Stop Shouting into the Void: Start a Conversation That Sticks

Earlier this month, I hosted an episode of Third Wunder's Third Wednesday Webinar where we unpacked a big question: how do you move beyond just getting clicks to actually creating connection? If you missed it, you can watch the full session here:

There was a time when pushing out content was enough. You wrote a blog post, hit publish, shared the link, and watched the traffic roll in. But those days? They’re behind us. These days, attention is harder to earn—and even harder to keep.

We’re living in an overloaded attention economy. Social feeds are loud. Algorithms are unpredictable. And audiences are retreating into smaller, quieter corners of the internet. If you're still relying on one-way marketing—just shouting into the void—you’re missing the opportunity to build something more meaningful: real conversation, community, and connection.

Let’s break this down.

The Attention Shift: Why Traffic Isn’t Enough Anymore

If you're measuring success purely by visits, you're aiming too low. Today, it’s not just about getting attention—it’s about holding it.

Here’s what’s changed:

• Organic reach is collapsing. Facebook's organic reach dropped from 16% in 2012 to under 2% in 2023.
• People are fleeing the feed. We're seeing a surge in niche groups—Slack, Discord, private Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats—where real dialogue happens.
• AI is rewriting how we find content. With ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience, people are skipping over websites and heading straight to summaries.

That means when someone does visit your site or engage with your content, it matters more than ever.

What People Want Now: Less Noise, More Relevance

Today’s audiences don’t just want information—they want intention. Something that feels like it was made for them.

Personalized. Honest. Useful.

That’s why niche communities are booming. People want to connect over shared interests in spaces that feel human, not performative. Whether it’s a Slack channel for UX pros or a WhatsApp group for sustainable travel tips—people are carving out digital spaces that feel more like dinner parties than megaphones.

Your job as a marketer? Show up with something to say, and more importantly, something to ask.

From Monologue to Dialogue: The Death of One-Way Marketing

Most marketing still looks like this:

Publish. Promote. Pray.

It’s one-way. Static. Detached.

But real connection comes from conversation—not broadcast.

Here’s what you can do instead:

• Add microinteractions to your blog posts (polls, quick surveys, inline questions).
• Ask questions on social, not just in the caption—but in the comments.
• Invite feedback, even if it’s just a one-click emoji scale.

The goal isn’t just to get your content seen. It’s to get it felt. That only happens when you start listening as much as you’re posting.

Content That Asks Something Back

You don’t need to build a Slack community overnight. Start small. Start where you already are.

If you’re blogging:

• Embed a poll using Gravity Forms or Typeform.
• Ask a question mid-way through the article: "What’s your biggest challenge with audience engagement?"
• Offer to send poll results to readers who leave their email—voilà, a value-based list builder.

If you’re on social:

• Use automation tools like ManyChat to deliver content through DMs when someone replies with a keyword.
• On LinkedIn, run polls and post carousels that invite responses.

These little nudges create moments of interaction—and more importantly, build trust.

Create to Converse, Not Just Convert

When someone engages with your content, it’s a chance to build a relationship—not just collect data.

Every microinteraction—every shared infographic, every poll response, every DM—is a piece of first-party data. But more than that, it’s a signal. A sign someone wants to keep the conversation going.

This is where marketing shifts from performance to participation.

The Endgame: From Attention to Community

Your content isn’t the end—it’s the entry point.

The long-term play is building a space where conversations can continue. That might be a private Slack group, a recurring AMA session, or a monthly webinar like The 3rd Wednesday.

Start with:

• A simple newsletter reply prompt
• A live Q&A with your audience
• A shared Notion doc or collaborative resource

These are the building blocks of community. And community is where loyalty—and real growth—lives.

Final Thought: Make It a Two-Way Street

We don’t need more content. We need better conversations.

So the next time you create something, don’t just ask, "Will they read this?" Ask, "What will they do with it? Will they share it? Talk about it? Add to it?"

Because when you stop shouting into the void—and start listening—you stop being noise. You become a voice that sticks.

Let’s build something worth sticking around for.