Since the start of the new year, I have noticed business owners posting on LinkedIn daily or several times a week. Yay for being more active! Boo for the frequency and overall execution. Double boo for the AI-generated content and visuals. It is riff-raff. Please just stop making mistakes on LinkedIn — you can do better!

Instead, Connect With Other Business Owners and Leaders

Right now, LinkedIn is the only place to connect with like-minded professionals, business owners, industry leaders and potential leads. This is the only social network where you can get updates from your industry’s leaders on what’s happening in their career or company. In addition to that, it is a platform for professional development — hello LinkedIn Learning — and to get the heads-up on industry trends, emerging technologies, the state of the economy and more.

Personally, I love seeing updates from my connections on awards they have won, events they have attended, professional milestones and shout-outs about what is happening in their business or with their people. Please, get back to that.

LinkedIn Builds Professional Credibility

So hey, business owners and leaders: Let’s harken back to the three Cs of successful brands. Conviction, consistency and connection should be your guidance on how to use LinkedIn successfully.

Focusing on connection and the relevancy of your content are the things that matter. If your target doesn’t care about what you stand for and if it isn’t authentic and purposeful, no one will pay attention. The stronger the emotional connection, the more likely your target or your connections will be positively pre-disposed to your organization.

Business Owners and Leaders Build Connection on LinkedIn

Trusted relationships develop into emotional bonds. And this is true for LinkedIn. Loyalty to your brand or to you as a business leader means greater business success for you, and reduced competitive threat.

While you may think staged photography of you behind your computer or with a team member, belongs on your personal LinkedIn timeline, think again. It is not enough to just show yourself working. Let your followers know what you’re thinking. Don’t weaken connections with your professional network you spent decades to build. Keep connecting with your network in ways that help them.

Balance helpfulness, expertise and relatability to boost engagement on LinkedIn without excessive self-promotion. Please and thank you. Again, for the love of Pete, keep your audience interested by providing value. Establish your authority by sharing your expertise.

And above all, build connection.

Front Porch Marketing can help if you need additional thoughts on how to use LinkedIn, how to build and maintain connection with your network, or just some counsel on your LinkedIn brand or personal page. We know you can rock it in 2026!

It’s the last post of the year, y’all, time for a round-up of the best marketing tips from our blog. It’s about to be 2026 in a few days, and we’ve accomplished a lot! To move forward to the future of your marketing success, we thought it would be helpful to go back and share some knowledge from the past. Hopefully, this will help you start thinking about what you want your business to be in 2026.

Start the Year With a Marketing Plan

First of all, you don’t know where to start planning for the year ahead? Start with an official marketing plan. Put a document like this together to help guide you through the year. Here are some marketing tip posts:

• Get Started on Your Marketing Plan
• Get Your Marketing Plan Ready
• Business Success: Now is the Time to Plan

Pro Marketing Tip: Strong Branding

Next, does your branding stand for the company the way you want it to? Can you strengthen your brand? Will 2026 be the year for a re-branding to more align your business goals? Here are some branding posts to help you evaluate your situation.

• Harness the Power of Branding
• Begin with Branding: Do You Have a Solid Foundation?
• The Evolution of Your Brand’s Visual Identity

Your Brand’s Voice Has Power — Channel It!

To continue this thought, part of your brand is your voice. The words you use, the story you tell. Are you maximizing that voice in every point of contact? Here are some marketing tips on topics to think about when you are evaluating your content:

• Brand Messaging: How Strategic Word Choice Builds Trust
• The Impact of Brand Storytelling
• Brand Voice: The Importance of Consistent Communication

Tame the Tactics: From Email to Social Media

Finally, need marketing tips on how to do email or newsletter marketing? Social media posting? We’ve got you covered. Get started by checking out these post for information, or advancing your digital marketing prowess this year:

• Engage Customers With These 3 Smart Email Marketing Strategies
• Using Scroll-Stopping Content to Hook Your Audience
• How to Increase Traffic to Your Company Blog

For More Helpful Marketing Tips, Check Our Blog

Overall, we might have covered just about every every marketing topic that a small business could use to grow their brand. Because, we’ve been creating content on our blog for over a decade! Find a nugget or two in there to help you get started. If you want to subscribe to the blog and get a tip post every week next year, just subscribe here. If you have questions, be sure to holler.

In marketing and creative endeavors, no great creative work is the result of a single perspective. The most effective strategies and boldest ideas are born when designers, copywriters, strategists, media planners, and account managers work side by side sharing expertise and building on each other’s insights.

