When you write for a living like I do, it’s easy to slip into autopilot. The minimum expectation is to churn out content day in and day out — a cycle that inevitably spirals toward burnout. But the paycheck keeps you going, so you keep at it. For me, the writing process had become mechanical: read the brief, plug in the keywords, outline, write, publish. Rinse and repeat.
That’s exactly what I thought I’d be walking into at Urban Era Marketing — and honestly, I didn’t mind if that was the case. I was used to it. But oh boy, was I wrong. And thank the gods I was.
Urban Era Marketing puts its readers at the forefront. Here, we don’t publish for the sake of filling the site with content. That old-school approach to content marketing isn’t part of our playbook. Instead, we focus on creating authentic content to create an organic connection with our audience.
That means taking the time to craft every article with care. Trust me, it pays off. In this post, I’ll show you actual proof. And if a history writer like me, working in a niche that isn’t “naturally trendy,” can see results, then let this be your reminder: when you put readers first, the metrics will follow.
Table of Contents
- A Defining Moment: When My Words Resonated Beyond the Page
- Small Wins That Prove People Are Reading
- Writing With Real People in Mind
- Full Circle: Back to the Reader
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A Defining Moment: When My Words Resonated Beyond the Page
For me, that realization came unexpectedly. I had written a piece about the effects of the atomic bombings in Japan during World War II and shared it on LinkedIn. In my mind, it was just another post; part of the rhythm of putting thoughts out there.
A week after posting, a filmmaker reached out. He had stumbled across the piece and invited me to an online WWII film festival.
This all came as a surprise to me, as it’s the first time that someone actually interacted with my post. It’s my biggest win thus far since working here at Urban Era Marketing. Mr. Suchanek’s invitation was tangible proof that my words weren’t simply vanishing into the void we call the internet. It resonated with someone.
Words literally keep me alive, but ironically, no words can describe the feeling I had from this achievement.
Looking back, that was the moment I realized what it truly means to write for a human audience. My pieces resonate because they center on people — the ones who lived through these events, and the ones who didn’t survive them. It’s that shared humanity, the natural connection we all have with each other, that makes history come alive and allows my readers to feel its weight.
Small Wins That Prove People Are Reading
I’m grateful for big moments like that, but what keeps me going each day are the small ripples that build up over time. When I started writing on Substack, I had fewer than 15 followers (two of them were my colleagues). The number may seem insignificant, but it reminds me that people deliberately chose to follow and listen to what I have to say.
One article in particular—about the women who shaped Einstein’s success—created one of those ripples. A reader commented that they had never heard of these women until they found my piece. For them, that article served as a tool for discovery and learning.
That’s the part we miss when we obsess over traffic graphs and click-through rates. Yes, SEO metrics matter, but in a human-centered content approach, they don’t tell the whole story.
Each reader who learns something new is a small but powerful win. Writing for people means recognizing that one changed perspective is as valuable as a thousand impressions.
Writing With Real People in Mind
Adapting My Voice
My background in teaching social studies taught me how to balance depth with accessibility. I understand that not everyone reading my work is a history expert or is naturally interested in the humanities like I am, and that’s okay. That’s a challenge I face head-on when I chose to write about this niche.
So, I adapt my voice to be clear without being shallow, and informative without overwhelming. And no, that doesn’t mean I dumb things down. It simply means I assume my readers may not have all the context, so I bridge the gap with digestible explanations, often in the form of side comments and one-liners.
Because, yes, history is complicated, but learning about it shouldn’t be.
Awareness as the Goal
I’m a firm believer that learning about history shouldn’t center on mere restatement of facts and statistics.
As both a teacher and writer, my aim is awareness. To spark curiosity and leave my readers with something to think about after they close the tab. If a certain topic nudges them to Google further and ask a new question, then I know my job’s done.
That’s where the beauty of user-focused content lies. It treats information not as an endpoint but as a starting point for dialogue, curiosity, and reflection.
Who I Really Write For
I’m not writing for website metrics. Each of my blog posts is dedicated to actual people reading behind the screen—whether it’s a student searching for a credible source for her history assignment or a random user who stumbled onto my Substack threads.
Those readers may never comment or subscribe, but they’re the reason I return to the keyboard every day. They fuel my drive to share my passion for history, its echoes in our present world, and the personal insights I draw from it.
Full Circle: Back to the Reader
At the end of the day, content briefs are vital to keep content marketing companies like Urban Era Marketing alive. They keep projects moving and campaigns aligned. But briefs don’t read; people do. And if the words are soulless, written without intent, it won’t connect with real humans, and thus the brief hasn’t really been fulfilled.
That’s something we writers should always keep in mind—a necessary jitter in our profession to keep us on our toes.
I hope that when we write, history topic or not, we remember the people we’re telling stories to. They’re who we work for. They always have been.
If you connected with this, I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment or follow me on Substack for more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is user-focused or human-centered content?
It’s content that puts people first. Instead of just ticking off boxes in a brief or chasing keywords, it’s written to meet real needs—answering questions, sparking curiosity, and creating genuine connection.
How do you stay user-focused?
By always asking: Who am I writing this for, and what do they need from it? It means stripping away jargon, adding context where needed, and writing with intention instead of just following a template.
What does human-centered marketing really mean?
It’s a shift from seeing audiences as “traffic” to seeing them as people. Human-centered marketing isn’t about pumping out content—it’s about building relationships.
Why is it important to adapt your writing voice for your audience?
Because writing that resonates is writing that listens. Adapting your voice means being clear, approachable, and relevant—without losing your authenticity.
