Meaningful Signals

Words and phrases like "Revolutionary", "Game-changing" and "Disrupting the industry" mean little when:

Reviews all sound suspiciously similar.

Comments are turned off on social posts.

You use stock photos of diverse people shaking hands.

We've gotten good at this game.

We’ve learnt not to trust the message. We look past the polish to find the proof. Signals that can’t be faked.

— ⁠The popular Thai restaurant with old newspaper clippings by the register. Proof it mattered before Instagram.

— ⁠A handwritten “Back at 2:15 pm” sign that’s been there for years. Proof they’re human, not corporate.

— Visiting your local café where the barista greets you by name. Proof that people keep coming back.

— Dining at the ramen shop with fresh customer photos on Google Maps. Proof that demand is real.

— Buying from the bookstore with a shelf of “Staff Favourites” covered in sticky notes and scribbled recommendations. Proof they've got people, not algorithms.

Trust isn't built in the copy. It's built in the margins.

In the wear and tear. In the details that can't be manufactured. In the evidence that accumulates over time.

You can’t control these, but you can cultivate them. Patiently. Deliberately. Daily.

Every small detail and every interaction is meaningful.

It could be the proof someone is looking for.