Content Marketing Strategist

How often are you scrolling through Insta and just see the same old things, just in slightly different formats? Another carousel post with ‘5 Top Tips to Transform Your Business’. Someone else sharing their ‘unpopular opinion’. It’s repetitive and quite frankly, boring.

It’s not that the person or business isn’t great at what they do, it’s just that their content is generic and ignorable. And if your audience doesn’t care, they’re not engaging, and if they’re not engaging, they’re definitely not buying.

So how do you break through that sea of sameness and actually get people to pay attention?

Here are 3 straightforward ways to make your audience stop scrolling and start caring.

1. Share stories, not just statements

Facts tell, stories sell. Your audience doesn’t need another surface-level “how-to” tip. What they want is connection. They want to see themselves in your story and know that you get it.

Think about the last post that stopped you mid-scroll. Chances are, it wasn’t a bullet-point list, it was a real moment. Maybe someone admitted to messing up a client project but shared how they turned it around. Maybe it was a personal experience that tied back to the bigger lesson. That’s the kind of content people lean in for because it feels human.

Take a look at Innocent Drinks. Yes, they sell smoothies. But scroll their feed and you’ll see everyday, slightly cheeky stories about life that have nothing to do with fruit. They make you laugh, nod along, and then, without even realising it, you start to like them as a brand. That’s connection. That’s the difference between content that’s seen and content that’s cared about.

2. Make your audience the main character

Too many business owners create content as if they’re the star of the show. Hate to break it to you, but your audience is the star. They care about their problems, their desires, their lives. Not your endless list of offers.

When you flip your content to focus on them, everything changes. Instead of shouting about how brilliant your product is, show them what life looks like after they’ve worked with you or bought from you. Paint the picture of their transformation and invite them into the story.

A brand that does this really well is Airbnb. They rarely shout about themselves. Instead, they spotlight the people booking stays, the hosts opening their doors, and the experiences you could have. They make you imagine yourself in those cosy cabins or quirky city flats. It’s never “look at us”, it’s “look at you living your best life.” That’s exactly how your content should feel.

3. Be bold enough to have a point of view

Generic content is safe, but safe rarely sells. If you want people to care, you need to have a clear point of view. This doesn’t mean being controversial for the sake of it, but it does mean being brave enough to say what you actually think, even if not everyone agrees.

When you take a stand, you draw the right people closer and make the wrong ones scroll past. Both are good outcomes. What’s not good? Sitting in the middle with beige, forgettable content that nobody cares about.

Look at Patagonia. They’re not shy about their stance on climate change and sustainability. They weave their point of view into everything they share. That strong perspective attracts a loyal audience who don’t just buy jackets, they buy into the mission. That’s proof that people care more when you stand for something.

The Bottom Line

If your content feels like it could have been written by anyone, your audience is going to treat it like it was written by no one. Tell stories that feel human, make your audience the main character, and be bold with your perspective.

That’s how you create content people care about. And when they care, they connect. And when they connect, they convert.