Collaboration on a team isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the backbone of an efficient process toward a successful outcome. We’re stronger together. Here’s why it matters and some ideas for how to put it into practice.

Different Disciplines, Different Lenses

Each marketing discipline brings a unique way of looking at a problem:

Designers think visually, shaping how a brand feels.

Copywriters shape the voice, ensuring words connect emotionally and persuasively.

Strategists dig into audience behavior and market dynamics.

Media planners understand where and when the message will be most effective.

Practical Tips:

• Host a kickoff session for each project with every discipline present, so all voices are heard and all questions are asked early.
• Encourage short “discipline spotlights” in meetings to help the team learn how others think, and what others need to do their job.

Keeping Everyone Informed for Creative Work Efficiency

Working in silos often leads to misalignment, revisions, and wasted time. By keeping everyone informed, the team can anticipate needs, adapt ideas on the fly, and avoid costly detours. Including others in input meetings with the client, and in presentations with the client can also offer more well-rounded, on-target solutions.

Practical Tips:

• Use a shared project board (like Asana, Workfront or even Microsoft Teams) where all updates live.
• Send out weekly recaps or hold quick status meetings outlining progress, road blocks and upcoming deadlines.
• Assign a point person (like a project manager) to ensure information flows between disciplines.

Collaboration Sparks Creative Work

Ideas rarely come out fully formed. They grow stronger through conversation and refinement. A strategist’s data might spark a creative twist, or a designer’s mockup could inspire a headline. Notes from a client meeting can provide unique perspective and insight for those creating the work who were not at the meeting.

Practical Tips:

• Run quick brainstorm sessions with mixed disciplines, not just creatives.
• Use tools like Miro for virtual idea-storming across departments.
• Encourage team members to ask “what if?” questions, even outside their area of expertise.

Creative Work with Better Outcomes for Clients and Audiences

Collaboration on creative and marketing work leads to campaigns that feel cohesive, purposeful, and tailored to audience needs.

Practical Tips:

• Share drafts with the whole team, not just the client-facing role, before presentation.
• Do a quick “audience check” roundtable where each discipline explains how their piece serves the end user.
• Build in one joint review session before final delivery to ensure cohesion.

The Human Side: Trust and Respect

When every voice is valued, people feel invested in the work. Respect and trust grow, making it easier to tackle challenges and celebrate wins together.

Practical Tips:

• Open meetings with a “shout-out” moment where team members recognize others’ contributions.
• Create a culture where feedback is framed as collaboration, not criticism.

Collaboration Isn’t Just About Working Together, It’s About Working Smarter

By keeping every discipline informed, inviting every perspective to the table, and nurturing open communication, you build more than solid marketing and creative work. You create partnerships, efficiency, and results that couldn’t exist any other way.

Over the last few weeks, business owners and leaders have contacted us to assist with search engine optimization (SEO) initiatives. Two companies were working with agencies and noticed their results month over month were decreasing. They asked us to do an audit of activities and give a recommendation.

Two businesses were looking for a SEO partner. The leaders of these companies were brilliant business leaders running successful companies. However, upon further discovery, their budgets didn’t meet their expected outcomes.

Success Can Be Realized With SEO and Paid Digital

Be aware that there is a minimum threshold for advertising spend as well as agency management of campaigns, campaign creative and content development. We found that there was little understanding of this by business leaders. Education is needed.

A quote from a recent prospect that floored us for many reasons, “We were blindsided by our agency shutting down. We have had the last five companies end up like this agency, a 3–6 month ramp up and either the company evaporates or the person that was with the company quits.”

And the last bit that was most alarming, “The agency said if they ever closed their doors their plan and progress will be easy to transfer.” If this is ever in any contract with an agency partner, y’all, please don’t sign. Walk away. Walk away fast.

SEO Initiatives Are More Complex Now For Several Reasons

SEO is constantly changing, so approaches need to pivot too. Here are some of the more recent developments in SEO:

• AI-driven search:
  • Google’s AI Overview (AIO) and other AI-powered answer engines provide direct answers and summaries. This means users do not have to click through to websites. And click-through rates (CTR) have declined. Expertise and Quality: Expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are now king. AI-driven search engines prioritize high-quality, authoritative content that demonstrates.
• Voice search: This is increasing as well as visual search means new strategies and skills that some agency teams are lacking.
• Saturation of content: There is no lack of content on the internet. Unique content that aligns with user intent is critical.
• Established brands: These companies have massive advertising budgets. They dominate search.

