What to do when nobody seems to care about your message

I paced back and forth on the rooftop of my building.

(I mean, what else are you going to do when you need a change of scenery for work and all the coffee shops are still take-out only?)

On the other end of the call, a colleague was passionately explaining to me the message she felt driven to share with the world.

“There’s only one problem,” she finished.

“Nobody seems to care enough to listen to why their mind-gut connection is so important. It’s like I’m pulling teeth to get anyone’s attention. Am I just wasting my time?”

I quickly let her know she wasn’t wasting her time. She just needed to make one simple shift in the way she shared her message.

“You have to meet people where they are already at,” I explained. “Then you help them see why it’s important for them to care about the rest of your message.”

You see, she spent most of her time talking about the solution. She’s a nutritionist who specializes in the gut-brain connection who helps people change what they eat to heal their gut.

She’s wildly passionate about it. She’s seen it changes people’s lives. No wonder she wants to talk about the solution she provides.

But many of the people she wants to reach have no idea that’s what they need let alone that it’s related to their situation.

What IS on their mind are their pains and symptoms.

Foggy thinking. Constant fatigue. Mental health challenges. Poor sleep.

I explained she needed to talk about those things first when creating content with the purpose of gaining people’s attention.

Once she had their attention, then she could help them better understand the problem — the mind-gut connection — and why her solution — changing your diet to heal your gut — was the best way to relieve the problems and pains.

When it comes to gaining the attention of your intended audience, be careful not to talk about your solution too much and too early.

Ask yourself…

What are they searching for online?

What are they saying when they complain to their friends?

What do they think they want/need (whether or not they are right)?

By talking about these things first, you’ll earn their attention and trust long enough to guide them to the ultimate message you so passionately want to share.