You know something feels off.
You’re scrolling through marketing advice—how to write a sales page, how to “convert” website visitors, how to create urgency that gets people to buy. And with every tip, every template, every “proven formula,” your stomach turns a little.
Because the people who are looking for your website aren’t casually browsing. They’re scared. They’re desperate. They’re searching at 2am because they don’t know what else to do. And the idea of using their pain to “close the deal” makes you feel gross. Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing: you’re not wrong. Most marketing advice IS designed to exploit vulnerability. It just doesn’t call it that.
Why Most Marketing Feels Wrong for Your Work
Traditional marketing is built on a specific psychology: create desire, manufacture urgency, remove objections, close the sale. It assumes people are reluctant to buy and need to be convinced.
That works fine for products. Want a new blender? Here are 17 reasons why this one will change your life. Only 3 left in stock! Act now!
But when you’re a recovery coach, a trauma therapist, a healer helping people through chronic illness or grief? The people finding you don’t need to be convinced they have a problem. They’re already drowning in it. They don’t need urgency; they’re already living in crisis. They don’t need to be sold; they need to know you’re safe.
Using the same tactics that sell blenders to reach people in genuine pain isn’t just ineffective. It’s harmful.
What Exploitative Marketing Looks Like (Even When It Doesn’t Mean To Be)
Here’s what happens when you apply standard marketing tactics to vulnerable populations:
Manufactured urgency becomes manipulation. “Only 2 spots left this month!” sounds like pressure when someone’s trying to decide if they can afford help for their addiction. Scarcity tactics that work for online courses feel predatory when someone’s deciding whether to reach out about their suicidal thoughts.
Painting the problem becomes trauma dumping. Yes, you want people to see themselves in your messaging. But there’s a difference between “I know what it’s like to feel isolated in your recovery” and writing three paragraphs about how terrible their life probably is right now. One builds connection. The other reinforces shame.
Transformation promises become dangerous. “Imagine waking up six months from now, completely healed” sounds inspiring until you realize you’re talking to someone whose trauma doesn’t have a six-month timeline. Recovery isn’t linear. Healing doesn’t look the same for everyone. Promising a specific outcome isn’t just dishonest—it sets people up to feel like failures when real life is messier than your sales page suggested.
Social proof becomes exploitation. Testimonials are valuable, but when every quote is about someone’s rock bottom and dramatic turnaround, you’re essentially asking people to perform their trauma for your marketing. Some clients want to share their stories. Others need privacy. Both are valid.
What Trust-Based Marketing Actually Looks Like
So, what do you do instead? How do you market your work without making people feel manipulated, pressured, or exposed?
You lead with clarity, not urgency. Instead of “Only 3 spots left!” try “I typically have availability within 2-3 weeks. If you need support sooner, here are some additional resources.” You’re being honest about your capacity while also showing you care more about them getting help than about them hiring you specifically.
Acknowledge pain without dwelling in it. “If you’re reading this, you’re probably exhausted from trying to figure this out on your own” is different from listing every terrible thing that might be happening in their life right now. One says “I see you.” The other says “Let me remind you how bad things are.”
You’re honest about what you can and can’t promise. “I can’t guarantee you’ll never struggle again, but I can help you build tools for when you do” is more trustworthy than any transformation promise. People in crisis have already been let down. They don’t need hype. They need honesty.
You give people an out. “This approach isn’t for everyone” or “Here are some signs this might not be the right fit” shows confidence and care. You’re not trying to convince everyone to work with you. You’re trying to connect with the people you can actually help.
You focus on the relationship, not the sale. Your website shouldn’t feel like it’s trying to get someone to click a button. It should feel like the beginning of a conversation with someone who gets it. Because that’s what it actually is.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Here’s what’s at stake: the people finding your website are often in the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The words you use aren’t just marketing copy. They’re potentially the first message of hope someone’s received in months. Or the first time someone’s felt seen. Or the nudge that finally gets them to reach out for help.
You can’t fake this. People who’ve been through trauma, addiction, chronic illness, or loss have finely tuned bullshit detectors. They can tell when someone’s performing empathy to make a sale versus when someone genuinely understands. They can feel the difference between a website that’s trying to convert them and one that’s trying to help them.
Trust-based marketing isn’t just more ethical. It’s more effective. Because when someone feels safe on your website, when they sense you’re not going to pressure them or make promises you can’t keep, when they get the feeling that you actually care whether this is the right fit—that’s when they reach out.
Not because you convinced them. Because they trust you.
The Permission You’ve Been Waiting For
If marketing has always felt wrong to you, it’s because most marketing advice wasn’t written for people doing the kind of work you do. You don’t need to be louder, pushier, or more “strategic.” You need to be clear, honest, and human.
You’re allowed to market your work without manufactured urgency. You’re allowed to be honest about what you can and can’t do. You’re allowed to prioritize connection over conversion.
Because the people who need your help aren’t looking for a sales pitch. They’re looking for someone who gets it. And your job isn’t to convince them. It’s to show them you’re that person.
Need help finding the right words for your website? I’d love to chat.
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