Social media posting is down 12%. What built environment firms can do next

Ofcom's latest research landed this week and the headline will make a lot of marketers nervous. Across the UK, only 49% of adults are now actively posting, sharing or commenting on social media, down from 61% just a year ago. People are pulling back. Being more selective. More worried about their digital footprint.

You can read the full Ofcom Adults' Media Use and Attitudes report here.

But before you decide this means your LinkedIn strategy is pointless, I'd offer a different read on it.

People aren't disappearing from social media. They're migrating to places they trust.

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have shifted away from showing you content from people you actually know, towards algorithmically-driven video feeds chasing attention. When your feed stops feeling like a conversation and starts feeling like television, it makes sense that people stop participating and start watching. The report describes this as social media use becoming more "passive." People are retreating into smaller, safer spaces: WhatsApp groups, DMs, private communities, messages from people they genuinely know.

This is what that means for built environment firms. Your clients, your collaborators, your referrers are having conversations you can't see. The question is whether your name comes up in those conversations.

I had a lead come through recently that illustrated this perfectly. It arrived via a journalism WhatsApp group I wasn't even part of. Someone in that group asked if anyone knew a good built environment marketing specialist. Someone who knows me put my name forward. That person then contacted me directly wanting to collaborate.

I didn't post anything to make that happen. I didn't run a campaign. It happened because I've spent years keeping relationships warm, showing up consistently, and making sure people understand what I do, so that when the moment comes, they think of me.

That's the bit that gets lost in conversations about social media ROI. The value isn't always visible. It accumulates quietly, in other people's memory.

So what should built environment firms actually do with this?

Keep posting, even when it feels like no one's watching. Recognition doesn't happen overnight and I've been doing this consistently for six years. Visibility builds through repetition, through showing up, through people seeing your name and your thinking often enough for it to stick. The people who matter might not be liking your posts but I bet they're still reading them.

Pay attention to where communities are forming. Professional WhatsApp groups, industry Slack channels, niche platforms like Circle and Skool are now where real conversations are happening. This year I’ve joined and being more active in industry communities to share my knowledge, raise visibility and build relationships with more people. When you hear about one forming in your space, get in early and be genuinely useful, not just present.

Keep your relationships warm across the board. You never know where a lead will come from. The junior colleague you helped five years ago, that journalist you gave a quote to or the person you had a laugh with at a conference. Any of them could be the person who says your name at exactly the right moment.

The Ofcom data isn't a reason to step back from your marketing but it is a reason to be more intentional about where you choose to invest your time and visibility. You need to recognise that the relationships you’re building today is probably doing more work than you realise and will build your pipeline well into the future.

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