Ahrefs Podcast How To Make People Care About Your Brand | Jay Acunzo
Jan 20, 2026
Jay Acunzo, an author and storytelling expert, shares insights on making brands resonate rather than just reach. He argues that having 100 fervent fans trumps 100,000 casual followers. Acunzo introduces the concept of Unsolicited Response Rate (URR) as a better metric for engagement and emphasizes the need for brands to establish a distinct premise to stand out. He advocates for cultivating brand personalities and using AI as a creative augmentation tool, not a replacement. Tune in for actionable strategies on creating meaningful content!
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Resonance Over Reach
- Resonance matters more than reach because caring, not visibility, drives action and influence.
- Prioritize making people care deeply instead of amplifying generic content with more volume.
Use URR To Gauge Resonance
- Measure resonance by Unsolicited Response Rate (URR): track unsolicited, high-effort responses like long emails or inbox messages.
- Prioritize earned responses and purchases over vanity metrics like likes and follower counts.
One Premise Colors Everything
- A distinct premise (point of view) colors all content and creates preference over competitors.
- Without a unique lens, content becomes commodified and force-fed via scale and hype.