Most marketers will tell you that agitating pain points is powerful. But every now and then, I think we all need a reminder: positivity in marketing is powerful too—and I’ve got data to back that up.
Now, this isn’t going to be one of those “just be positive” kind of episodes. If you’ve listened to this podcast before, you know that’s not really my thing. But I do believe there’s plenty of room to bring more positivity into our marketing. And for many of us, that could actually be more effective.
Like I said, I’ve got the data to support it, so stick around. I’m going to talk about the shift that’s happening, how we can empower rather than disempower our clients, and five ways you can shift the vibe in your own marketing.
That’s the gist—let’s dive in.
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Table of Contents
Let’s be honest. A lot of marketing advice—while effective—can feel really heavy. Fear-based tactics, pressure, shame-driven messaging… it’s everywhere. And when you’re doom-scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, it can feel like that’s the only way to market your business.
But I’m here to tell you—1000%—it doesn’t have to be that way.
Today, I’m excited to talk about a shift toward positive, empowering marketing. Especially as women business owners and online service providers, I believe we’re in a position to lead that change.
What sparked this for me was a few recent studies—specifically about Pinterest. It’s actually the most positive platform on the internet. And honestly, even Google has let us down lately by removing things like Black History Month and Pride Month highlights. They are definitely not on my vibe list right now.
Now don’t get me wrong—I love SEO. But if there’s one platform I consistently feel good about investing my time and money into, it’s Pinterest.
Of course, as business owners, we don’t always have complete freedom in our platform choices. Many of us use Meta platforms—not necessarily because we love them, but because we’ve made strategic business decisions to be there, even if we don’t align with the leadership. Still, the Pinterest data really stood out to me, and it shows that this move toward positivity isn’t just a feel-good choice—it’s a smart one.
But this isn’t just about Pinterest.
Let’s talk about the bigger shift that’s happening in marketing overall.
A Big Shift in Online Marketing
For years, we’ve been taught that the best way to sell is to dig into people’s pain points. What are they afraid of? What insecurities do they have? How can we make them feel just uncomfortable enough to need our solution?
And for a long time, that worked.
But things are changing. People are tired. They’re emotionally exhausted. And—just as importantly—they’ve become more sophisticated buyers. They’ve already bought the course. They’ve already worked with the coach. They’ve already tried the “quick fix.” And now they know better.
For example, I’m not going to buy another course I won’t finish. I’m not going to work with another coach promising six figures in 30 days. People are more aware. They have more options. And with that awareness, we’ve started to tune out anything that feels manipulative, overly dramatic, or like a guilt trip.
I was talking to Kaylee on my team, and she mentioned how if a TikTok video even hints at negativity, she swipes away immediately. I think a lot of us are like that now.
That brings me to one of the Pinterest studies I mentioned. It found that over 60% of users feel more positive after spending time on the platform. And that’s intentional. Pinterest has deliberately designed their platform to avoid divisive or fear-driven content.
I’ve tested this myself. When I post similar pins—one framed positively and one framed negatively—the negative one underperforms every time. Pinterest doesn’t exactly “shadow ban” it, but the reach drops significantly. For example:
- “How to eat healthy” does better than “How to lose weight.”
- “Set up your CRM to book clients in 5 minutes” performs better than “Your CRM is a mess—here’s why.”
The wellness space, in particular, is tricky. But across the board, positive framing works better on that platform.
Pinterest has built a space that’s genuinely curated to make people feel good—and it works.
What Does The Data Say? Positivity in Powerful
But even beyond Pinterest, this matters. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook often leave users feeling anxious or inadequate after scrolling. And that has real consequences. Because positive environments don’t just feel good—they drive better results.
Pinterest found that users exposed to positive content were six times more likely to remember a brand, and more than twice as likely to make a purchase.
That is huge—more than twice as likely to purchase when exposed to positive content from a brand. And they’re six times more likely to remember that brand.
Navigating the Trust Recession
I probably don’t have to tell you—we’re in a trust recession. Consumers have their guard up, no matter what you’re selling. That skepticism shows up across the board. Whether it’s “Should I really buy this $200 dining room table off Amazon?” or “Do I actually want to spend $20,000 on a business coach?”—people are cautious. We’ve become good at spotting when the promises don’t quite match the investment. (And let’s be honest, the $97 business coach promising the world? We’re not falling for that anymore.)
Another study found that consumers view positive marketing as twice as trustworthy. Let that sink in: when you go out of your way to make your audience feel better, they trust you more.
