The Rant About My HOA (Audience Empathy 101)

Daniel Ib
Apr 28
1 min read

My HOA sent out a 14-page PDF about new trash can placement rules. I didn’t read it. You know why? It started with “Pursuant to Section 4, Subsection B…”

Boring. Death. By. Legal.

Then my neighbor sent a text: “Hey, just move your cans behind the fence by Tuesday or they fine us $50.”

I read that. I acted on it.

As content writers, we love our “comprehensive guides” and “ultimate resources.” But sometimes the user doesn’t need comprehensive. They need the text message version. Clear, direct, and actionable. Next time you write a blog, ask yourself: Would my reader save this to notes, or are they just trying to escape the tab?

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