How to Win the Fight for Reach & Relevance

Last week, Andrew presented a framework for success with algorithms at Content Marketing World. If you missed it, we’re recapping the highlights below.

Most content doesn’t fail because it’s bad. It fails because it never had a chance.

Algorithms make the call before an audience ever does. And in feeds built on endless choice, that means the difference between seen by millions and buried instantly.

Whether you’re battling for reach on TikTok, relevance in Google, or retention in YouTube’s algorithmic black box, the same truth applies:

The algorithm isn’t your audience. But it serves your audience.

So the only way to win is to stop trying to game the algorithm — and start serving the human on the other side of it.

And after two decades of testing what works, we’ve found the content that consistently wins shares the same DNA.

We call it the 4H Framework.

1. HOOK: The spark that stops the scroll

A good hook is fast, specific, and slightly unfinished. It teases the payoff but doesn’t give it away.

It makes you say:

• “That’s about me.”
• “That solves my problem.”
• “Wait, what?”

The hook is a premise and a promise that you make to your audience about what your content will reveal. In just a few seconds, you need to compel your audience to care enough to stop scrolling and pay attention. If you don’t win this first impression, it ends there.

2. HERO: The voice that earns trust

Logos don’t build trust. People do.

The most effective content has a human voice, we believe — not just credentials, but perspective. Trust is earned through credibility + relatability.

People follow people, not brands.

That’s why our strategy at The Well is built around making experts into influencers, with series like Dear Doctor and So You’re …​

Whether it’s a clinician, a product owner, or your CEO, credibility + relatability = trust.

A hero isn’t who has the title. It’s who shows up with both expertise and empathy.

3. HELP: The value that meets real needs

Most brands guess at what their audience wants. The best brands listen.

Your audience is already leaving signals everywhere — search queries, subreddit threads, call transcripts, TikTok comments. Smart marketers turn those signals into formats that serve.

• Lowe’s built a YouTube empire by showing people how to fix what’s broken.
• AARP launched a scam podcast by listening to member horror stories.
• Even oddly satisfying rug-cleaning TikToks count — because sometimes help = relief.

Help isn’t just “how-to.” It’s how you prove you’re listening.

4. HUG: The reason they come back

Attention is fleeting. Hug is how you make it stick.

It’s the rituals, rewards, and spaces that make audiences feel like insiders — the difference between transactional content and lasting community.

• Duolingo’s Discord lets learners connect with each other, not just the app.
• Sephora’s Beauty Insider rewards members with perks that feel personal.
• Even a simple “comment-to-unlock” CTA builds reciprocity and connection.

Bottom line: Hug is the difference between clicks and community.

Hug is the difference between clicks and community.

Putting it all together

Content that thrives in algorithms starts with content that serves people.

• Hook earns the glance.
• Hero earns the trust.
• Help earns the save.
• Hug earns the return.

Build your content around those four — and the algorithm won’t just tolerate you. It’ll reward you. (And so will your audience.)!

Thanks as always for reading, watching and joining us on this ride,

KRYSTLE KOPACZ CEO, Revmade krystle@revmade.com

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P.S.: Want the full deck presented to your team? Just hit reply and we can talk about setting it up.