The Illusion of Value

Marketers love talking about value. It feels safe. Rational. Measurable. But here’s the problem: emotional pull beats logical comparison every time. This is why someone will spend £400 on a pair of trainers that “feel like them” instead of a technically superior £90 pair. Why people still queue for coffee they could make at home. Why a candid, blurry photo outperforms the polished studio shot. Emotion drives decisions.

Yet when it comes to social content, emotion gets flattened into a checklist:

• Include a call-to-action

• Use brand colours

• Mention the offer

• Add a hashtag

• Use a relevant emoji 🎯

This isn’t strategy and it leads to content that’s technically correct but creatively empty.

What People Actually Share

People don’t share posts because they’re accurate or informative. They share because the content said what they were thinking or because it made them laugh in public. There’s a difference between content that performs and content that connects. The first might get you a few clicks but the second builds memory, relevance and loyalty. The best content doesn’t feel like content, it feels like something you stumbled across that you can’t unsee.

Perfection Is the Enemy of Connection: the best content often looks like it was made quickly but made by someone who understands exactly what the audience cares about. 

Think about the B2B Marketing Expo US, this event isn’t just about selling products and services. It’s about conversations. The best speakers, brands, and even attendees at the event know that meaningful interactions and emotional connections drive long-term engagement. The same applies to your social content.

So What Actually Works?

Let’s be clear, emotion doesn’t mean sentimentality. You don’t need to be heartfelt or inspirational to connect. You need to be human.

That could look like:

• A caption that uses the rhythm of a meme but still says something new
• A comment that’s so specific it couldn’t be from anyone else
• A visual that intentionally breaks the rules of the brand, because the message matters more
• A post that plays with nostalgia, not to manipulate, but to anchor memory

These aren’t “content hacks.” They’re creative choices rooted in cultural awareness. The kind of awareness you can’t buy from a content calendar.

The Shift Smart Brands Are Making

The brands who win on social aren’t chasing perfection. They’re chasing presence. They post more often, with fewer layers of approval and they’re okay with risk. They don’t explain every joke, they just know their audience well enough to trust them. Most importantly, they treat content as a conversation — not a campaign.

The result? Content that people don’t just scroll past. Content that gets bookmarked. Screenshotted. Shared in group chats. Referenced in real life. Content that feels alive.

The Bottom Line

If your branded posts aren’t converting, it’s not because the algorithm is broken or your frequency is off. It’s because your content doesn’t move people. It doesn’t start anything.

In a world where attention is currency, forgettable is far more expensive than risky.

So the real question is — are you making them feel anything at all?