Show notes
Early-stage marketing is often a race for reach, but Jay Acunzo argues that resonance is the only metric that actually moves the needle in 2026.Jay is the former Head of Content at HubSpot and Google, a world-renowned keynote speaker, and an expert in storytelling. He has helped countless brands find their "Premise"—the distinct point of view that makes them irreplaceable in a sea of commodities.In this episode, Jay breaks down why "being the best" is a losing game and why "being their favorite" is the ultimate competitive advantage.Here's what you'll learn:(00:00) Intro(01:24) Why "Marketing More" is a trap in the AI era(04:16) Why 100 fans beat 100,000 followers(07:36) The Disney Strategy: Why you should stop trying to be "The Best"(09:52) Using Unsolicited Response Rate (URR) to measure resonance(13:50) How to close deals faster by making people care(16:21) Why generic content is dead (and how to find your "Premise")(24:13) Why brands need personalities to survive(28:55) 5 steps to differentiate your brand(34:38) The Wistia Example: Why your homepage copy isn't your message(41:55) Future-proofing your content for 2026(51:09) The right way to use LLMs in creative work(59:40) Why you can't automate thought leadershipWe hope you enjoyed this episode of Ahrefs Podcast!Where to find Jay:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/Website: https://jayacunzo.com/Where to find Tim:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/X: @timsouloReferenced:HubSpot, Wistia, Google, SparkToro, TopRank Marketing, Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Davis, Melanie Deziel.