So the core theme of this episode is this: positivity isn’t just nice—it’s powerful.
We ask ourselves, “Why is engagement down on Instagram?” or “Why aren’t my posts landing anymore?” And yes, sometimes it’s the algorithm. But sometimes? It’s the energy.
Speaking to Empowered Buyers
Now I want to shift a bit and talk about clients—because this is something I think about a lot. I aim to attract more established business owners. My ideal clients aren’t new to business. They’ve seen a lot of the tactics out there, and they’re not going to fall for anything that feels overly cookie-cutter.
If your content feels templated, or like you’re just regurgitating what your coach said, or saying the same thing everyone else is saying—it’s not going to resonate with a more experienced audience. And to be clear, it’s not that they’re better, just more aware.
These are not the people who will be drawn in by flashy promises. For example, if I positioned Pinterest and blogging as the magic bullet that will save your business, make it fast, easy, and bring in $100K overnight—that messaging might attract beginners. But those aren’t my ideal clients. I want to work with people who already have an established business model. People who, if we drive traffic to their offers, can actually convert.
If I make it sound too easy or too good to be true, I end up attracting people who probably either can’t afford it—or worse, shouldn’t be investing in this kind of support yet. And that’s not aligned or ethical for me.
Their expectations can be out of whack because they’re so new to the online space. If I promise “results in 30 days,” they’ll expect exactly that—even though my ideal client knows real growth takes longer.
I once heard a coach admit she was struggling: her message was “passive income made easy,” and she kept attracting people who wanted to do no work. By overpromising “easy passive income,” she set the wrong expectations before anyone even signed up.
That’s why, if you’re not attracting the right clients, it’s worth looking at your marketing messaging. What expectations are you planting before the first conversation? If your content screams “fast money, overnight success,” that’s what people will expect—even if you clarify in your discovery call that real results take six to twelve months.
How I’ve learned this in my own marketing
For me, I want to work with established business owners—people who have already tried other marketing channels and are ready to invest in the long game. I don’t want to be someone’s first outsourcing experience, because early adopters often need more hand-holding, and they can churn or feel buyer’s remorse once the honeymoon phase is over.
When we lean on negative messaging—shame, fear, “you’re not enough without me”—we attract buyers who enroll from panic rather than clarity. They need constant reassurance, and they’re more likely to ghost or regret their purchase once the dopamine fades.
Instead, positive marketing speaks to empowered, self-aware buyers who want to invest thoughtfully. I tend to over-explain everything—sometimes almost talking myself out of a sale—because I believe in giving the full picture. But that can be a good thing.
It’s the difference between “You’ll fail without this” and “Here’s a better way to build on what’s already working.”
Even when I’m tapping into a pain point—like burnout from constant content creation—I try to frame it positively: “Imagine people finding you while you’re on vacation” instead of “Your marketing is failing unless you do this.”
In fact, I recently hired someone to help with my own marketing, and I told her I wanted to lean into “pining for something” energy—an optimistic desire for growth—rather than “run away from your problems” fear tactics. I want people to hear, “Things are great, and here’s how we can make them even better,” not “Your business is about to collapse if you don’t.”
5 Ways to Shift Your Messaging To More Positive Marketing
So anyway, I wanted to share a few examples of how to bring more positivity into your marketing—specifically how to rewrite pain-based messaging into more empowered language.
1. Rewriting Pain-Based Copy Into Empowered Language
Let’s start with the classic:
Old: “Tired of feeling stuck in your business? You keep launching, nobody’s buying. What are you doing wrong?”
Reframe: “You’ve outgrown the hustle. Let’s build a business that feels like home. You’ve done the work—now let’s scale with strategy that fits your lifestyle.”
It’s a subtle shift, but it’s powerful. You’re reminding your audience they’re already in a position of power—and you’re here to help them build their future, not dwell on their past failures.
2. Show Client Progress, Not Just the Struggle
Another big opportunity is in how we talk about client success stories.
Old: “Before working with me, she was burnt out, broke, overwhelmed.”
Reframe: “Together, we simplified her offer so she could work less and earn more. In her words, ‘I finally feel like I can trust myself as a CEO.’”
That second version doesn’t minimize the transformation—but it also doesn’t suggest that she was a complete mess before, or that I was the one who single-handedly fixed everything. It’s about collaboration, growth, and the real work we did together.
There’s a fine line between celebrating a win and positioning yourself as the hero in someone else’s story. We should always give credit where it’s due, and be careful not to frame our clients as broken before they met us.
