Consumer's Don't Buy Microbes, They Buy Flavor, Vitality, and Peace of Mind
Are you leading with soil science, microbes, and climate when trying to attract customers? If your content speaks more to inputs than outcomes, it might be missing the mark. Ask yourself: Is your messaging tapping into consumer desire—taste, vitality, beauty, peace of mind?
If your sales are thriving, great—you’ve found the sweet spot. But if engagement feels flat, it’s time to shift the focus. Your audience isn’t buying microbes; they’re buying better tomatoes, stronger immunity, and a sense of purpose. Let’s make sure your content reflects that.
Doesn’t Everyone Love Talking About Microbes and Soil Science?
For those of us who love a bit of “microbial cinematography,” the language of soil science is second nature. We love to talk about microbes, fungi, bacteria, and…
But when you’re rhapsodizing about the soil food web, are you seeing your neighbors’ or friends’ eyes just glaze over?
You get my point. The answer to this question is no. So let’s flip the script on this conversation and get them really excited about the livestock in the soil.
To make soil science stick, you have to talk about the outcomes of healthy soil FIRST. That’s a discussion about the consumer desire for tasty food, healthy food, and beautiful landscapes. You’re not leaving out the microbes; you’re setting the stage for their entrance.
7 Messaging Fixes for Regenerative Brands
Make Microbes into Magical Beings
Fix: Avoid sterile words like “soil microorganisms.”
Instead, lead with: Tiny life forms, so small they’re invisible except under a microscope. They are magical. They unlock flavor, fight plant disease, and help your garden thrive.
Why it works: Microbes are invisible. You have to make them visible. Giving them personality and purpose makes them memorable.
Connect Soil Health to Family Health
Fix: Don’t say “nutrient-dense.”
Instead, lead with: Healthy soil grows veggies that taste better, no cardboard tomatoes from healthy soil. They also have more vitamins, so you and your kids get more nutrition in every bite.
Why it works: Parents want food that tastes good and is healthy. Soil health becomes personal
Make It Visual and Shareable
Fix: Don’t just post soil facts
Instead, lead with: Photos of lush gardens, vibrant produce, and happy kids eating veggies. Use a caption like “This came from soil full of life.”
Why it works: People share what they can see and feel. Soil science needs a visual makeover.
Lead with consumer desire, not the input
Fix: Don’t start with “microbial diversity.”
Instead, lead with: Want yummier tomatoes and bigger blooms? It all comes from what’s happening in the ground.
Why it works: People care about results, taste, beauty, health, not technical inputs. When you paint a picture of the benefits they already desire, you’re speaking their language.
Use Familiar Analogies
Fix: Skip the lab talk
Instead, lead with: Microbes are like probiotics for your soil. They keep everything balanced and thriving. or Microbes are like dogs at the dog park, they’re all different, but they all play together, giving each other space.
Why it works: Analogies bridge the gap between science and everyday understanding.
Show, Don’t Lecture the Consumer Desire
Fix: Avoid preaching about climate or sustainability
Instead, lead with: This compost blend [or whatever your product is] helped my tomatoes taste like summer. Want to try it in your garden?
Why it works: Personal stories and sensory language build trust and create curiosity. You’re also not coming across as a know-it-all.
Turn Regenerative into a Lifestyle Word
Fix: Don’t define it academically
Instead, lead with: Regenerative means giving back to the land. Getting better food, better flavor, and better flowers in return.
Why it works: It is aspirational, not technical.
My favorite is #7 because it encompasses all the others. When you can get your messaging wrapped around regenerative as a way of life, you’re creating change. And that’s what we need in the world.
Is your content truly addressing consumer desire? People want regenerative brands. They just don’t quite trust what that word “regenerative” means. Make your content sound like you’re talking with your neighbor about your gardens or your kids. It really is that simple.
Are you struggling with that? Shoot us an email, and let’s get you showing, talking, speaking, and feeling to your audience.