Your reality is you’ve poured hours into your logo. You’ve debated colour palettes like you’re curating the Louvre. You’ve rewritten your Instagram bio seventeen times and obsessed over whether to say “we” or “I.” You think your product/service is the best thing since sliced bread.
Reality Check-No One’s Thinking About Your Business (Yet)
You care deeply about your brand. You’ve stayed up late designing, tweaking, overthinking every word and colour. You’ve built something meaningful.
But here’s the uncomfortable reality:
Most people don’t know you exist. And the ones who do? Probably aren’t thinking about you. Now you’re sitting there wondering why the world isn’t clapping. Or asking after a month why you don’t have sales.
They’re not thinking about you. They’re not analysing your font choices. (Don’t worry I am lol). They’re not waking up in the night wondering if your packaging truly reflects your values. You are not the main character in their life.
Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes.
“You’ll stop caring what people think about you when you realise how seldom they do.” — David Foster Wallace
Solo and small business owners fall into this trap all the time. You create something with heart, sweat, and money you don’t really have. Naturally, you care. It’s because you care so much, you start to believe everyone else must too.
Here’s the reality slap in the face, They’re not even paying attention.
They’re busy. They’re distracted. They’ve got a fridge that smells weird and a toddler drawing on the wall with Nutella. Your “behind the scenes” reel isn’t going to stop them in their tracks. Unless it actually matters to them.
Presumption is the enemy of clarity
Presuming people:
- Care about your brand story
- Understand what you do
- Are following your every move
- Will read every post
- Will notice if you take a week off
…is not only misguided—it’s dangerous. It leads to lazy messaging, bloated content, and delusion. You think you’re building relationships when really, you’re shouting into the void.
You might be thinking “But I’m building a community!”
Cool. But a community still needs to be reminded, educated, entertained, and most importantly, given a reason to come back.
Because people don’t owe you attention. You have to earn it.
You’re inside the bottle. They can’t read the label.
Here’s another cold truth you are too close to your business.
You see every pixel. Every typo. Every follower lost. But your audience doesn’t.
They’re not zooming in. They’re scrolling past. So unless you make it blindingly clear what problem you solve, who you solve it for, and why it matters to them—not to you—they’re going to glaze over.
“The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.” — William Bernbach
The truth is:
They don’t care about your process.
They care about what it does for them.
So what do you do about it?
- Simplify your message.
If you can’t explain what you do in a sentence, don’t expect anyone to stick around to figure it out. - Stop creating for your ego.
Fancy aesthetics are nice, but clarity and usefulness win. Always. - Assume they’ve never seen you before.
Every piece of content is a new chance to introduce yourself. Make it count. - Be consistent, not precious.
Post the imperfect thing. Say the useful thing. You’re not being watched as closely as you think. - Make them the hero.
Your business is the support act. They are the main character. Talk about their problems, not your features.
Final slap for the reality road
You are one tab in their browser.
You are one option in a sea of distractions.
And that’s not a reason to give up—it’s a reason to sharpen up.
Stop presuming you’re centre stage.
Start behaving like you’ve got something worth watching.
And if it is worth watching—prove it. Again and again.
If you find this difficult please reach out– we help small and solo businesses where they are and within their budgets.
