In today's digital age, social media is much more than a place for pet photos or status updates - it's a modern powerhouse of influence. 

Consider this: 

• 78% of users read comments on social media
• 48% strongly agree that they read social media comments to learn what others say about brands

Each day that people are on social media, they engage with a stream of content that slowly but surely influences thoughts, feelings and ultimately behaviours. Beyond the polished posts and viral videos, it's often the comments, those casual opinions, that cause a surprising amount of influence on public perception.

At Sence, we know digital conversations don’t just reflect culture, but actively create it. 

And it’s not only the loudest voices that shape the narratives, but also the unheard voices: the people who rarely post, but scroll, read, and absorb. These audiences form a powerful force, where quiet consensus and herd mentality work hand-in-hand to influence cultural trends, opinions, and behaviours. In a world driven by visibility and exposure, it’s easy to overlook the invisible influence of online conversations. Understanding this dynamic has never been more important.

Unveiling the silent majority 

When we think about social media conversations, our attention is usually drawn to the loudest voices. These are the ones who post, comment, share and take up the spotlight. But in the currents of social media, this is just the tip of the iceberg. What runs deep below the waves of visible comments is the keen eye of all other social media users. 

This "silent majority" 

• absorb content without actively engaging
• are having their reactions and opinions formed through a social filter
• don’t make the noise, they make the difference.

The silent majority sway online narratives not by creating the stories, but by deciding which ones stick. They influence trends through algorithm-driven affirmation of what gets liked, shared and ultimately; seen. Their subtle engagements, clicks, pausing a video or reading a long post, feed into the vast data pool that platforms use to magnify content's reach.

The dynamics of online conversation unfolds in three key stages.

‍1. Early commenters and narrative generation (vocal minority)

When a significant moment happens, there’s a short period where no single narrative has taken hold. For brands this could be a product launch, a major campaign, or a newsworthy announcement. During this stage, a vocal minority, often the earliest commenters, rushes in to interpret, analyse, or react. With no dominant framing in place, the conversation is raw, diverse, and decentralised. It’s a rare moment where public meaning is up for grabs, and individual contributions can carry disproportionate influence. For brands, this is a high-leverage moment. How they show up can shape not just attention, but interpretation. These early voices don’t just reflect the moment; they begin to shape how it’s understood.

‍2. Selective attention on which narratives stick (silent majority)

The next stage of this dynamic is where the silent majority on social media begins to shape the outcome, not by speaking up, but by paying attention. This is where selective attention begins to shape which narratives endure. Rather than adding their own comments, most people shape the conversation in quieter ways, such as liking certain replies, tagging their friends, reacting with emojis, or spending more time reading specific threads. These subtle signals help decide which comments rise to the top, and in turn, which narratives get seen, reinforced, and remembered. It’s a feedback loop: the posts people engage with most, whether they agree with them, find them funny, or just can’t look away, are the ones the algorithms push further. And the more they’re seen, the more they stick.

‍3. Formation of the mainstream narrative (consensus)

At this point, only a handful of narratives, usually three or four, rise above the noise. These are the takes that go mainstream. They become the reference points for how most people talk about the event, even if they didn’t follow the earlier stages. Whether it’s through news headlines, memes, influencer posts, or the top comments that keep resurfacing, almost every conversation now ties back to one of these dominant angles. This is a natural outcome of collective behaviour: as people see others aligning around certain interpretations, they’re more likely to adopt or repeat them too. This herding instinct doesn’t just reflect public opinion, it helps lock it in. What started as a burst of voices eventually settles into a shared understanding.

Why this matters for brands 

For brands, knowing the essential dynamics of online conversation and the silent majority’s role in it is crucial to managing reputation, guiding narrative formation, and ensuring that brand messaging aligns with the evolving discourse.

Understanding the dynamics of online conversation reveals when and how influence is formed—allowing brands to engage more strategically, shape perception early, and stay relevant as narratives form in real time.

3 key takeaways

1. Monitor sentiment and opinion closely: Early reactions offer valuable insight into how audiences are interpreting the moment. By spotting early themes or surprising angles, brands can have predictive foresight into which narratives are likely to take hold and adjust their messaging or jump into the conversation before it fully takes shape.

2. Nudge the narrative without overselling: Brands can reinforce the stories they want to see stick by amplifying relevant voices, identifying power contributors, replying to key commenters, or nudging conversation in a direction that aligns with brand values or goals.

3. Align with (or reframe) the dominant narrative: At the consensus stage, the public framing is more fixed. Brands need to decide whether to lean into it, differentiate from it, or offer a fresh perspective, while always ensuring relevance to the dominant story.