I got back from the desert last weekend. There were tears (Justin Bieber, don’t ask), a mosh pit (The Strokes, very much ask), and a banner ad flying over the mountains that I’m still thinking about.

80% of why I love going to Coachella is the scenery. In the desert, you're surrounded by mountains, there's a beautiful landscape in any direction you look. That's the thing about nature. It gives you a break. From screens, from the constant interruption of everything that's vying for your attention.

Except... what's that? A bird? A plane? Yep, with a banner ad in tow.

As I was admiring the scenery, my attention was split by ADS. IN NATURE. My friends all laughed at my aggravation, but there's actually a deeper lesson here about why these old tactics just don't work anymore.

Back in the Don Draper era, interruption worked because attention was easier to capture. Consumers weren't yet fluent in being sold to. These days, most of us can judge if something is an ad in less than a second, and we swipe away before the talking head can get two words out.

What makes us stay? That niche sense of humor, an underdog story. The words, videos, music that make the person on the receiving end feel seen, not sold to. It's the difference between centering yourself versus centering your audience.

The creators and brands that are doing this right aren't the ones hiring planes. They're the ones that feel like they were made for you, because they actually started with you.

It’s easy to call out other brands on their ineffectiveness, but are you ready to point the finger back at yourself?

Most people are surprised by how lopsided it is. Not because they're bad marketers, but because we naturally default to describing what we made instead of who it's for.

If your copy is heavy on the first color, pick one "about me" sentence and rewrite it from your reader's perspective and see how it feels.

It’s simple, a little uncomfortable, and worth doing every time you write something new.

When we flip the script and put the reader at the center, the result is words that land and build a relationship based on trust.

SD friends, I’ll be speaking at The Group Oceanside in one week! If you've ever run an ad or posted something and thought, "is this even working?", this one's for you. I’m being really intentional about this talk, like you’ll be going home with printed handouts.

Think of it as a 5-minute workshop to diagnose what’s working (and what’s not) with your current marketing approach.

Are you coming? Hit reply or send me a message to let me know you’ll be there!

This section exists to shine a light on people in the Steady Parade community who are building a business, side project or a dream.

I would love for that person to be you. Hit reply and let me know what you’re working on!

The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. Here’s to making others feel seen!

Stay Steady,
Molly

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