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How to grab attention in 2026

What if I told you that to capture attention in 2026, you don’t need a better hook, or to shout from the mountain top?

Nope, for your messaging to stand out and convert, now you need to get better at one important skill: understanding what people are thinking, what they want, and how to give it to them in a way nobody does, when they stumble on your marketing.

That comes before you even think of creating your hook.

And to be honest, it’s always been that same for ages. From the times of John Caples in the 1920s, copywriting has always been about research and understanding what makes people tick.

Let’s make it cool again, shall we?

In Content Design, Sarah Winters and Rachel Edwards frame it this way:

When it comes specifically to marketing and conversion content:

• What you want to say → your positioning and messaging
• What they want to read → the conversation they’re having in their heads leading to the ideal solution

It’s not anymore just about having either a strong point of view OR about whether benefits are better than features. You need to strike a subtle balance between the two.

That’s when your messaging sounds authentic, stands out, and converts.

You might ask, “What does standing out and grabbing attention have to do with understanding how people think?” That’s because people misunderstand what attention really is.

Attention is not viral hooks, or flashy pattern interrupt techniques. Especially not in B2B.

Attention (the right kind) is what happens when your point of view re-articulates the thoughts already forming in someone’s mind, but more clearly, more honestly, or more precisely than they could themselves.

It’s the moment they think:

“Wait… that’s exactly what I’m thinking… but I’ve never seen it framed like that.”

It’s like a seesaw where both forces at the edges are strong enough to almost crack the damn thing in half (without doing so).

Attention isn’t a separate layer you bolt on top of good messaging. It’s a by-product of saying something meaningful from a unique perspective inside your buyer’s mental model, not forcing your message on top of it.

A strong POV without a strong understanding of how your buyer thinks and what motivates them is just being loud and obnoxious. On the other hand, empathy without a solid POV turns into fluff. The work is in holding both at once.

That’s where real attention comes from, and that’s what will still matter in 2026 and beyond.

So, if you’re taking a look st your marketing today, how do you know where you stand?

It’s a question I ask myself whenever I work with clients to figure out what we need to work on. Where are they weaker? Is it on the POV or on the value messaging? Do I need to speak with the team to understand they unique perspective, or do I need to talk to customers? Or both?

First, ask yourself these questions:

To benchmark your value messaging: - When someone from your target market lands on your website, do they immediately recognize themselves in how you frame the problem? It it’s a no, you’re weak on value messaging. - When someone reads your best piece of marketing, does it feel more like you’re emapthizing with them or like a pitch? If it feels like a pitch you’re weak on value messaging.

To gauge your POV: - Could a competitor swap their logo with yours and still say 80% of the same things? If it’s a yes, you’re weak on POV. - Can your team answer “who is this for, what problem it solves, and why it exists” consistently, and without rehearsing? If it’s a no, you’re weak on both value messaging and POV.

Then use the answers to figure out where you stand inside this diagnostic framework:

1. Strong POV, weak value messaging

“You know what you believe, but can’t translate it.”

Signals:

• Founder is articulate and opinionated in conversation
• Product clearly reflects a philosophy
• Website copy doesn’t resonate
• Customers would agree with the POV, but don’t recognize themselves in the copy

Work required: → Messaging strategy + copywriting → Translating POV into buyer-relevant strategic narrative

2. Strong value messaging, weak POV

“You understand customers, but sound like everyone else.”

Signals:

• Copy is clear and empathetic
• Pain points are accurate
• No real differentiation
• Easy to swap logos with competitors

Work required: → Positioning strategy → Sharpening perspective and contrast

3. Weak on both

“You’ve never really done the work.”

Signals:

• Vague answers to basic questions
• No shared internal narrative
• No real customer insight
• Website is generic and internally focused

Work required: → Foundational research → Internal alignment → Positioning, messaging and copy

4. Strong on both

“This is where attention actually comes from.”

Signals:

• POV is clear, opinionated, and defensible
• Messaging mirrors customer thinking and reframes it
• Product, language, and narrative reinforce each other
• Their marketing makes you think: “That’s exactly it — but I’ve never seen it framed that way.”

Work required: → Execution → Copy optimization, UX, distribution, refinement

So, where do you fit in these buckets?

Run through the exercise with your team and let me know. I reply to every single email.

Next week I'll walk you through some real-world examples.

DISCOVERY

🎙️ Internal Alignment, Customer Insights & Positioning Frameworks

I joined Connect To Market to break down why most B2B SaaS messaging problems are alignment and insight problems, rather than “copy” problems.

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In this episode, we unpack:

• How internal misalignment quietly sabotages positioning and GTM execution
• What real customer insight looks like (and why most teams stop one layer too early)
• Practical frameworks for clarifying positioning without boiling the ocean
• Where AI actually helps in messaging, and where human judgment still matters most

If you care about message–market fit, clearer positioning, and fewer opinion-led debates inside your team, this one’s for you.

RESONANCE

Scott Adams, Reframe Your Brain

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Chris

Chris Silvestri Founder & conversion alchemist

🙌🏻 Let’s be friends (unless you’re a stalker)​

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