I’ve worked in PR and communications for over a decade, and during that time, I’ve seen the landscape shift dramatically. What used to work, mass messaging, chasing viral moments, endless follower counts, just doesn’t cut it anymore. Instead, I’ve learned that real connection is what people are searching for.

In this blog, I want to share some reflections on how communications is evolving, how our audiences are changing, and how, at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to build meaningful communities, no matter how much noise we have to cut through to get there.

Because, at the heart of it, community always finds a way.

In the fast-moving world of communications, we’ve seen a massive shift in how brands and audiences interact. Gone are the days of the spray and pray approach, where companies pushed out as much content as possible, hoping it would stick somewhere. The old metric of success was volume: how many followers, how many views, how many clicks. But today, we know better. It’s not about how many people see your content; it’s about how deeply they engage with it.

Social media has evolved from a numbers game into a meaningful space for community-building. Viral hits still happen, sure, but they’re no longer the ultimate goal. Instead, brands are focusing on creating highly engaging posts that resonate with their core audiences. According to research by Hootsuite and GWI (2024), the most successful social media strategies today focus on building loyal communities, with engagement rates, comments, and saves often holding more value than reach or impressions.

This shift is happening in the context of an attention economy where people are more selective than ever. Yes, our collective attention spans have shrunk, recent studies suggest we now have an average attention span of around 47 seconds per digital task, down from 75 seconds in 2021 (Gloria Mark, 2023). But here’s the catch: while people might scroll past content that doesn’t resonate, they’ll linger on the things they truly value.

I’m living proof of that. I pay for four different news subscriptions because I know the value those outlets bring to my understanding of the world. I also check in daily with my favourite creators and influencers, who have built trusted spaces that feel like small communities within the endless digital noise. When something matters to people, they’ll invest time, money, and energy into it, because it’s worth it to them.

What we’re really seeing here is a fundamental truth: no matter how much brands bombard us with content, people will always find a way to connect with what’s meaningful. Life finds a way, and so does community.

Even in an age of hyper-targeted ads and endless algorithms, people are searching for connection, for belonging, for spaces that feel safe, inclusive, and valuable. They’re not just passive audiences; they’re active participants in building communities around shared interests, values, and causes.

As brands, we have a choice. We can either keep pushing content out, hoping it sticks, or we can lean in, listen, and co-create communities that matter. At Neighbourgood, we believe the future of communications is rooted in community. It’s about creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported, where conversations thrive, and value is shared.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how much noise fills the feed, community will always find a way.