When Brands Ghost You

Quick story about how a brand I trusted promised real connection. Then went silent.

Beatriz Camaleso via Unsplash

Silence speaks louder than words.

A few years ago, I was deep in Mel Robbins’ universe—her podcast, her website, her signature brand of straight-talk motivation.

The whole pitch was access: I’ve been where you are. I’ve got you. Let’s do this together.

She extolled real conversations. She exhorted her podcast listeners to reach out with thoughts, questions, etc.

So, I did. It was just a quick note through her website—not fan-girl or over the top.

Just a question tied to a recent episode.

I never heard back. Not even an auto-reply.

You could have bowled me over with a feather.

The brand broke for me.

What That Taught Me (and Maybe You, Too?)

All businesses run on trust, doubly so if your name is the brand—this is the stuff that matters.

A lot.

1. Don’t offer access unless you mean it.

“Reach out anytime” sounds generous—until people do. You don’t have to answer every email. But you do need to be honest about what kind of access you’re offering.

✅ Even an honest auto-reply (“We read everything, but can’t respond to all”) is better than silence.

2. Ghosting isn’t neutral.

Silence isn’t just silence. It’s a message, loud and clear.

✅ Set up simple systems to close the loop—even just a quick “Thanks for reaching out.”

3. Relatability isn’t a brand value. It’s a behavior.

You can’t market yourself as the person who “gets it” and then vanish. If your whole appeal is built on being the anti-guru, you have to show up like one.

✅ Take a look at what you're promising. Ask yourself, "can I follow-through on this every time, no matter what?"

4. You don’t need a team to get this right. Just sincere intention.

Wes Pearce, a digital marketing strategist I follow on Substack, does this brilliantly. When I emailed him with a question the other day about a product I was buying, he wrote back personally—almost immediately—with a fix.

A real answer from a real human who cared enough about a single run-of-the-mill query to write back.

Instant respect.

✅ AI can fake a lot of things. But not sincerity. That’s still your job.

5. Your brand is only as strong as your follow-through.

A polished podcast, a great tagline, a well-crafted CTA—it all means nothing if you don't come out from behind the curtain.

✅ Conversations aren't conversations if they're a one way street.

The point isn't only that Mel didn’t answer. And she’s not alone in the Brands Too Big To Communicate To Us Lowly Humans club.

I get it. She has millions of followers on social media. Her podcast ranks in the top spots on Apple and Spotify.

But shouldn't a brand based on personal credibility figure out a way to make the loyal fandom feel seen and heard?

It doesn't take a village.

Instead, I was left feeling duped for drinking the I'm-here-for-you Kool Aid.

Her silence contradicted the brand she sold and the one I actually experienced.

Connection isn’t a marketing strategy—it’s a commitment.

Break it once, and the brand breaks with it.

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