At Front Porch, we start with your brand architecture. A brand is shaped by three primary factors: who you are, who you aspire to be, and how your audience perceives you.

We Believe in These Pillars For Successful SEO Marketing

Consistency: Consistency and clarity across every touchpoint strengthen brand equity.

Collaboration: Collaboration with our clients is paramount. We are at our best when we work alongside you in your business and understand what is happening in the day-to-day business.

Communication: Timely communication and turnaround will be important to make our partnership successful.

We Recommend Fewer, Deeper Strategic Tactics

You have limited resources — time, money, etc. We understand that. That is why less is more. Deeper focus on fewer marketing initiatives results in business success. This is a proven, tried and true methodology that ensures success in the long term. But with limited budgets and fewer initiatives, the momentum could take longer.

However, if you provide us with a budget and that budget won’t result in success in the initiative you are proposing, we will tell you. We won’t invest your money knowing there will not be the return expected.

Be Prepared for SEO of the Future, Now

The SEO industry is experiencing significant transformation. Find a partner who is embracing AI. Also, make sure they provide the highest quality and unique UX experiences and content. Last but not least, don’t invest in this strategy if you don’t have the budget to compete.

As a marketer, I cannot remember the last time we blogged about ourselves. That is not the purpose of this communication or our usual MO all the way around. But this topic should be shared for learning, as well as I could really use some feedback from this trusted community on being a marketer.

Networking as a Marketer

I joined a new networking group in October of last year. One of our amazing partners who jumps in on graphic and website designs had been gently nudging me to just go to a lunch to learn more. When learning this group meets weekly, a two-hour commitment, I was unsure. How could this fit into all the current professional and personal things on my weekly to-do list?

And I finally attended a meeting. I loved the energy and people in the room. The structure of the meeting was impressive. I was all in after auditing one or two more meetings. Being focused on paying it forward and referring business leaders and owners to like-minded business leaders and owners has always been inherently at my core. And come to find out, this is what this group was all about. What?!?!

Focusing on Relationships as a Marketer

This new networking group of mine is laser-focused on relationships. Plus, there is an abundance of accountability. And accountability is a great thing as well. Home service providers, commercial and residential realtors and mortgage professionals and marketing folks who provide singular services like graphic design, promotional materials and video production have found this group to be of great benefit.

So again, I find myself in a group that I love. I have provided many referrals. And a few folks have provided referrals to me, but I have heard time and time again, “I am not sure what Front Porch Marketing does.”

I had the opportunity to present to this group last week. My team was amazing and created an information sheet — which you can download here — for me to pass out at the presentation. We also produced note pads as swag, as well as cookies. Food is one of my love languages, as you may know.

Continuous Improvement as a Marketer

During the meeting, I was at home and at ease presenting. Talking about my family, and how previous work experience led me to start Front Porch Marketing. I spent time discussing what makes us different, our services and shared two client examples. The majority of the audience was engaged. However, two or three business owners were frowning and bored. I did something wrong. I didn’t practice what I preach.

At Front Porch Marketing, we partner with business leaders and owners who want to build strong brands. They recognize a full-service branding and marketing partner provides them value and focus to working on their business instead of in their business. But these leaders know marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all. And all marketers are not the same.

This leads me to how you can help. Please comment on this blog post, or email or text me and let me know what makes Front Porch Marketing rock for you. Let me know how I can communicate our value proposition in a more meaningful way. Thanks in advance, y’all!

For many service-based businesses, summer can bring a noticeable shift in pace. Clients take vacations. Projects slow down. Inboxes are a little quieter. While that can be stressful for some, it’s also a golden opportunity to set the stage for the kind of brand-building and relationship marketing that pays off in the fall.

Here are five smart, low-pressure ways to keep your business visible and valuable during the summer months.

Show Up With Service-Based Seasonal Relevance

Your service-based clients are in summer mode so your marketing should reflect that. Swap out your usual tone and visuals for something lighter and more seasonal. Even a service business can have seasonal flair, it just takes thoughtful execution.

• Update your website or social headers with a bright, seasonal refresh.
• Share content that acknowledges where your audience’s head is right now (travel, rest, planning ahead).
• Keep calls to action warm and casual. Think: “Let’s chat before fall,” instead of “Book now!”

Reconnect Without Selling

Summer is a great time for a service-based business to nurture their relationships, not push offers. People remember how you made them feel, not how hard you pushed.

