<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>In this episode, Jay breaks down why "being the best" is a losing game and why "being their favorite" is the ultimate competitive advantage.</p><p>Here's what you'll learn:</p><p>(00:00) Intro<br />(01:24) Why "Marketing More" is a trap in the AI era<br />(04:16) Why 100 fans beat 100,000 followers<br />(07:36) The Disney Strategy: Why you should stop trying to be "The Best"<br />(09:52) Using Unsolicited Response Rate (URR) to measure resonance<br />(13:50) How to close deals faster by making people care<br />(16:21) Why generic content is dead (and how to find your "Premise")<br />(24:13) Why brands need personalities to survive<br />(28:55) 5 steps to differentiate your brand<br />(34:38) The Wistia Example: Why your homepage copy isn't your message<br />(41:55) Future-proofing your content for 2026<br />(51:09) The right way to use LLMs in creative work<br />(59:40) Why you can't automate thought leadership<br /></p><p>We hope you enjoyed this episode of Ahrefs Podcast!</p><p>Where to find Jay:<br />LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/</a><br />Website: <a href="https://jayacunzo.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://jayacunzo.com/</a></p><p>Where to find Tim:<br />LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/</a><br />X: @timsoulo</p><p>Referenced:<br />HubSpot, Wistia, Google, SparkToro, TopRank Marketing, Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Davis, Melanie Deziel.</p>