For a long time, marketing rewarded those who could shout the loudest. If you reached enough people, something was bound to work. That approach shaped years of digital strategy, and for a while, it delivered passable results.
That era is ending.
Audiences are more selective, and platforms are more crowded. Attention is no longer something you can buy in bulk, so spray-and-pray marketing is actively working against brands that rely on it.
What’s replacing it is something far more human.
Why Spray-And-Pray Stopped Working
The shotgun approach of spray-and-pray marketing assumes that exposure alone creates momentum. In truth, people are overwhelmed. Algorithms may be smarter, but generic messaging blends into the background faster than ever.
When brands try to appeal to everyone, they often end up resonating with no one. Messages lose specificity, and content feels interchangeable. Trust erodes because the audience can tell the brand hasn’t taken the time to understand them.
This also wastes resources with teams pouring energy into content and campaigns that reach large numbers but don’t create meaningful engagement.
Precision is the New Advantage
What comes next is a move toward focus over volume, choosing who it is brands want to speak to and crafting messages that feel they were meant only for that audience.
This precision shows up in tone, language, and delivery. It acknowledges real problems instead of abstract benefits. It reflects an understanding of context, timing, and emotional state. When people feel like a message understands them, their attention follows.
If your marketing still relies on casting the widest net possible, it might be time to pause and ask:
Do we know exactly who this message is meant for?
Are we prioritising reach, or relevance?
Does our content sound like it could belong to anyone in our industry?
Are we creating connection, or just activity?
Would the right audience recognise themselves in what we’re putting out?
Sign up for my Social Media for Small Business Owners course to learn the answers to these questions and more!
What Intentional Marketing Looks Like Moving Forward
The next phase of digital marketing is built on fewer assumptions and better listening. Brands that thrive will be the ones that invest in understanding their audience deeply. This means:
Speaking directly to one defined audience at a time, using their language, their constraints, and their real decision-making pressures instead of industry-wide assumptions.
Creating fewer campaigns with clearer purpose, where each message supports a specific outcome, like educating or building confidence.
Using audience feedback and behaviour to refine messaging, adjusting based on what people actually engage with or ignore.
Why This Works
Spray-and-pray marketing belonged to a time when attention was easier to capture and harder to measure. Today, attention is earned through relevance and respect for the audience’s experience.
What comes next is all about communicating better. Brands that embrace this shift will stand out in ways that actually matter.
At That RANDOM Agency, we guide brands toward strategies built on empathy and genuine understanding. Learn more by joining my Social Media for Small Business Owners!