• Send a short “checking in” email to past clients or prospects with something personal or helpful.
• Share a light, engaging newsletter featuring tips, updates or even your team’s summer reading list.
• Send a handwritten thank-you note, summer themed postcard or small branded summer item to key contacts.

Package a Service-Based Seasonal Offer

Create a limited-time service bundle or mini offer that’s easier to say “yes” to. Position it as a chance to get ready for Q4 while things are still quiet, to end the year strong.

• A quick strategy session, audit, or consultation for a set price.
• A “summer tune-up” for their current account.
• A short-term retainer designed to bridge the gap until fall for a special project.

Go Behind-the-Scenes at Your Service-Based Business

Summer is perfect for showing the human side of your brand. People like to work with people. Let them see the personality behind the service you provide.

• Share behind-the-scenes moments of your team working (or vacationing).
• Post photos or reels that give clients a peek into how you operate.
• Use Stories, Reels, or LinkedIn posts to spotlight summer client wins or simple day-in-the-life moments.

Plant Seeds for Fall

If you’re slower in summer, use that time to get ahead. Marketing doesn’t always have to be public-facing to be powerful. Quiet progress now  in the summer, can lead to loud momentum later in the fall and winter months.

• Batch fall content now to get ahead (blogs, newsletters, email sequences).
• Refresh your onboarding materials or website copy during downtime.
• Build a campaign now around something launching in September or October.

Stay Warm, Not Silent

Summer isn’t the time to go radio silent for a service-based business, it’s the time to stay present, helpful, and human. Because when fall hits and decision-makers are back in gear, you’ll be top of mind, not just because you marketed well, but because you showed up with intention when others disappeared.

So go ahead. First slow your pace, then warm your tone, and finally let your service-based summer marketing do the quiet, steady work of building trust with your customer that will last all year long.

We’re 14 this year. And I admit it. In addition to being an entrepreneur, business owner, mother, wife, volunteer, brander and marketer, I am a “Swiftie.” However, there are a few things I disagree with powerhouse entrepreneur and musical genius Taylor Swift on. One of those things is that indeed, “At 14 there is so much you CAN do.”

Front Porch Marketing Started Rockin’ 14 Years Ago

As I reflect on the years since founding Front Porch Marketing in March 2011, there is so much in which to give thanks. We have had and continue to have the support of many people, in business and life. Mentors, current and former clients and team members, advocates, friends, family members and I could go on and on. I am so grateful and humbled for each and every person who continues to rock our Porch.

Without further ado, to y’all who have been with us since the beginning, in the middle, jumped on the Porch recently and those to come, I share these things.

14 Branding, Marketing and Business Must-Haves and Guardrails for 2025

1 Branding

Know what your brand should be. How is it relevant to your target? Does everyone within your organization know what your brand stands for? Your internal team should be convicted. Your brand should be creating emotional connections. Consistently communicate your brand at every point of contact with all your audiences. This has been our foundational message to clients for 14 years.

2 Marketing Plan

“Failing to plan, is planning to fail,” said Benjamin Franklin. Have you created your marketing plan? Did you stick to it? Are you reviewing your goals, targets, strategies, tactics, budget, etc. quarterly? How is your ongoing measurement compared to your goals?

3 Client and Customer Insights

Talk to or have an agency partner your current clients. Identify strengths and weaknesses. Gather feedback. Discover new opportunities. Enhance customer experience. Validate marketing and sales strategies. All of this results in stronger relationships.

4 Website

Audit your current website. Is the creative on brand? Are you using SEO to make your site more visible in search? Does your content answer customer questions? Does it have a strong Call to Action (CTA)? Are you monitoring and measuring analytics?

5 Strong Creative

This sets you apart from competitors. When someone within your organization wants to drive creative ideas based on what they like and then another person wants to DIY creative, you are diluting your brand. Show you are established and have professionals working on your brand. This is not the area to bring in-house unless you have a creative director who has a graphic design designer or creative team. Hard stop.

6 Interesting and Personalized Content

Are you listening to your clients or customers? Is your copy concise? Is it compelling? If you have engaged your office manager, or person on your team with an English degree, etc., to write your content, how is that working for you?

7 Organic Social Media

Organic social content is more relatable and real. Consistency on social media is paramount. We know a consistent organic social media strategy drives results.

8 AI

How are you utilizing AI? What drives us crazy about it is when a client says just post this using AI to generate content. Nope. Not. Humans still matter. But there are ways to complement what you are doing and improve efficiencies by using AI.

