Attention is expensive.
Trust is even more so.
In most markets, brands compete loudly for visibility: more content, more ads, more messages, more urgency.
But the brands that grow steadily tend to do something quieter - and far more effective.
They create value before they ask for attention.
Attention is no longer the starting point
Marketing used to work in a simple order: attention first, value later.
Today, that order has reversed.
People filter aggressively.
They scroll past, ignore, mute and unsubscribe without hesitation.
What gets through isn’t what shouts the loudest - it’s what feels useful, relevant or reassuring.
Value is now the entry ticket.
Attention is the result.
Value isn’t content volume - it’s usefulness
Creating value doesn’t mean publishing more.
It means reducing friction for someone else.
Value can take many forms:
explaining something clearly
helping someone think better
saving time
removing uncertainty
offering perspective
sharing experience honestly
Often, the most valuable things a brand can do are also the simplest.
People pay attention to those who help them decide
In real buying journeys, the hardest part isn’t choosing a supplier.
It’s understanding the problem well enough to feel confident making a choice.
Brands that create value early tend to:
clarify the problem
frame the decision
explain trade-offs
make the process feel safer
By the time a commercial conversation starts, trust already exists - not because of persuasion, but because of help.
Value compounds when it’s consistent
One helpful interaction is positive.
Repeated helpful interactions create familiarity.
Over time, that familiarity turns into:
credibility
preference
word of mouth
lower resistance
This is how brands earn attention without constantly asking for it.
Creating value doesn’t require perfection
Some teams hesitate because they believe value must be polished, comprehensive or definitive.
In reality, value often comes from:
sharing how you think
explaining why you choose certain approaches
being honest about limitations
offering partial clarity rather than complete answers
Authenticity builds more trust than expertise performed at a distance.
Value is a long-term strategy, not a campaign
Creating value before asking for attention doesn’t deliver immediate spikes.
It creates a different kind of return.
Over time, it leads to:
warmer inbound conversations
shorter sales cycles
higher-quality leads
stronger positioning
more resilient growth
It changes the nature of demand - from reactive to intentional.
A simple test
If the answer is yes, you’re creating value.“If someone never became a customer, would this still be genuinely useful to them?”
If the answer is no, you’re probably asking for attention too early.
At InGrowth, we believe marketing works best when it earns its place.
Creating value first doesn’t slow growth.
It creates the conditions for sustainable, trust-based growth.
When brands help before they promote, attention becomes a consequence - not a request.