3. Reframe Scarcity in Launches
Now let’s talk about launches, because this comes up a lot. There’s been a big shift in the ethical marketing space around urgency—particularly manufactured urgency.
Fake deadline funnels? Most of us are over it.
Instead of:
“If you don’t sign up now, you’ll be in the same place five years from now,”
Try:
“This is for women who are ready to do X, Y, Z.”
You’re inviting them in from a place of readiness, not panic.
I had a client whose audience often said things like, “I love your stuff, but I can’t afford to join just yet.” And we shifted the response to:
“I’m here for you whenever you’re ready. In the meantime, here’s a great free resource.”
Because their business isn’t going to fall apart if they don’t sign up today—and we should never make people feel like they’re failing for not pulling out a credit card.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with real time sensitivity.
If you only launch once a year, say that.
If the market is shifting, and it’s a great moment to get support, say that too—just not in a manipulative way.
Here’s an example: I recently talked about how Pinterest is getting flooded with low-quality AI content. That actually makes it a great time for real creators to stand out. So yes, it’s time-sensitive—but it’s an opportunity, not a threat.
4. Use Aspirational, Identity-Based Language
Another strategy is using aspirational, identity-based language.
Instead of:
“Learn how to stop procrastinating,”
Try:
“Step into your CEO role.”
Or instead of:
“Struggling with content? Try this template,”
Say:
“Here’s the system I teach my clients to streamline content and show up with confidence.”
Encourage them to become the version of themselves they’re striving toward. I was talking about this in Episode 63 with Samantha Burmeister of Nomad Copy—how identity marketing can be so powerful. It’s not just about solving a problem; it’s about helping people step into who they want to be.
Of course, it should go without saying—but I’ll say it anyway: only promise identities you can actually help people embody. Integrity matters.
5. Even Visuals and Vibe Matter
And finally: the visuals and overall vibe.
This is less of a script change and more about how your marketing feels.
Use soft but confident language. Avoid overly aggressive messaging.
Share quotes and carousels that celebrate progress—not the kind of “overnight success” messaging that makes people feel behind.
I never want anyone to look at my content and feel bad about where they’re at. My goal isn’t to make someone feel inadequate—it’s to show them what’s possible.
Yes, I want people to work with me. But more than that, I’m passionate about Pinterest and blogging because I know what it can do for your business and your lifestyle. I honestly feel like I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t talk about it. But I never want it to feel like it’s a requirement, or the only path to success.
There are so many ways to build a business. Just because I believe in this method doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong if you’re not doing it yet. My job is to open the door, not to push you through it.
Becoming an Industry Leader With Positive Marketing
So the last thing I want to say is this: we can’t wait around for the industry to change. Negative marketing is still out there, and honestly, I worry it might get worse as people get more desperate—desperate because the old tactics just aren’t working like they used to.
Right now, I see people going one of two ways: they’re either softening their messaging and trying new, more grounded approaches… or they’re doubling down. And in some cases, yeah, they’re straight-up lying—but that’s a story for another day.
We can’t control what others do. But if you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you want to be an industry leader. And leading with positivity is one of the most powerful ways to do that.
You have more influence than you think. Every post you write, every launch you run, every client interaction—it all sets a tone. Whether we realize it or not, people are watching. They’re paying attention to how we show up. You don’t have to be the loudest or flashiest to set the standard. Sometimes the most powerful leadership is quiet, grounded, and consistent.
I’m not saying every single post has to be sunshine and unicorns. But when you choose to uplift instead of manipulate, when you speak to someone’s power instead of their pain, when you sell with integrity instead of pressure—those choices matter.
I know that might have sounded a little scripted, but I truly mean it. When we show up with honesty and intention, we’re not just helping our own clients—we’re creating a ripple effect in the industry. And that’s what we want, right? We want to be part of the shift toward a more ethical, empowering business culture.
Will you create positive marketing this week?
So here’s my ask for the week:
Create one piece of content that feels super positive.
Tag me or send it to me—I’d love to cheer you on. Let’s all give it a try.
I’m guessing that if you’re listening, you’re probably not an outrageous scammer. And I just think it would be really nice to have a positive week. And maybe this is how we start.
LINKS MENTIONED
- Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you (we’d love to if your blog isn’t working!)
- Learn more about our Pinterest management services
- Learn more about working with our marketing agency here
- Recent Pinterest Study: https://business.pinterest.com/en-ca/blog/how-positive-platforms-impact-marketing-performance/
- Another article referenced: https://business.pinterest.com/en-ca/insights/it-pays-to-be-positive/
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