You’re writing for attention. Try writing for connection.

In partnership with

Hey,

Let’s talk about something that most people on X never figure out.

Everyone says they want to grow their audience, get attention, and turn that attention into something meaningful.

But the truth is, attention isn’t what moves things forward. Conversations do.

More specifically, the quiet ones that happen after the post.

The ones in your messages.

The quiet space that actually matters

Here’s what happens to most people.

They write a good post. It does well. Someone reaches out to say they liked it.

And then silence.

They don’t know what to say.
They overthink it.
They either send a long explanation that sounds like a brochure or they paste a link and hope for the best.

Both options kill the conversation.

That little message box is where real momentum happens.
Not your timeline. Not your profile.

That’s where people decide if they actually trust you.

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A small shift in how you think about it

Most people write messages like they’re trying to convince someone.

The people who consistently build relationships online treat it like a continuation of the conversation, not a pitch.

If someone reached out, they already know who you are.
They already liked what you said.
They’re curious.

Your job isn’t to impress them.
It’s to understand them.

Questions create connection

You don’t have to be clever.
You just have to be curious.

When someone messages you, think about starting like this:

1. “Hey, appreciate you reaching out.”

2. “What made that post resonate with you?”

3. “Where are you trying to go with that?”

And then listen.

Most people skip straight to talking about themselves.
But the moment you slow down and ask real questions, people relax.

They stop feeling like they’re being talked at and start feeling like they’re being talked with.

Calm confidence always wins

You can tell when someone’s anxious behind the screen.

They reply too fast.
They overexplain.
They drop a wall of text trying to sound impressive.

The people who do this well are calm.
They don’t rush.
They write short, simple messages that sound like something they’d actually say in person.

Confidence isn’t about being loud.
It’s about being steady.
And steady people are the ones others trust.

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When you talk about next steps

At some point, the conversation will naturally lead to what you do.

Here’s where most people get it wrong. They turn robotic.
They start talking in bullet points or scripts.

Don’t.

Keep it human.

If someone asks what you do, say it like you’d explain it to a friend.

Plain language beats polished language every time.

The goal isn’t to sound professional.
It’s to sound real.

Because people don’t remember a pitch. They remember how you made them feel.

The message is also a mirror

Messages are the most honest feedback loop you’ll ever get.

Every question, hesitation, or comment tells you something about how others see your work.

You don’t need to guess what people care about.
They’re literally telling you in your inbox.

Read your old messages.
Look at the exact phrases people use when they talk about their struggles or goals.

That’s the language you should be using in your writing.

Not “marketing language.”
Real language.

The kind that sounds like something an actual person would say.

Not every message needs to go somewhere

This part is hard for a lot of people.

We’ve been trained to think every interaction needs to have an outcome.

But the best connections online often start without one.

Sometimes you talk to someone for weeks before anything happens.
Sometimes nothing happens at all.

That doesn’t mean it was a waste.

Every genuine conversation adds to the quiet credibility that builds over time.
People talk.
They remember how you made them feel.

That’s how trust grows. Not through tactics, but through tone.

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What to do this week

Here’s a small experiment worth trying.

Go through your recent messages.
Pick two or three people you haven’t talked to in a while.
Send them something like this:

“Hey, I was thinking about that conversation we had a while back. How have things been going since then?”

That’s it.

No links.
No hidden intent.
Just genuine curiosity.

Most people won’t expect it, and that’s exactly why it works.

Because the internet is full of noise, but almost no one is actually listening.

The big picture

People think writing on X is about the perfect post.
But it’s really about the person behind the post.

The way you talk in private matters more than the way you perform in public.

While everyone else is chasing attention, the smart ones are building trust one quiet conversation at a time.

The next time someone reaches out, don’t overthink it.
Don’t rush to convert anything.
Just talk like a person.

It’s simple, but it’s rare.
And that’s exactly why it works.

If you remember one thing from this, let it be this:

Your post starts the conversation.
Your message builds the relationship.

Everything else is just noise.

Talk soon,

Kevin.