. It refers to individual rights and faintly hints at societal concerns around use of personal data, but it doesn’t offer any human scenario or emotional connection. It reads more like a policy milestone, not a Facebook post.

Now let’s try reframing it:

Suddenly, it clicks.

The post feels sharper, more grounded in everyday experiences, more human.

Trust isn’t built by a single viral post

It’s a long game.

And that’s why trust-building must become your strategy, not a coincidence.

When your social media works as a trust engine, it changes everything:

• Your audience pays attention, even when your policy is complex.

• Your message is remembered, not just read.

• Your institution becomes someone people turn to, not scroll past.

This newsletter builds on my session at EuroPCom 2025, where I shared more examples of how institutions can build trust online. You can watch the full recording here and check out the slides here if you want to revisit the ideas with your team.

🏖️ Before you go

Next week, I’m heading to sunny Turkey and I’d love to take a few great reads with me. If you’ve read something recently (policy, comms or poolside!), hit reply and send me your recommendation.

Thanks for reading and for trusting me with this space in your inbox.
— Kasia