by Kaya Estrada
Unlock meaningful engagement and trust by making your audience the hero, not your brand.
Why Most Marketing doesn’t connect (and How to Make Yours Stand Out)
Have you ever scrolled through a company’s website or LinkedIn feed and felt like you were being talked at? Most brands still rely on vague claims, “award-winning,” “industry-leading,” “decades of experience”, that all blur together and fail to make a real connection. The truth is simple: your audience wants someone who understands their world, not another company listing its accomplishments.
Are You Talking About Yourself… or Actually Speaking to Your Reader?
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is centering the conversation on themselves instead of the people they serve. Your audience is quietly asking, “Do you see my challenges? Can you help me?” When your content doesn’t answer these questions immediately, trust and connection fall apart.
Self-Focused vs. Audience-Focused: How a Simple Shift Changes Everything
Self-Focused: “Our team has 30 years of combined experience and a proven track record in website design.”
Audience-Focused: “Worried your website is overwhelming for visitors? We help businesses simplify complex information so customers can quickly understand what you offer and why it matters.”
Self-Focused: “We manage social media for dozens of happy clients. Our packages are flexible and affordable.”
Audience-Focused: “Feeling burned out trying to post every week? We help businesses create clear, consistent content that connects with the right audience and communicates value without the overwhelm.”
Why Audience-Focused Content Works (and Gets Better Results)
- Builds trust by demonstrating real empathy and understanding
- Captures attention because it speaks directly to real challenges your audience faces
- Differentiates your brand by addressing topics competitors often overlook
- Makes your messaging stand out in an overcrowded marketplace
This approach isn’t just theory we’ve seen higher engagement, more heartfelt feedback, and longer client relationships by making this shift.
How to Start Speaking to Your Audience (Instead of at Them)
- Audit your content: Highlight every sentence that starts with “we”, “us”, or “our”, these are opportunities to shift the focus.
- Rewrite with empathy: Rewrite your empathy: Lead with your reader’s challenges, goals, or questions, not your features.
- Share stories: Use real examples that show you understand your audience’s world.
- Measure the results: Track engagement, feedback, and inquiries to see how the shift impacts connection
What Actually Happens When Brands Make This Shift
After helping dozens of clients make this switch, here’s what we’ve noticed:
- Noticeably higher click, save, and comment rates across platforms
- More inquiries from people who say they felt “understood” or “represented” in your content
- Stronger loyalty, better retention, and more long-term relationships
Ready to Stand Out?
If you want your marketing to actually work, build trust, spark engagement, and drive results, start by talking to your audience’s reality. Make them the hero of your story, and watch what happens next.
Want help making this shift?
Ready to shift your messaging in a way that actually resonates? Let’s talk about transforming your content, website, or campaigns into something your audience truly connects with. Reach out for a free consultation; we’d love to support your mission.