9 Paid Strategy

How can you amplify your organic social? Want to engage potential clients or customers? With limited budgets over 14 years, we have found multiple ways to leverage paid digital advertising strategies to achieve goals.

10 Sustainability

For long term business success, people, profit and planet must be woven into your business and marketing strategies. Sustainability does matter. Your team cares about it. Your clients and customers will remain loyal to you because of it. How can we help with this?

11 Pivoting and Testing

Marketing isn’t a one size fits all. Try something. Make sure it is on strategy and on-brand. Analyze it. And if it is working, amplify it. Do more of that. This strategy of pivoting and testing has been working for our clients for 14 years.

12 Video

A simple video marketing strategy can cut through the clutter. Video doesn’t have to be over produced or over-thought. You don’t have to necessarily entertain. Be you do need to be helpful, on-brand and meaningful in your video messaging.

13 Sales Support

Sales and marketing go hand-in-hand. What are you or your sales support doing together to drive leads? We have some tried-and-true ideas here — that we’ve successfully deployed over the last 14 years — and would be happy to have a call with you to share.

14 CRM

A simple customer relationship management system (CRM) helps maximize interactions and engagements with all audiences. There are many more benefits. We would love to set up a call to wax further lyrical here. Call us.

14 Years is Just the Beginning

To all business and nonprofit leaders who have considered all these must-haves and guardrails for 2025, kudos to y’all. Let’s keep doing more of that! And, on this our 14^th year, please know Front Porch Marketing folks, “You’re Still the One.”

Cheers to February 2025 and the marketing investments our clients are focused on in this new year.

Last year was weird. If it wasn’t for your business or brand, please share. Because this weirdness has been a topic of conversation with our peers, industry leaders and current and prospective clients. From a business to business and business to consumer standpoint, sales were all over the place.

And, not stating lightly, the weather had its impacts in 2024. We are forever grateful to work with amazing leaders and businesses who suffered significant impact from weather disasters. From droughts to fires and hurricanes and everything in between.

Even now in 2025, we have some clients questioning what is happening in their industries and why. Trends are bucking historical performance.

Here’s What We Do Know About Marketing Investments

Starting Front Porch Marketing in 2011 was a calculated risk. The labor market was weak. There was low consumer demand. And unemployment was high. However, this entrepreneur took the leap. If you can do it now, you can make it anywhere was the mantra.

This year is harkening back to that time. Not an economist nor do I play one on TV, but this time and space feels familiar.

Strategic Marketing Investments Our Clients Are Leaning Into in 2025

1. Brand architecture is the guidepost. This creates internal conviction. Brands must concentrate on this internally before communicating externally.
2. Brand storytelling is paramount. This builds trust. It builds awareness. It will have a lasting impact.
3. Evaluating existing star clients or customers. What brought these rockstars to your business services or products? Where did they come from?
4. Marketing tactics that garnered return in the past. As business leaders and entrepreneurs, it is easy to chase the newest shiny object. But don’t forget the marketing truths. The numbers don’t lie.

Want to sustain or grow your business? Invest more in branding and marketing.

So, I leave you with this dear readers: Creative, collaborative problem-solving has been and continues to be golden. Leaders and the right marketing partner can navigate the most complex of challenges together, making successful marketing investments for growth. With agility and innovation, the sales will follow.

Stay true to your brand and as a business leader, be real. Use your brand architecture as the guidepost. If it isn’t defined — for heaven or the universe or whatever — call us and let us help.

Embrace change. The growth mindset and calculated risk taker will see topline growth. With your eye on the prize and thoughts on what we have shared here, no matter what is going on in our economy, your business will succeed.

Looking to plus up your small business marketing in 2025? We’re ending this year with a wrap-up of blog posts that will help you do just that. From trade shows to content marketing, here’s a go-to of explainers, checklists and reasons to get started.

Maximize Trade Shows and Conferences

Pump up your small business presence in the industry marketplace by getting the most out of the trade shows and conferences you’ll be attending. Utilize pre-, during-, and post-event social media and more.

Pitch PR Stories to the Media Like a Pro

Build a strong relationship with the media that matters to the growth of your small business. Find out who to pitch to, what they’re looking for and best tips and tricks to grow your company’s voice-of-authority in your space.

Content Marketing for Your Small Business

What is it and why do you need to be doing it? When you create a content marketing eco-system of blog posts, social, newsletters and CRM you’ve got a winning content formula for attracting and keeping loyal customers engaged and informed.

