The “How Are You Doing?” Effect: How to Boost Sales by Making your Audience the Star of the Show.

Think about the everyday question, “How are you doing?” It seems like a genuine check-in, right? However, half the time, it’s just a setup for someone to segue into talking about themselves. That’s not selfish; it’s human nature. Studies show that talking about ourselves triggers the brain’s reward system, flooding it with dopamine, the feel-good chemical. It’s the same principle behind why people flock to social media platforms—they get a little burst of happiness every time someone likes or comments on their post.

Now, think about this in the context of your business and content strategy. If you make your audience the star of the show, giving them space to share their thoughts and experiences, they’re much more likely to engage with your brand. So, how can you give your audience a platform to express themselves while staying aligned with your business goals?

The Psychology Behind Engagement

When creating content, take inspiration from that classic “How are you doing?” moment. Ask yourself: is your content a conversation starter, or is it all about you? If your copy is too focused on your product, your tech, or your company, you risk losing your audience. They want to feel seen and heard, and your content should offer them that opportunity.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

One simple yet effective tactic is to ask open-ended questions. Let’s say you run a SaaS company offering project management software. Instead of saying, “Here’s how our product streamlines workflows,” ask, “What’s your biggest challenge in managing remote teams?” This subtle shift gives your audience the opportunity to share their pain points, and when they do, it strengthens their connection to your brand. They’re no longer passive readers—they’re active participants in a conversation.

Make It Personal

Remember Nike’s legendary “Just Do It” campaign? Nike didn’t try to wow us with the technical features of their shoes. They made the campaign about you—the person who can conquer any challenge with the right mindset. The focus was on empowering the audience, making them feel like they could run a marathon or crush their next workout. That’s the power of creating content that speaks directly to your audience’s ego and aspirations.

Nike tapped into the fact that people want to be motivated and feel like they’re capable of greatness. By framing their brand as a tool for personal success, they connected with people on an emotional level. And guess what? That’s exactly how you should think about your own content strategy. Your content should reflect your audience’s goals, struggles, and dreams—making them the hero of the story.

Reflect Your Audience’s Reality

It’s tempting to talk about your company’s latest achievements, features, or milestones. But ask yourself: does your audience see themselves in that story? You need to frame your content around their reality. If you’re in the B2B tech space, for example, rather than discussing the nitty-gritty of your AI-powered solution, start by identifying your audience’s pain points—perhaps their team is overwhelmed by manual tasks. Then, offer your solution as the hero that swoops in to save the day.

When your audience sees themselves in your content, they’re far more likely to engage, just like how people naturally gravitate toward conversations that reflect their own experiences.

Give Them a Platform to Share

Another engagement strategy is to create prompts that encourage your audience to share their thoughts. This could be anything from polls and quizzes to open-ended calls for comments. For example, after sharing a case study, ask, “Have you ever faced a similar challenge in your business? How did you handle it?” This simple invitation for participation boosts engagement and lets your audience feel like their voice matters.

On platforms like LinkedIn, posts that ask questions like, “What’s the best advice you’ve received in your career?” often perform better than purely informational posts because they invite users to share their own stories.

Conclusion

The key to unlocking engagement lies in understanding that people are naturally drawn to content that reflects their own experiences. Your audience doesn’t just want to hear about your product—they want to know how it fits into their world.

By giving them opportunities to share, reflect, and engage, you create content that feels more like a two-way conversation than a marketing pitch. That’s how you move from simply broadcasting information to building meaningful connections with your audience.

And when you need content that consistently connects and converts, Deep Level is here to help. Let’s craft stories that make your audience feel heard and turn conversations into lasting relationships. Ready to start? Let’s chat.

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