How to Manage Your Small Business LinkedIn Profile

Not sure what to do to share your wealth of knowledge, attract prospective clients and employees and expand your presence in your industry? We’ve got quite a few tips on managing your LinkedIn profile.

Strong Branding for Small Business

From Brand Guidelines to tip for marketing your business with photography, a website refresh, a visual identity, or creating a powerful brand voice, Front Porch has you covered. Read up on building the brand you’ve always dreamed of with insider information.

The How-To for Producing Small Business Videos

Video marketing is the current gold-standard for social, websites, and more. Not sure how to plan and produce videos showcasing your small business or product? Use our checklist to get started highlighting your best features.

And that’s just the tip of the blog iceberg! In the new year, we encourage you to look for the answers to your small business marketing dilemmas on our blog — we try to cover every aspect of marketing to help you go further and accomplish more. And if you need help or have a question, we’re here for you! Here’s to a successful 2025!

Small business owners pour their hearts into their businesses, so it’s no surprise that branding and messaging often feel deeply personal. But here’s the truth: effective marketing isn’t about what you like — it’s about what resonates with your audience. A message that caters to your audience’s needs, desires, and emotions is what drives connection, loyalty, and sales.

Yet, business owners sometimes unintentionally center their messaging on themselves or their products, missing opportunities to truly engage with their target audience. Shifting focus to your audience helps avoid two common pitfalls: talking too much about yourself and focusing solely on the product.

Why Audience-Centric Messaging Matters

Think about your favorite brands. Do you love them because they talk about how great they are? Or do you love them because they speak directly to your needs, solve your problems, or make you feel something?

Great messaging connects with people by addressing their emotions, solving their pain points, or helping them imagine a better future. It says, “We see you, and we’re here for you.” For small businesses, this means stepping back and crafting a message that puts your customers in the spotlight — not you or your product.

When you shift your perspective this way, your messaging becomes more relatable and impactful, fostering stronger relationships with your audience.

Pitfall 1: Talking Too Much About Yourself

It’s natural to feel proud of your accomplishments as a business owner. Maybe you’ve built something from the ground up, developed expertise in your field, or created a product you truly love. But when your messaging focuses too heavily on you, it can alienate your audience.

Statements like:

• “We’re the best in the business.”
• “Our founder has 20 years of experience.”
• “I wanted to create something that reflected my vision.”

…don’t tell your audience what’s in it for them. Instead, shift the focus with language like:

• “You deserve the best service, and we deliver it.”
• “You’ll benefit from two decades of expertise, ensuring a seamless experience.”
• “This product was designed with your needs in mind, to make your life easier.”

This doesn’t mean you should erase yourself from your brand entirely. Your story can add authenticity and personality, but it should always serve the audience. For example, share your “why” in a way that connects with their values:

• “As a busy parent, I know how hard it can be to find safe, eco-friendly toys. That’s why I created this line — to give families like yours peace of mind.”

Pitfall 2: Focusing Messaging Solely on the Product

The second common misstep is centering your message entirely on the features of your product or service. While features are important, they’re not the primary reason people buy something. They buy based on how the product makes them feel or because of the problem it solves.

Let’s say you own a coffee shop. Instead of simply advertising:

• “We serve organic, fair-trade coffee roasted in-house.”

Focus on what that means for the customer:

• “Start your morning with a cup of coffee you can feel good about—delicious, sustainable, and crafted just for you.”

Or, if you’re promoting a skincare line, shift from:

• “Our moisturizer contains hyaluronic acid and SPF 30.”

To:

• “Feel confident in your skin all day long with hydration that lasts and sun protection you can trust.”

The key is to connect features with benefits. Features tell what the product does; benefits explain why that matters to your audience.

How to Shift Your Messaging Focus

1. Start with Empathy: What are your audience’s pain points, goals, and values? Make these the foundation of your messaging.
2. Use “You” Language: Speak directly to your audience. Replace “We” and “I” with “You” wherever possible.
3. Test Your Messaging: When reviewing your messaging, ask yourself, Would my target customer care about this? If the answer is no, refocus on what matters to them.

Build a Connection, Not a Lecture

Your brand’s messaging isn’t for you — it’s for your audience. By shifting your focus from self-promotion and product features to addressing your audience’s needs and emotions, you can create marketing that truly resonates. Remember: it’s not about telling your story; it’s about how your story fits into theirs. When you prioritize their perspective, you’re not just selling — you’re building a relationship that lasts.